Riverdance celebrates 30 years of Irish dance, music at Hancher

Kieran Bryant is following in his family's footsteps, literally.

It was inevitable that Bryant would become a dancer. His older brother and sister were Irish dancers, and Celtic music was played throughout his Sydney home since his parents are hoofers as well.

"It's in my genes," Bryant said while calling from Indiana. "I've been dancing since I was four-years old, and I've always loved it."

Learning dance and honing the skill is a grind, but Bryant never felt that way about the time he put in while learning the discipline. "It never felt quite like work since I just feel the rhythm with my feet. I replicate the rhythms and just go. I have worked hard but it's been a labor of love."

The considerable effort has paid off for Bryant, who has been the lead dancer with "Riverdance" since 2022.

Bryant, 27, has been with the company for nine years and is the featured attraction during the company's latest tour, "Riverdance: The New Generation," which is slated Friday through Sunday at Hancher Auditorium.

"This is our 30th anniversary tour, and we've made some changes," Bryant said. "The New Generation tour features a cast that, for the most part, wasn't born yet when ‘Riverdance’ debuted (in 1995). I'm one of those performers. After the success of the 25th anniversary tour, we've redone the music and the dances. This show is bigger. We have new costumes and a bigger production. There are some new visuals for the screens. It's a fresh take on the show that everyone knows about. What we're about is making ‘Riverdance’ better."

“Riverdance” has improved in the same manner as sports. Dancers and athletes are just getting bigger and stronger.

"Irish dance is progressing since the standards are much higher than they were a few years ago," Bryant said. "The athleticism has improved. We're doing tricks that are certainly next level. We're driven to make this sharper and better. At ‘Riverdance,’ we are the elite of the elite."

“Riverdance” is also eclectic.

"What a lot of people don't know is that we're more than Irish music," Bryant said. "We have jazz elements. We have American tappers (tap dancers). We have a fiddler and an incredible band."

Much like a Broadway production, “Riverdance” delivers eight shows a week.

However, the difference for the “Riverdance” cast is that the only day off, which are Mondays, is a travel day. However, Bryant has embraced the road.

"I love this since not everyone gets to do what they love everyday but we also can see the world," Bryant said. "We were just in New York for two weeks where we played Radio City Music Hall. We were in Chicago, Boston and so many cool cities. I look forward to coming to Iowa as well. America is such a beautiful country, and the cities are so different."

Bryant also acts and has been part of the stage productions of "Grease" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.“

"I grew up doing musical theater," Bryant said. "I enjoy it, but what I'm most passionate about is Irish dance. That's my focus as well as being in the best shape possible since what we do is very taxing on the body."

Bryant is about to celebrate his 10th anniversary with “Riverdance” before he reaches his third decade.

"It's hard to believe that I've been part of this since I've been a teenager," Bryant said. "It doesn't seem that long ago that I auditioned in 2016 at the Riverdance Summer School. It's a long process, but that's how people audition. I made it, and I've tried to make the most of it with ‘Riverdance.’ When I'm out there performing, I give it my all. That's the way it is with ‘Riverdance.’"