Irish American star of the Eurovision 1994 “Riverdance”, Jean Butler is set to take part in a Gathering celebration in Dublin this July. The talented dancer recalled how that seven minutes changed her life forever and how she still treasures her “Riverdance” dress.
Butler told the RTE Guide magazine that her “Riverdance” dress, which she wore alongside Michael Flatley on stage at the Point (now the O2 Arena), has pride of place in her wardrobe next to her wedding dress and shoes.
The star, originally from Long Island, New York, told the RTE Guide, “All the important things are boxed away together,” including her dress made of velvet with a delicate crochet detail and sparkling jet beads.
John Colgan, the show’s producer, said the dress was “like no other Irish dance dress ever seen before".
Her sexy dress showed “how Irish dancing could be re-imagined for a modern, global audience”.
Butler said the 1994 performance that became famous around the world changed her life for ever.
“Everything that I'm doing now has stemmed from my experience within Riverdance,” she told the RTE Guide.
Speaking about the “Riverdance” Gathering in Dublin in July she said, “We're hoping to break the record for the longest line of Irish dancers dancing together. I'm supposed to lead it, so we'll see how that goes.”
She added, “I come back quite a lot, which is why I feel like I have two homes.
“I'm always here – whether it's through work, dancing or just bouts of mischief with friends and family.”
Here’s the amazing Eurovision footage of the “Riverdance” performance in 1994:
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