Irish dance spectacular "Take the Floor" will debut in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 15 -- that's just over two months away -- but the cast isn't complete, rehearsals haven't begun and choreography is still a mystery.
Don't worry -- everything is going according to plan!
That's the whole point, said show directors Paula Goulding and Shane McAvinchey. This isn't your average dance show. It's more like an intense Irish dance workshop, MTV's "Making the Band" and Riverdance all rolled up into one unbelievable experience.
Over the course of 10 days, 50 promising Irish dancers will meet to learn an entire show's worth of choreography, get fitted for costumes and learn to work as a team to pull off what Goulding and McAvinchey promise to be a professional-level "unforgettable show" on the final day. Adding to the challenge, they're not really scouting seasoned show dancers. In fact, they're accepting applications from dancers with varying levels of show- and competition-dancing experience through June 11.
"It’s going to be immense," Goulding said of the challenge to pull off the project without a hitch. "But it’s going to be rewarding. We have to be meticulous. Everything has to be precisely scheduled."
In preparation for the hotly anticipated 10-day dance bootcamp and final show, Goulding and McAvinchey have been working and planning tirelessly. The two friends and cohorts have been envisioning this moment for months -- years, maybe. Shane said that the two have been dreaming up projects together since they met while touring with Riverdance. Since then, they've done other stage shows together and collaborated on various projects, including Diddlyi.com, a website that offers online step dance video lessons.
McAvnichey, a commission-certified Irish dance instructor for the Tir Na Nog school in Germany and Russia, explained that he, Goulding and a slew of "celebrity" choreographers will be focusing on transforming a group made up of predominantly competitive dancers into polished show dancers.
Not to be overlooked in the production is the live music that will accompany the dancers. Popular trad Irish band Beoga will be providing the robust soundtrack for the show.
"Beoga has a very recognizable style. It's so uplifting," Goulding gushed, the enthusiasm clearly audible in her tone. "They are -- in trad music terms, at the moment -- they’re like what One Direction is to pop. They are it."
With days until the show's debuts on Dublin's Helix stage dwindling, and all the planning pieces falling into place, McAvinchey anxiously awaits introducing a whole new generation of dancers to the life of a professional performer. From the moment dancers drop their dance bags on the studio floor on day one of rehearsals to the final bow, McAvinchey wants the dancers to have the fullest show experience.
"We want them to be going to bed wrecked tired at the end of the night, and then bouncing up in the morning because they can’t wait to get started again," McAvinchey said. "We want dancers to say, 'wow, that was amazing.'"
"Take the Floor" has been officially endorsed by Riverdance, and McAvinchey said that scouts from a variety of professional Irish dance shows have been invited to attend the one-night-only spectacle, opening a unique opportunity to any dancer interested in dancing professionally. For details on how to apply, visit the official "Take the Floor" website. And to see who's already been selected, check out "Take the Floor" on Facebook.
Check back here for news, results, photos, interviews and more! Help us celebrate Irish dancing by sharing this story with your friends, like us on Facebook, tweet the link or start a conversation with a comment in the message box below. THANK YOU!
Comments