‘Lord of the Dance’ wows audience at Landmark Theater

“Lord of the Dance,” which was performed at Richmond’s Landmark Theater last weekend, will keep you smiling, but it’s not because one of the cast members always has a smile on her face while dancing. The tempo is memorizing. The fast-tapping shoes keep you wanting more.

Celtic music, lighting and background added to the believability of the performance that was supposed to be taking place in Ireland.

Morrighan the Temptress turned heads flirtatiously while dancing. She played with her hair while jumping. She sashayed and bowed across the stage very femininely. She was the only dancer to receive hoots or catcalls and the only one to blow kisses to the audience.

One scene started with her body mostly obscured lying on the stage floor. She seductively rose. She interrupted the hero, the Lord of the Dance, while he was dancing with his love interest, Saoirse. She also competed with Saoirse by dancing. A dance troupe onstage imitated the two dancers.

Saoirse was notable for smiling at all moments when her character was happy. Morrighan smiled less often. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, even if she is trying to take a man from his true love.

When their first scene opened, the stage was dark. The violinists raised their bows and approached each other like two swordsmen ready to fight. With more light, they placed their bow on the violin and began playing.

“I appreciated the violin scene because it wasn’t your typical ‘Lord of the Dance’ scene,” said Daphne Barkley, a 2005 VCU business graduate. Occasionally, they bent one knee and played faster. They alternated playing songs. The non-player would wave her bow inciting the crowd for louder clapping or applause. The effect was intense.

A few choreographed points were notable. One was smoothly moving from multiple columns of dancers to two concentric circles or one long ‘V’-shaped line across the stage. They danced in the circles very quickly. A move that merited the audience’s clapping was when the women were lifted up while the men kept turning.

“I liked that scene above all others,” audience member Mike Maple said. “The troupe was very good.”

They also would form into a cross shape and maintain the cross shape while turning counter clockwise.

“I was surprised by their unison,” audience member Colin Gough said. “I have done theater before, and I know they are well trained. A group has to be to stay together like that.”

An interesting stylistic move was the synchronization of the dancers arms. They were in a long line at the front of the stage. While raising their feet to their knees behind them and tapping their feet, they all held their arms at their sides. From one end to another, they raised and crossed their arms. Then the wave of uncrossing occurred.

Audience member Pam Lyons felt this performance held up well against comparisons with other productions.

“I saw a similar dance performance in New York City,” she said, “and I loved it as much as I love this.”