Mother Russia's Top Side.

This is from the days when the Russians were not only the good guys, they were the best guys. It’s my favourite dance from the original Dublin version of Riverdance the Show, 1995 PP (Pre-Putin.) For all the delights of Gaelic and American culture in that production, this Russian routine shone the brightest in my opinion. The combination of virtuosity and a sense of sheer joy is utterly compelling. Even the slight imperfections add to its charm, and if my ears don’t deceive me, I’d say they got the loudest applause of the night from the Dublin audience.

By a fortunate coincidence, it also encapsulates the most vibrant period of my life: a veritable cornucopia of delights and other things beginning with D. That’s why I had to find it again. Things went a bit downhill after the heady heights of the mid to late 90s, and they’ve never got back up to standard. Maybe I should have emigrated to Russia.