Riverdance: Live from Beijing

This PBS-aired 2010 performance filmed at the Beijing Exhibition Center in China celebrates the 15th anniversary of Riverdance, the cultural dance-and-song phenomenon highlighting a variety of Irish and other European traditions, modified here for the Chinese audience. Uilleann pipes that sound both Asian and Celtic play as the tap-dancing troupe enters the stage, the women in green velvet, the men in black. After the opening number, Padraic Moyles performs a solo that incorporates impressive high kicks, returning later for further routines, including a couple of martial numbers in which he wears black leather as the male backup dancers sport militaristic garb with a Maoist bent. Female counterpart Aislinn Ryan doesn't have quite as much time in the spotlight, although Yolanda Gonzàles Sobrado dances two fine flamenco pieces. Other segments involve Russian folk and urban tap-dance moves. Since music remains an integral part of the Riverdance experience, the program features soprano Brioni Gallagher, who evokes Enya's New Age folk; baritone Ralph Cato, who invests his material with operatic grandeur; and a few band selections that emphasize percussion, fiddle, whistles, and a trio of traditional Chinese instruments. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Riverdance fans will likely enjoy this latest iteration of the popular show. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)