Riverdance - The Countess Cathleen (Joanne Doyle)

[annawesson]

I think that this is the sweetest piece of music, and has always reminded me of my own beautiful Margaret Lawreen! Every time i hear this particular piece of music, it brings tears to my eyes...even now...

[TimothyLSingleton]

You know, I was completely enthralled with the dance.

Then I read the description. Christ almighty, does everything have to be about some #@$damn political BS?

It must be a pitiful sad existence to not even be able to enjoy Riverdance without bringing politics to it.

[s0ccergirl1oo]

I've done stuff like this and it is extremely hard to stay sooo coordinated.

[athenacat96]

When I saw this show for the first time at age five, I wanted to be the Countess Cathleen when I grew up.

[Charri67]

I think that men who can dance are sexy...

[colliecandle]

You just have GOT to love the Irish ! Breathtakingly  excellent Music and dance!

[buddygirl06]

what is the song called in the beginning??? countless cathleen?

[bgdancer100]

@buddygirl06 the first song is women of the sidhe, pronounced, I think, "shee". The second one is the countess cathleen.

[athenacat96]

When I saw Riverdance at age 6, the lead dancer for this act was my absolute favorite. (It may have partly been my six year old love for purple, but...)

[kzrollzable]

this is by far my fave dance the tune is class

[dansertoujours]

0:47..how can they stan so high up in demi pointe??? I wish I could do that

[orianajones]

I remember watching this when I was 5. Its still my favorite dance video. I have the video right with me but the VCR won't work :c

[LinShiana]

How, HOW they can step on the stairs so fantastic?!

[MrDanceobssesesme]

Incredible!

[kelceejofarra]

My feet are just going to break off and leave me because they are disappointed that I am not this talented.

[lemoulinrouge]

i really dislike these costumes, the ones from 1995 were so feminine and pretty, especially jean's, and joanne's costume looks like they ordered it from a halloween shop under the category "sexy teen witch" or something

[BreanneChyeah]

Im learning this dance ! :) I love making music with my feet , :)

[BreanneChyeah]

Im learning this dance ,.. it's just a bit different , I love Irish dancing <3 I love making music with your feet . :)

[Roflcat285]

I'm Irish American, I Irish dance and my name is also Irish!

[destroyer8604]

Im Irish American and this stuff makes me so proud of my ancestry. I think Ireland should always be in the Hearts of all Irishman and Irish Americans. Ireland will always be our home.

[destroyer8604]

@hermionefan3 but I dont think either one of them are as good as Aislinn Ryan the newest girl to play the part. Check out Live from Bejin DVD. Shes amazing. Like dancing on water

[VanillaDackelFisch]

3:00 best part ;D

[21topsail]

I saw this in march last year at radio city and The lead (i think it was alana something) was no where near as good as joanne....All she did was a few jumps and mostly moved her hands.

[cameronthomasfan549]

Honestly, nothing beats the original, i mean this is good but not as good as the 1995 show, and why did they change the costumes to pink!?!?!? i liked the green in the old show!

[Arrghigiveup]

@cameronthomasfan549 Heh, I actually think it's the dancer. Check out watch?v=CqQvUZ9SdhQ

Dunno what year, but same dancer, slightly different choreography, different costume (which I like better; she looks stunning in that purple), and I like it so much better than the rest simply because of Jean's stage presence, which has increased since the original. Joanne's a lovely dancer, but she hasn't got that regal, slightly ethereal aura that Jean had and which was perfect for this dance.

[jeaninevr]

I like te riverdance it´s amazing

[harrietamidala1691]

Joanna Doyle dances like a Ballerina!

[AmeliaKate09]

These guys are hot, now if they just had black hair and foxhawks ;)

[thomasinnorway]

ha ha ha....lets invent a dance where we dont move our upper-body or our arms AT ALL! Only drunk white people could come up with something this moronic.

Head south and you will find booty-shaking, arms moving....sexy stuff. This looks retarded

[Felicity1247]

@thomasinnorway Well, blame the church for coming up with Irish dancing, if you're going to blame anyone. The church was the one who forbade upper body movement because they thought upper body movement was too promiscuous.

[reelirishboy5]

@Felicity1247

That's just a myth. The Church really didn't have anything to do with how Irish dancers danced. It was the dance masters, the teachers themselves, who created the stiff upper body style in order to teach greater control over what the feet were doing.

[EmiRiverdancer]

The footwork is excellent omg :')

[turiaotea]

5;38 ia far better conclusion

[turiaotea]

why didnt Jean Butler conclude with a move like this one 5:38

[idancerchick]

I feel like this version is much flashier than the original...I like the different and less plain costumes, but some of the movements seem silly to me now. I'm an irish dancer and nothing Joanne does is all that hard, and a lot of it is twirling around with her hands in the air. There are much cooler things she could be doing with her feet, but instead she's waving...

I absolutely love the beginning of this dance, though. My teacher taught it to us a while ago and I love dancing it!

[seamuscfc94]

Love this tune :) The lead is brilliant dancer

[Felicity1247]

I may be a bit biased, having seen the 1996 performance in NYC, but I think Jean Butler is better than her. Joanne does it well, and I like the movement where she sends the men away, but Butler seems to be exceptionally graceful and has a kind of regal presence needed for this role.

[ckelly633]

i hav this dvd its called "riverdance live from geneva"

u should get it :-)

[TokiotelQueen]

I agree that some of the magic has been lost, I still have the original videocassette of the first performance in Dublin. Something about the chemistry between Jean Butler and Michael Flatley has never been created and obviously, whether he is popular or not, the sheer genius of Michael as a dancer has been lost. I don't think any of the other male leads have been as good. I'm contemplating going to the London show in May but I don't want to be disappointed, I want to feel the magic!!!

[TokiotelQueen]

The Countless Cathleen as a dance is exploring the meaning of womanhood and in particular the role of Irish women as settlers. The interaction with the male dancers at the end isn't so much about challenging authority, it is women testing their own stregnth and becoming accustomed to their power.

[caitymurphy]

ok..so i hope Joanne has learned that toe-stands arnt that much of a trick..i do them in all of my hardshoe dances, and i feel like they make thinfgs alittle too easy...

[piney10]

@caitymurphy i hope you've learned that this was choreographed by someone else before she probably even thought about being on this show.

[brNNNbrNNN]

I think Jean Butler better than Joanne Doyle.

[MrsAshDash]

I love the colors they used for this version!

[italiabiatch]

i dont know i kinda like Joanne better than Jean in this dance. But all and all its very hard to choose which one is best overall :)

[abbeyharry1952]

Absolutely Stunning !

This Takes Great Talent and Stamina !

5*****

In My Favs

Thanks for sharing

Keep Smiling

[suuuuuupQ]

i LOVE this song and oh my god everyone is so good the irish dancers jumps are like the highest ive ever seen haha and the ballet dancers are well good too..................

[Hellica08]

Joanne > Jean.

[laddibugg88]

I can't criticize because I can't do that at all, but in all honesty, it just doesn't get better than Jean Butler. She just can't be replaced.

[xXMarivXx]

@laddibugg88

I agree, Jean cant be replaced but for this song I prefer Joanne's performance: she did capture that challenging, fierce and independant escence which I think Jean couldnt achieve by dancing to this song. Sorry for my bad english by the way.

[Sundrumify]

Love, Nathalie,

it is time for art and music, on my channel, tonight.

Thanks, for sharing.

Love from Munich

[Arahmynta]

I love Riverdance, but it's been mostly for the music because I found the dancing boring - oh, I'm certain it's hard and they're skilled! I just didn't like the style. When they jumped, they looked stiff while doing so, so you didn't really FEEL like it was high. But when I saw her (at 1:22) I thought "...She looks ...SPRIGHTLY". And at 1:24, she pretty much literally floats across the floor. And she tosses her hair at 3:58. It might just be a different choreographer, but this looks more FUN.

[Sundrumify]

Thank you for sharing.

Beautiful!

Lisa

[IrishDancerGermany]

Im Irish Dancing gibt es Softshoe- und Hardshoetänze. Softshoe - "das Gehppel" ist die Grundlage für JEDEN Irish Dancer. Hardshoe lernt man erst wenn man die Grundlagen im Softshoe "gut" beherrscht.

Softshoe:

Reel, Light Jig, Slip Jig und Single Jig

Hardshoe:

Treble Jig, Hornpipe, Set Dances und Treble Reel.

[magpie4321]

Good for you, IrishDancerGermany!!!!

[GraffityStyler09]

die weiber am anfang sind voll lustig xD

wie die da rumhoppeln .. einfach zu geil *rofl*

[letsskitri]

OMG O:

[samoi26]

i wish i could dance like that!

[Birdoparadise]

I love that this dance will allow anyone to dance it. In a lot of dance styles that I have observed, many of the dancers are usually younger than thirty. Still, at :53, you can see that there is one lady that looks to be older than all the others, and she's still dancing with the best of the best! WOOT!

[MoonLitCat]

i dont think this is bad, defintily not as great as the one dublin but certainily not the worst ive seen. I actually real like the lead female in this. and i like this versionh of riverdance a lot, theres a lot more dancing and music thats really great

[LovelyMtjuH]

Oh okeey that's why I didn't kwon what it is Thnx

[MoonLitCat]

yeah when i was little i had no ideaa what it was too lolz

[LovelyMtjuH]

In the begin i mean with all the womam

[LovelyMtjuH]

This isn't tape dance is it. It likes a little like ballet

[craigholme22]

the 1995 original version from the point in dublin is the best! i feel some of the magic has been lost!

[skattynatty8]

I agree. I think the magic was still about when this was filmed, but i saw the show in March and its lost some of its magic. Its too commercialised, there are too many leads so there isn't the same sense of wow as when there was a star couple like joanne and breandan or jean and colin that was the show. The actual dancing has gone down in quality (my opinion) and been overtaken with making a glitzy show. This is just my opinion.

[craigholme22]

i think too many leads have tried to copy jean butler, michael flatly, colin, etc. rather than being original!

Glad someone else agrees i think we are in the minority!

[moudettor]

je veux savoir comment je peut avoir cette music svp

[Birdoparadise]

Lol, I wanted to say that but the comments had been disabled. ..

[Birdoparadise]

Would you agree that the majority of tapping in Riverdance are fairly simple moves, only faster and in sync?

I've tried without any training and I can only manage maybe two or three of the basic tapping moves. But I read that someone thought the girls were anorexic. ROFL! They obviously don't understand how much muscle this burns.

[logananddeanfan]

I agree about the majority of the Riverdance tapping being simple, but a lot faster and in sync. My teacher taught us the 'V' that they did in the finale and a bit of reel around the sun (the part where they start moving around the stage).

I'm good with all the tapping that takes place on the ground, but as for the clicks and all that, I don't quite bend that way...yet xD

[skattynatty8]

I saw this live in March in Edinburgh and I have to say that I feel some of the grace and elegance has been lost in the lead female role. Too much jerking of the head and flinging around of the arms. Jean and Joanne have such grace and purity in there dancing and I think they are hard to beat!

[piney10]

@skattynatty8 I still think the original with Jean and Michael (as arrogant as he apparently is) is still the best. There may have been better dancer since them as far as technicalitly, but no one (that I've seen) has had more stage presense than those two. They command it, and I think that's part of why the original was so exciting.

[grobaniteforever]

I love Riverdance. I saw both the 1995 and 1996 movies. I like them both. I like both this version and all versions I have seen. This is comming from an Irish woman.

[elhkrun]

yes I agree 1995 was a year of magic for Riverdance and nothing and no one can top that year or Jean Butler or Michael Flately, EVER.

[AbiT50]

Not as good as the 1995 version at the point theatre-that will always be the best to me.

[Inara55]

I agree with you. The 1995 version is pure magic and remains the best.

[FAUSTORICCARDO]

the girls; that lightness!

Joanne Doyle , charming.

[adlsp]

looks like prancing antelope lol

[RhiaRiot]

I don't know why go got thumbs down for that comment. I totally agree. The dancers possess the natural grace and beauty of gazelle.

[adlsp]

some people come with so much mental baggage that they see the glass "half empty" instead of "half full"

...but thanks for your comment...and come visit the USA

[jenchapple89]

I LOVE this dance. Anyone know what the meaning is? Is it women challenging the power of men?

[skattynatty8]

This is what it says on the website:

"Sensual, nurturing, independent and fierce, the power of women as they celebrate themselves, as they challenge men in a dance of empowerment."

[victoryispower32]

i kow this is amazing(i saw it live at the fox theatre in atlanta it was truely amazing)

[hellotheremateyboy]

You quarter whit. What kind of question is that?

[jenchapple89]

Huh? You're kind of a jerk... It was just a question... Are you really 73 years old?? I doubt it. You sure are one heck of a cranky old man.

[TimberwolfsLilsis]

@jenchapple89 no it is from an old myth. PM me and I can give you more info

[orianajones]

@jenchapple89 I always associated it with fairies mating season to be honest. I'm not sure if that's the meaning but its as if the men are fighting over the women.

[vashtiverous78]

This is the best scene from Riverdance...the richness of colors the dance-moves the background the music it's just beautiful and enchanting like travelling through time :P great vid!

[DuckeyToast]

Jean Butler in my opinion has ALWAYSS been the best :)

I wish i carried on with my Irish Dancing x

Oh well :).. i used to know the stepps :)

We irish rock ;P

DuckeyyToast x

[johnnoross]

I don't care what anyone says i cant take my eyes off this chick, she is amazing and drop dead gorgeous to go with it

[Candyswan]

Joanne is a great dancer, however, I don't feel that she makes a connection with the audience. Also, I didn't like the way she came downstairs - she should have looked up like Jean did...

[the1andonlyamy]

i agree, great dancer. but should brush up on performance

[MewMint92]

i think jean will always be the best countess... shes just incredible

[TealOctober]

Joanne is such an elegant and graceful dancer and lovely person. I was fortunate enough to meet her after one of the shows. Great video. :)

[FromColdSiberia]

Yes, she dances perfectly, but she is not such good actress as Jean...

[ScooterGirl9988]

I was lucky enough to see Jean Butler (who also choreographed this piece) when she was still with the Riverdance show. I'm sure this lady is an excellent dancer but Jean was so beautiful and graceful; during the soft shoe she really looked like she was dancing on air. A very talented lady.

[larryhoast]

Wooow!!

[nahpop1]

jean butler will always be the best at this dance her slip jig is the best nd after all she came up with moves for this, but jo is still a good dancer in my opinion!!! i just prefer jean she's my fav!! lol!!

[skattynatty8]

ok, there seems to be a debate happening! I agree that softshoes, which is still complex and beautiful, is not anything like as complicated as hardshoe, which is much more about fast feet movements. I think Joanne is very graceful and elegent like Jean ( who was maybe more graceful) but it is a show, and dancers have to give more than just the movement, they need to look happy and as if they are enjoying themselves, Joanne does that, Jean tended to look bit stern. Just my opinion! :P

[genniemac26]

uhhh irish dancing is not complex??? are you kidding... im assuming youre not a dancer. you have no idea the hours and dedication dancers put in to perfect every single COMPLICATED movement. of course there are basics but those basics turn into much more difficult things, like you see here in riverdance. do yourself a favor and look up the north american irish dance championships and watch some of the dancers, then come see if you can still say irish dance is not complex

[theirshdame]

Acutally, Irish dance is far more than "fast movements." Anyone who has ever taken Irish dance knows that the most important thing is to stay on beat. Soft shoe music does not allow for fast feet movements AND soft shoe is NOT fast feet movements. It's about elegance and grace. There are moves in soft shoe that require hang time - staying in the air. Please don't confuse hard shoe with soft shoe and then insult one of the best Irish dancers, who wouldn't be in the Riverdance if she was not good.

[skattynatty8]

i agree, she seem so much happier, and she is a better actress.

[sunecao]

I think Joanne is the best Countess. Most of my reason comes from the end of this dance - where she is driving off the men. Jean kind of stomps them away, Joanne looks like she's actually fighting them, and driving them away. Way more believable for me at least. That and Joanne smiles and looks like she enjoys dancing. Jean was good, but Joanne was better.

[militarycousin]

I don't care for the color of the dresses but the dance is still as AMAZING as ever.

[NSResponder]

I think the problem isn't the color of the dress, but the color balance of the video. You might notice that their faces look rather orange.

-jcr

[suzzw]

WOW, so powerfull, so amazingly good. I just love it. These people are great at what they are doing. This dance is brilliant, the expressions on the faces of the dancers is great.

Just lovely!

Riverdance, YOU ROCK!!!

[gabbynewneo]

I love Riverdance! And the Countess Cathleen is such a wonderful story!

[h2ojustaddwaterfan]

I prefer Joanne but I still love Jean. There's not much difference for me. Love the video.

[Mysticmilotic]

Lol, the first is always hard to beat, but I love this one too. ;-; I'm just sad that Jean and Michael stopped. :/

[skattynatty8]

yes i see what you mean but she is always so stern, she rarely smiles, maybe thats just part of her style. I suppose im biased as joanne was the first person i saw doing riverdance. thanks for your comment!

[Warriorroger]

To me Jean is a bit of a mystery and she is so tall and fast, the other dance a bit too over the top for my tasting.

[skattynatty8]

who do u thinks the best at the countess cathleen? I personally like Joanne the best, she is so graceful and she smiles!

[Warriorroger]

I think Jean is the best of all lead dancers, because of her height and looks, and style.

[TheAngelOfMusic1]

APPROVED BY THE ANGEL OF MUSIC

[Hannahx1o1]

this is amazing i luv the purple dresses wow i went to the see this and it was much much better but still amazing