James Greenan is one of the male leads with  Riverdance, currently performing in China as part of the Riverdance Grand Theatre Tour. James was born in London but moved with his family to Co Cavan at the age of 11. A keen footballer, he took some persuading to take up dancing, but has never looked back since.

Distracted by Inner Mongolian sub zero temperatures, flights galore and simply trying to stay warm in our hotels, I have been somewhat slacking on my blogging and forgive me, but I am slipping back a fortnight and going to tell some tales of our adventure in Beijing.

We were called in early for rehearsals and just a few hours later, we were on stage with no costumes, dancing shoes or proper sound system…just sheer, raw talent and a determination to provide entertainment to the best of our ability. We were also treated to the fantastic blind Chinese band who belted out tunes such as “Reel Around The Sun” from the show and it was a pleasure for all of us to witness this and songs from the talented Emma Warren and Ben Mapp. We even dragged audience members up for a ceili and taught “The Walls of Limerick”, a traditional Irish team dance.

This week I bring you pictures from Beijing and Zhengzhou, Henan. This was my second time to Beijing, and my first time entering the Forbidden City in Tiananmen Square. Under pressure for time I speedily tried to absorb my surroundings taking in the grand scale and ornately detailed buildings.

Lying south on the bank of the fabulous Yellow River, Zhenzhou proudly took on the capital of the Henan Province in the late 14th Century BC. It is one of the Eight Great Ancient Capital Cities of China. It is as vibrant a city as any Beijing or Shanghai. Despite the cold sub zero temperatures I layered on the thermals and did my usual touristy ramble.

by CCTV at Beijing Exhibition Centre
“The Irish dance phenomenon is on tour across China. Powerful and compelling, Riverdance hits the stage with heart throbbing force. The show features traditional Irish step dancing, known for its rapid leg movements, which has left audiences enthralled”
And the excitement is palpable as the lead dancer introduces the beating drums into the dance. The story of Irish culture and Irish immigration to America is presented in a rich and fascinating way, fusing dance, music and song.

When we are touring at Christmas, we organise what’s known as “Secret Santa”. Our Christmas Night party was spectacular. With a scrumptious feast of turkey and ham and not one, but three different desserts! We revealed our ‘Secret Santa’ identities. Since we are eight hours ahead, we waited until later in the night and many of us retreated to our rooms to make calls to home via Skype. It is difficult particularly at Christmas, being away from home. But with Christmas spirit in bucket loads amongst our cast and crew, we had such a lovely Christmas here in China.

Since my last blog, the Moy Company has been travelling intensely through the Christmas season. We have encountered some culturally engaging moments that I have hopefully captured for you visually.
Firstly I will delve into my experience at Ciqikou in the very large city of Chongqing. This was one of my favorite days of the tour so far. Walking down alleyways and streets with vendors, surrounded by a preserved historical setting. I felt like I was on a movie set depicting Ancient China.

Alana Mallon is one of the lead dancers with Riverdance and has travelled all over the world and performed to audiences of thousands of people. She started dancing at 3-years-old, and within a few months had already won her first of championship. She progressed to win various competitions throughout the UK and Ireland, consistently ranking in … Continued