Interviewer: Weʼve asked Joan Bergin, the designer behind the fabulous costumes for Riverdance on Broadway, to share some of the secrets of costume making. Joan, how have Irish dance costumes changed since the 18th century?
Joan Bergin: There has been a great change between the way costumes were made before and the way they look today. Before the first Riverdance performance during the 1994 European Song Contest, traditional dance costumes were long dresses in bright colours for women, and heavy kilts for men. The materials were very traditional too: velvet, tweed, wool and silk. And the patterns were strictly Celtic in those days. But the first Riverdance performance changed all that because, for the first time, the dresses were short, the colours were darker, and the men wore trousers. Traditional Irish dance costumes have never looked cooler.
Interviewer: So what do the costumes look like today?
Joan Bergin: Because of Riverdance, today’s dresses have become much shorter, lighter and easier to dance in. Men's costumes havenʼt changed as much, but they, too, have become lighter and more suitable for dancing. Patterns havenʼt changed yet, though: they are still Celtic, but now they look more modern. Besides the traditional materials, we’ve started using modern ones as well! Another great improvement has been the price. In the past, traditional costumes were very expensive, and the dancer could only buy one. Today costumes are not as expensive, and dancers can buy new ones every year. Because of all this and, of course, the popularity of Riverdance, there has already been a lot more interest in traditional Irish dancing.