Jordan McCormick

After three decades of captivating audiences worldwide, Riverdance is back in Chicago with a fresh pulse and a bold new vision. RIVERDANCE 30 – THE NEW GENERATION arrives at Broadway in Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited one-week run from April 22 to 27, and it’s not just a revival — it’s a reimagining.

Infused with brand-new choreography, dazzling projection design, updated costumes, and an electrifying cast of performers born after the original phenomenon debuted, this milestone production fuses tradition with innovation. It’s a celebration of Irish dance for a new era — and one that proudly honors its roots while breaking thrilling new ground.

Riverdance Finale; credit: Riverdance

For fans and newcomers alike, this anniversary show is more than a performance — it’s a cultural event. “It is both a privilege and a delight to celebrate 30 years of Riverdance and the unique journey it has taken us on,” says Director John McColgan. “The show has evolved from a spectacle into a global cultural phenomenon — continuously evolving yet remaining true to its Irish roots.”

And one of the dancers at the heart of this new generation is none other than Jordan McCormick — a West of Ireland native whose journey to the international stage is as captivating as the show itself.

From Hometown Hopeful to Global Dance Champion: Meet Jordan McCormick

Jordan McCormick's dance story began when he was just three years old. Growing up in the West of Ireland - where the rhythms of traditional music echo through generations - and he quickly showed promise that would soon be impossible to ignore.

By his teens, Jordan had already clinched multiple major titles, including the prestigious All Ireland and World Champion honors. But the turning point came at age 18, when he successfully auditioned for Riverdance — a dream gig that would soon take him around the world.

Jordan McCormick; credit: Jordan McCormick Instagram

McCormick has danced across 16 countries, sharing Irish dance with audiences from North America to Asia. One of his most unforgettable moments? Performing in front of over 6,000 people at Dublin’s iconic 3Arena for the Riverdance 25th Anniversary Gala.

Now, as part of The New Generation, Jordan brings not just technique but a deep reverence for the show’s legacy and a passion for pushing it forward. His performance is a blend of mastery and modernity, honoring tradition while embracing evolution.

We sat down with Jordan McCormick for an exclusive interview about his journey, what it means to be part of Riverdance 30, and what audiences can expect from this unforgettable celebration of movement, music, and Irish spirit.

MI: (Matt Inawat, GoPride) Hi Jordan! How does it feel to join this new generation of Riverdance?

JM: (Jordan McCormick, Riverdance 30) Most shows don't even last 30 years, so it is an incredible feat that Riverdance is still around today and still as popular as ever. The 30th anniversary, I suppose, has just leveled up. We have better production, better sound, incredible music, the best dancers in the world, the best performers; so it really is kind of a new version of urban dance.

MI: How do you level up something that's already had amazing success over the last three decades?

JM: We work incredibly hard every single day. So we have our CEO, producers, directors, and dance captains all kind of keeping an eye on the show and making sure that we make all those small changes every single day. To make the show as good as possible because they say that "every night is opening night." That's our motto.

MI:  So what's been the most exciting or challenging part of rehearsing for this next evolution?

JM: I think the most challenging part about rehearsing for this was bringing the show to Radio City Music Hall. That's obviously one of the biggest theaters that any of us will ever do. It's absolutely enormous. So we had to make some small changes there. We had to add extra dancers in because the stage is so huge and we essentially did all of that in one day before our opening night in Radio City, which was really difficult and really challenging, but we all just kind of pulled together. I think when you have a team that big and everybody has one shared goal, everyone has the same vision and it makes it easier. It definitely was challenging, but it was probably one of the best days I've had in my life with urban dance.

MI: It's awesome. How do you think this new generation pushes boundaries and surprises audiences compared to previous versions?

Riverdance; credit: Riverdance

JM: I would say we have really pushed the influence of diversity within the cast and within the performance as well. I think Riverdance has always been known for pushing those boundaries, especially starting in the 1990s when it wasn't so common to be mixing all of the dance styles. We obviously are doing that to an even higher level today. So we have our two tap dancers. We have eastern folk dancers from Moldova and all of the dancers, including the Irish dancers, collaborate with each other throughout the show, and then obviously at the end you see all of us kind of coming together in that celebration moment and finale to all do our own version of Irish dance together because that's the reason. That's what brought us all together.

MI: Let's talk about you for a little bit. Who inspired you to start dancing and when did you realize it could become a global career?

JM: I started dancing when I was about 3 years old because my mother was an Irish dancer when she was a kid, and then my two older siblings also were doing Irish dancing, so they were always practicing together and I was just running around the kitchen kind of getting onto their feet, like pretending to dance. And my mom actually has footage of me with a soother in my mouth doing Irish dancing. Now, Irish dancing is a strong word for what it was, but it was something of the sort. The music was playing and I was kind of just jumping around.

And then like everybody else in Ireland, we learn Irish dance as part of our curriculum in primary school for PE, for physical education, so I did Irish dance classes at school and then I sought extracurricular classes then. So I ended up training probably 3 or 4 times a week every week from when I was about 4 years old up until I was 18.

I went to see Riverdance as a kid. I remember sitting probably like 3 or 4 rows back from the front in the Gaiety Theater in Dublin. And afterwards I danced out of the theater, danced all the way to the car, which is about a 10 minute walk, and I just kept telling my parents like that's what I want to do. I want to be up there one day and I never actually thought that it would really happen, but it actually did, and that's the same theater that we do our residency in every summer. So now my family come to actually see me in the show, in the same theater, together when I was a kid.

MI: So you've performed in 16 countries. Are there any standout experiences or locations that hold a special place in your heart?

JM: Of course, every. summer in Ireland is amazing and you know, that's perfect because I get to have my family and my friends. I'm away for 10 months of the year, so you do start to miss home and they start to miss you. But if they can see what you're doing and they know how valuable it is, it all makes it worthwhile.

We went to Mexico City, it was 2022 or 2023, and that was my first time ever being the dance captain of the company. And so that was super special to me, and we performed for an audience of about 6000 people in an arena in Mexico City, and we got to go around and see the sights and iit was such a beautiful place and such beautiful people that it really stuck out to me as being such a special experience.

MI: You've seen so many different cultures through dance. How has that shaped your identity as a performer?

Jordan McCormick; credit: Jordan McCormick Instagram

JM: I think I have such an appreciation now for the world and how how really globalized it is; and it it fascinates me the way that we can do the same performance in different places in the world, but you can actually get different reactions depending on the culture. Some cultures are very vocal with their appreciation; and some cultures aren't. For example, when we tour in China, and the audience won't be as vocal as they would be, let's say in the US, but then when we go to the stage door afterwards to get on the tour bus, there could be like 200 people there for photos and for autographs and for all of that, which is really unique. So, yeah, I think I have an understanding of how different cultures kind of perceive art and what the kind of theater etiquette is in a lot of different countries.

MI: So in a previous interviews, you mentioned that Riverdance was the first place that you felt fully accepted. Can you elaborate on what made it such an affirming environment?

JM: I grew up in the west of Ireland and there there weren't many really gay people around me for me to look up to. Within the Irish dance community, I would have had that. And going to Irish dance competitions where there were other Irish dance teachers or other Irish dancers who were also openly gay was was kind of eye opening for me, but I didn't have that acceptance at home - within my family, yes, but within my community I didn't feel that or see that.

And so I was 18, when I first joined Riverdance, it was just the first place that I was like, "OK, wow, nobody cares if you're gay here, nobody cares if you're if you're different." Everybody appreciates each other as they are and I found that really developmental for me. It was a very safe space for me, so it was always something I wanted to come back to. Riverdance that was something I wanted to come back to even though I was in university at the time.

MI: So how do you hope to influence the next generation of performers and what advice would you give to young dancers hoping to follow in your footsteps?

JM: I guess I just want people to see that Riverdance is still here, Riverdance is still alive, and we need to keep Riverdance going because it is so culturally important. Not just for Ireland but just in the state of the world today. Something beautiful and something pure as Riverdance - it just allows people to escape from reality, even if it is just for that two hours Whether that means you're sitting in the audience watching or whether you're on the stage dancing; it is just that kind of beautiful escape if there are people who want to feel that this is the place to be.

And I think it's also super important for for us to be ambassadors for male Irish dancers. There are so many people who could have been a lead in Riverdance, but gave up Irish dancing at a younger age; because perhaps they were being bullied or perhaps they felt um like a bit of an outcast or they didn't feel that comfortable doing it. So hopefully we can show people that it'll always get better and there's somewhere to go.

MI: You mentioned escaping from reality. So with being on stage as your reality, you know, once the curtain comes down, how do you recharge creatively and stay passionate about dance?

Riverdance; credit: Riverdance

JM: Yeah, that is a tough one. I mean, we do finish late in the evening. We'll finish up at like 9:30, 10 o'clock depending on where we are. So it is tough to wind down, especially with that adrenaline mentally you're still on a high from what you've just done. And it doesn't get old. I've performed in nearly 1000 Riverdance shows, and it doesn't get old - that kind of standing ovation from the audience and stuff. You really do take that in every single time.

It is difficult to recharge and think when you're doing the same thing quite regularly, "how do I kind of keep motivated?" For me it's always the excitement of something new. While the show might be the same, and I love that the show has stuck to its roots for for this time, what I really enjoy is getting to see new places. I've been super lucky over my over my eight years of Riverdance, so I get to go to all these new places.

MI: You're in Chicago for about a week. Is there anything on your top "things to do" list while you're in the Windy City?

JM: We were there a couple of years ago, and I think the weather was slightly better then because it was June. And we did a really fun boat tour that actually brought us around through the city, and that was incredible. I would love to do that again if the weather permits. But what I'm actually excited about is I'm going to the show Titanique. So that's kind of top of my list at the minute.

MI: Yes, it's an amazing show! Jordan, thank you for taking the chat and we'll all see you on the Chicago stage!

About Riverdance 30

At its core, Riverdance is about connection — between past and present, movement and music, heritage and innovation. This 30th anniversary production taps into that spirit more than ever, inviting audiences to witness the next chapter of a story that began on a Eurovision stage in 1994.

What started as a seven-minute interval act became a global sensation, breaking records in Dublin, London, and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Over the years, Riverdance has thrilled millions across six continents, and now, it returns to North America with a brand-new beat — and a cast ready to lead it into the future.

So whether you remember the thunderous rhythms of the original or are stepping into the world of Irish dance for the first time, Riverdance 30 – The New Generation promises a night of pure exhilaration.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the celebration. Tickets are on sale now for this limited engagement at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre. Tickets are also available for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.