Riverdance has its roots in a three-part suite of baroque-infuenced traditional music called "Timedance" composed, recorded and performed for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Ireland. At the time members of Irish folk band Planxty, Bill Whelan and Donal Lunny composed the music[citation needed], augmenting the band with a rock rhythm section of electric bass and drums and a four-piece horn section. The piece was performed, with accompanying ballet dancers, during the intervial of the contest, and later released as a Planxty single. In a book about Planxty ("The Humours of Planxty", by Leagues O'Toole)
Riverdance was first performed during the 7 minute interval of the Eurovision Song Contest on April 30, 1994. It received a standing ovation. At Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest it was voted the most popular interval act in the history of the contest.[citation needed]

This first performance featured Irish Dancing Champions Jean Butler & Michael Flatley, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Celtic choral group Anúna with a score written by Bill Whelan. Whelan had also composed "Timedance" — an early version of "Riverdance" — for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, performed by Planxty. Most of the show's choreography was done by Flatley.[citation needed]

An audio recording of "Riverdance" entered the Irish singles charts at #1 on May 5, 1994, and remained there throughout the summer (keeping Wet Wet Wet's phenomenally successful "Love Is All Around" off the top), eventually totalling a record 18 weeks at #1.[2] A video of the Eurovision interval performance was then released by the Irish broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann under the title "Riverdance for Rwanda" with all proceeds going to the Rwanda Appeal Disasters Joint Appeal Committee[3]. Many of the dance troupe featured in this performance subsequently went on to dance principal roles in later productions of Riverdance the Show.

Riverdance is produced and directed by husband and wife team John McColgan and Moya Doherty, controlled through their production company Abhann Productions, based in Dublin.[citation needed] In November 1994 tickets were sold in Dublin for the first full-length performance of Riverdance, which opened at the Point Theatre on February 9, 1995. The show ran for five weeks and was a sell-out.

After successful runs in other cities in Europe, Riverdance travelled to New York City to perform at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in March 1996. This was the first time the show had been performed in America. To the relief of the producers, the show was a success. Anúna left the show in September of that year.

In 2000 the show moved to Broadway for a year at the Gershwin Theatre with an all-new show, featuring dance leads Pat Roddy and Eileen Martin and singers Brian Kennedy and Tsidii Le Loka