Hundreds of dancers from around the world have been putting their best foot forward in Dublin as Riverdance kicks off two days of open auditions in a search of the new generation of Irish dancing stars.
Ever since bursting onto the Eurovision stage as the interval act in Dublin in 1994, Riverdance has become a genuine global phenomenon and has led to a massive revival and interest in Irish dancing.
Whether it was the graceful elegance of Jean Butler or Michael Flatley's feet of flames that aspiring dancers wanted to imitate, there's no denying that the short, seven-minute act and subsequent stage show have left an indelible mark on Irish dancing.
Almost 23-years and nearly 30 million audience attendees later the show is still going strong.
Now the hunt is on for the next generation of dancers to take part in the international Riverdance tour and the Heartbeat of Home show with dancers from as far away as Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and the United Arab Emirates joining Irish talent at Wednesday's auditions.
Many of the dancers facing the judges weren't even born when Riverdance was first performed at Eurovision, so being in the troupe is for them a lifelong dream.
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Padraig Moyles, the associate director of Riverdance explained to RTÉ that there were plenty of nerves at the auditions and he added that the judges will be looking for dancers that really stand out from the crowd.
"We are looking for the best dancers in the world - but we're also looking for the best performers in the world as well." he said.
The open-casting is being timed to coincide with the World Irish Dance Championships to allow competitors to audition for both shows.
Riverdance itself performs once again in Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre for its summer run from June 21 to September, and interest in the show shows no sign of waning.
