Leaving nothing to chance, the well- honed, re-imagined exuberance of all things Irish explodes onto the stage.

Having toured the globe for the past decade, Celtic Illusion continues to be a family friendly, professionally impressive show bringing together artists from re-knowned productions worldwide. This season there is also an added twist of freshness for their extensive New Zealand tour.

Great lighting hauntingly sets the scene and the show starts with an innocence of a fiddle and a flute with expert soloists beautifully clad in exquisitely tailored garments. A stunning vocalist always sends us an air of splendored calm. And as for the fabulous principals and dancers? Everyone gives their all.

With no filter however, the audience go wild with the dancing! Simultaneously in sync and sequined to the max the dancers continually explode in rhythmic dancing joy. It is in their blood! This is very well received and I even find it hard to contain my uncontrollable foot-tapping. [Thankfully for those about me, my desire to flick and toss my leg at shoulder height was curbed by the back of the seat in front.]

Traditionally, Irish dancing came from the Celts and the druids who roamed Ireland before the onset of Christianity and outside influences came along.

One piece, performed by the beautiful female dancers adorned in blue, pays historical homage with unaltered, bygone technique and patterns.

But the precise, overall creative choreographic fusion of past and present exudes a definite contemporary flavour, weaving an artistic web of cabaret, tradition, and pop with the wonderment of magic.

The ‘anything you can do I can do better’ dance battle vibe is fun, nobody wins, they all are winners.

My favourite piece is the chorus of men dressed in long black trench coats with red satin lining. Their fiery macho attitude, strength and intricate technical prowess is second to none. The ‘acapella’ of footwork is commendably superb. Congratulations!

We can all well do with a bit of ‘the luck of the Irish.’ Go!

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