Melissa Convery used to dance as a hobby. That is, when she was a little girl all of 4 years old.
Now, at 30, the Dublin native is the principal dancer of the famous Irish step-dancing show, "Riverdance," which comes to Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium on what is billed as its farewell tour for a six-day run beginning Tuesday.
"My mom used to dance, and she pushed me to dance, too, and I thank her for it," Convery said during a phone interview from her hotel in New York. She and the rest of the cast were preparing for the final run of "Riverdance" at the famed Radio City Music Hall.
"I wanted to do something in dance, and I began competing. 'Riverdance' came along and gave me a whole new spectrum. They gave me an opportunity to take my dancing to a professional level, and it has been fantastic."
Production on "Riverdance" is wrapping up after 15 years, 13 of which Convery has been a part of.
The show was first performed in 1994 during the intermission of a popular European show that featured a singing contest. It was voted the most popular interval act in the history of the more than 50 years of the show, and it featured Michael Flatley, who would later earn the moniker, "Lord of the Dance."
"Mr. Flatley was no longer performing with 'Riverdance' when I arrived, but I did get to meet him in New York, and he was such a gentlemen," Convery said.
The memories of Flatley are among the millions of memories about "Riverdance" she will always have, Convery said. Since the show opened in Dublin a decade and a half ago, more than 18 million people have seen it, and the cast has performed about 10,000 shows in venues throughout Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
With only a handful of cities and dates remaining before "Riverdance" packs up production for good, Convery said those who haven't seen the show should make plans to do so.
"It's quite emotional knowing that this is the end because it's been such a huge part of my life," she said. "The show has something for everyone, and it would be quite a shame if someone missed the opportunity to witness something so unique."
