'Riverdance: The Animated Adventure'

Riverdance: The Animated Adventure is an animated movie featuring a musical adventure.

There is some representation of Latinas in Riverdance, as Moya is a Spanish girl and is one of the main characters. Moya is voiced by Hannah Herman Cortes, a Latina actress.

The funeral scene, in the beginning, sparks the themes and topics of dance and celebration in Riverdance. Keegan mourns over the loss of his grandfather; viewers see the gloomy, rainy sky and people holding gray umbrellas, wearing dark clothes, and singing a sad song. Following the funeral scene is the Riverdance scene where Keegan watches the people perform a celebration dance, honoring his grandfather. Moya, a Spanish girl, is Keegan’s best and only friend who is a skilled dancer. Keegan doesn’t know how to dance. His grandfather is a legendary dancer who brought his gift of dance to his people.

The transition from the real world into the magical world is symbolized by a waterfall, rapids, and a rainbow. Keegan and Moya’s water route into the magical world bring them an adventure they never expected. In the magical world, there are talking animals who perform dances. The talking animals and the two human kids coexist in the magical world.

There is one scene where the animation style changes from 3D to 2D for a brief moment. When Keegan closes his eyes, the imagination scene takes place; viewers see colorful 2D images of the animals performing the Riverdance.

Viewers can infer from many scenes where the animals and people perform the Riverdance that there are a lot of Irish cultural references. The most prominent reference is the dancing steps. If viewers look closely at the scenes of the Riverdance, they will notice how the steps synchronize with the rhythm of the music and resemble traditional Irish dancing. Likewise, Moya’s flamenco dancing steps resemble traditional Spanish dancing.

Keegan and Moya don’t know there is a huntsman hidden somewhere in this magical world, though the huntsman is someone Keegan’s grandfather did not trust. The huntsman secretly wants to end all traditions of the Riverdance.

Riverdance is recommended for viewers who are interested in adventure, dance, and music.