LORD of the Dance Michael Flatley’s farewell shows in Ireland this weekend will be tinged with sadness following his father’s funeral on Wednesday.
After a sold-out run at the London Palladium last year, Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games is currently on a multi-date British and Irish tour.
Tonight and tomorrow’s shows – taking place in Dublin’s 3Arena - will hold a special but poignant place in the performer’s heart.
In an interview with a national newspaper in Ireland before his father’s passing, Flatley said it would have been “a dream come true to have three generations of Flatleys in the 3Arena” in reference to his father and his son, Michael St James.
In a message to his fans yesterday the dance superstar said: “We're coming for you Dublin!”
But he also took to Twitter to thank them for their support in what he described as a “time of sadness”.
“Thank you to all of our fans for your kind comments and support,” he wrote.
Flatley has previously credited his father, Michael senior, as a source of great inspiration.
“He was my hero, my heart is broken. I love you Dad,” Flatley told his fans following his father’s death on March 13.
Michael James Flatley, who left Ireland for the US several years before his son Michael was born, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Chicago at the age of 88.
Flatley flew to America to be at his father's bedside but returned to Britain to perform in the opening night of his Lord Of The Dance: Dangerous Games show at the Dominion Theatre in London.
A funeral service took place in the village of St Mullins, Co. Carlow this week where Flatley paid a heartfelt tribute.
James Keegan in Lord Of The Dance: Dangerous Games (Brian Doherty)This weekend’s performances in Ireland - Flatley’s spiritual home - kick off a string of dates across Britain before the show completes a 200-plus date tour in 15 countries over the next 18 months.
Among the lead performers is Manchester dancer James Keegan – a two-time World Irish Dance champion.
“My dancers are the real stars,” says Michael of his troupe, some of whom have been with the company for 10 years.
Dangerous Games features a new score composed by Gerard Fahy as well as a raft of new technology, including holographs, dancing robots and world champion acrobats.
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