The legend of Irish dance will give the opening remarks at The Irish Post Awards on November 7
IN 1994, any time before the Eurovision Song Contest of that year, had you predicted that a show featuring Irish step dancing would become the Next Big Thing in showbiz, you probably would have been quietly led to a darkened room and told to get as much rest as possible.
But as everyone now knows, Riverdance — which started life as a seven-minute live interval during the Eurovision — catapulted Irish dancing from parish halls onto the world stage.
At the fulcrum of this development was Michael Flatley. With his huge skill, athleticism and sheer star quality, he basically turned Irish dance into a global phenomenon,
Those seven minutes in late April 1994 — followed by Michael’s gift for development choreography — changed all that for ever.
Soon people from across the Irish Diaspora, and beyond, wanted to get on stage and dance — and an intrigued world, it seemed, wanted to watch them.
The person who did most to make this so is Chicago-born Michael Flatley.
Michael Flatley — the complete dance master (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images)From Riverdance to Lord of the Dance
Born on July 16, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, Flatley’s life story is one of extraordinary passion, perseverance, and achievement. From humble beginnings, he has risen to become one of the most recognised and influential dancers in history, not just in Irish dance but across the entire artform. At the peak of his fitness he could just as easily have taken the lead of Romeo in Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet, or been the star turn at Lope de Vega flamenco in Seville (probably still could).
In short, he is the complete dancer.
Early Chicago days
Flatley was born into an Irish-American family, with his parents Michael and Eilish emigrating from Co. Sligo and Co. Carlow, Ireland, respectively. His mother was a talented step dancer and champion of traditional Irish music, and this cultural backdrop heavily influenced his early life.
Growing up in a family with strong ties to Irish traditions, Michael was exposed to the music, dance, and storytelling of Ireland, from a young age.
He began his dance training aged 11 with his potential soon being spotted.
Michael on the flute in Celtic Tiger (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)Fluting, fighting and more dancing!
In addition to dancing, Flatley excelled in boxing, winning top awards as a teenager.
Michael also played several instruments, excelling at the flute. But it was dance that was his first love.
In 1975, at the age of 17, he became the first American to win the World Irish Dance Championships, his unique style pushing the boundaries of traditional Irish dance. Traditional Irish dance emphasized upper body stillness and precise footwork, but Flatley introduced a dynamic flair, incorporating his upper body and expanding the range of movement. A charismatic stage presence did no harm either.
Riverdance and global fame
Riverdance was an instant sensation, and the performance's success led to the development of a full-length stage show. But Michael was determined to continue his vision, and so decided to create his own production.
In 1996 he launched Lord of the Dance, a spectacular music and dance creation that built on his role in Riverdance but which pushed the spectacle to ever more impressive heights.
Irish dance was meshed with extravagantly beautiful costumes, elaborate special effects, and a dramatic story. The narrative harked back to the shenachies of his ancestral homeland.
Lord of the Dance premiered in Dublin. It was hugely successful, underlining the fact that Irish dance had arrived on the world stage. The production toured internationally.
Michael Flatley’s innovation, showmanship and indeed his belief in Irish dance, proved to be irresistible; the public loved Irish dancing and Irish music.
Michael continued to build on his success with other productions, including Feet of Flames (1998) and Celtic Tiger (2005)
The Irish Post Awards take place on November 7
JW Marriott Grosvenor House London.
ENJOYING THE NIGHT Michael Flatley and James Nesbitt at the 2018 Irish Post Awards (image by Malcolm McNally)