'Riverdance' icon
takes 'Celtic Tiger' by the tail
Kyle Lawson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 4, 2005 12:00 AM
Funny thing, this idol business. You
never know who's going to make the cut. Ever since Mesa
Arts Center and Theater League announced that their
first joint production would be Lord of the Dance, there's been a steady
influx of reader inquiries about Michael Flatley, who created Lord of
the Dance after his departure from the insanely popular Riverdance.
Son of Irish immigrants in Chicago, Flatley turned to
Irish step dancing after being told that, at age
11, he was too old for ballet class. At 17, he became the first American
to win the World Irish Dance Championship. Supporting himself by working
in construction, Flatley pursued his dreams and ultimately was chosen
to head the cast of Riverdance, the first great Irish dance show. His
dashing good looks and flashing feet made him an instant international
idol.
That was nearly 15 years ago, but Flatley, 47, remains
an audience favorite. Lord of the Dance isn't coming to the Valley until
October and already folks are clamoring to buy tickets. Some are under
the impression that Flatley will be starring in the Mesa production. Not
so. Flatley is in New York for the première of Celtic Tiger, an
Irish tribute that he promises will leave Lord of the Dance and Riverdance
in the shade. Tiger's North American tour kicks off in September. Flatley
expects the show to reach the Valley, but no date has been set. advertisement
 Recently, the dancer-choreographer
discussed his newest endeavor.
Question: Is this new show even more extravagant than
Riverdance and Lord of the Dance?
Answer: Incredibly so. We're traveling with the largest
television set ever used in a stage production. It weighs 72 tons and
is something like 70 feet wide and 30 feet tall. . . . There are 60 people
onstage and 60 people offstage to run things. We have a rock sound system
that rivals anything Pink Floyd used. It takes 11 semi-trucks, five buses
and a Gulfstream jet to move everything around. I can't think of any other
word for it. It's spectacular.
Q: Many people thought you were hanging up your dance
shoes when Feet of Flames, your last show, closed in 2001. Obviously not.
A: I needed time away. I had been on tour for so long.
It was fun and I loved it, but, while I was dancing every night, I couldn't
focus my energy on the ideas I had for a new show. I knew I'd never get
Celtic Tiger onstage if I didn't put all of my energies in one basket.
Q: Where did the title come from?
A: Celtic Tiger is the phrase Ireland's government uses
to describe the country's economic revival. And this show is about the
enduring Irish culture and how 54 million Irish immigrants have affected
America.
Q: You must think the time is right for a new Irish show,
but isn't there a lot of competition now? When Riverdance first came to
this country, we hadn't seen anything like it.
A: Someone told me that are 30 Irish dance shows making
their way around the world. I'm happy that so many people have copied
us. Dancers are doing what they love and making a living at it. But I'm
not happy with some of the results. They don't keep to the level of dancing
and training that made Riverdance and Lord of the Dance world-class entertainment.
When an Irish dance show isn't done properly, it gives all of us a bad
name.
Q: Still, 30 shows? That's so many. Where are all those
young Irish dancers coming from?
A: They're not all Irish, not anymore. Hundreds of people
auditioned for Celtic Tiger. I had Americans, Canadians, Australians,
New Zealanders, Hungarians - you name it - try for a spot. In Moscow,
I discovered a school for Irish dance that had 200 students. Can you imagine?
People around the world have found real joy in this form of dancing, but
what pleases me more is that Irish dancing and shows like Lord of the
Dance have encouraged all forms of dance - blues, jazz, tap - there are
a lot of people out there who are cutting their own path.
Q: If anything can be said for Irish dance, it's that
it's athletic.
A: (Laughs) And it's even harder than it looks. It took
me 26 weeks to get my body back in shape. But, I can tell you that there's
nothing like being up there on that stage with those dancers behind you.
You can't imagine the energy. It's like standing in front of the Concorde
when it's taking off. I don't know if I'll ever be able to give it up
completely. It's the time when I feel the most fiercely alive.
Reach the reporter at kyle.lawson@arizonarepublic.com
or (480) 947-9654
|
