Michael Flatley

Michael Flatley is an American-Irish dancer, choreographer, and entertainer who created the Irish dance shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.

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Irish stepdance: A tradition of Irish dance marked by rapid footwork and a relatively still upper body. Flatley trained in this tradition before developing its theatrical, high-energy stage form.
Chicago: The largest city in Illinois, United States, and a major center of Irish American life. Flatley was born and raised in Chicago in an Irish American family.
Jean Butler: An American dancer and choreographer known for her role in Riverdance. Butler shared the leading dance role with Flatley in Riverdance’s early success.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games: A later touring production in the Lord of the Dance series, featuring choreography by Michael Flatley. It shows how Flatley continued revising and touring his signature production.
Riverdance: An Irish dance stage show that developed from a 1994 Eurovision interval act. Flatley’s performance in its original production brought him international recognition.
Irish American culture: The cultural traditions and identities formed by Irish immigrants and their descendants in the United States. Flatley’s upbringing connected Irish dance traditions with an American performance career.
Moya Doherty: An Irish producer who originated and produced Riverdance. Doherty developed the Eurovision interval act into the production that first starred Flatley.
Feet of Flames: A 1998 Irish dance show created by Michael Flatley as a large-scale theatrical production. Its expansive staging amplified the spectacle Flatley brought to Irish dance.
Lord of the Dance: A theatrical Irish dance production created by Michael Flatley and launched in 1996. Flatley designed this show as a starring vehicle after leaving Riverdance.
World Irish Dancing Championships: An annual international competition organized by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha. Flatley won the 1975 championship, becoming the first American to do so.