In pictures: Lord of the Dance is coming to Dubai

Named after a hymn written by Sydney Carter in 1963, the Lord of the Dance show is an extravagant melange of shimmering costumes, high-tech lighting and pyrotechnics that complement the foot-tapping, high-speed step routines specific to Irish dance.

The story, depicted entirely through dance, draws on Irish mythology. The title character, the Lord of the Dance, is assisted by a spirit to defeat the Lord of Darkness, Don Dorcha.

Michael Flatley got his big break in 1994 at the Eurovision Song Contest, where, during a seven-minute break, he proved his dancing prowess with Riverdance, an Irish stepdancing piece.

Since its conception the show has evolved, with sets and scenery now backed by cutting-edge technology. The costumes have been redesigned as well. A cast of 40 dancers and musicians go through an intensive six-week training programme before taking the stage.

In 1997, the production became the highest-grossing tour of any kind in the world and was chosen to be performed at the Oscars the same year.

Michael Flatley’s flying footwork was the talk of the town when he first performed as the lead character of the show. He stopped essaying the role in 1998 and went on to produce Feet of Flames the same year, which received similar praise.

Michael Flatley later retired in 2001 but made a comeback in 2010 in a Lord of the Dance tour in the UK.

Michael Flatley trained hard and became the first American to win the Irish Dance World Championships at the age of 17.

Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance is coming to Dubai. Since its opening at the Point Theatre in Dublin in 1996, the show has been watched by 60 million people in 68 countries around the world, taking in US$800 million (Dh2.9 billion) in ticket sales. All photos courtesy Lord of the Dance.