Lord of the Dance: Tapping into the UAE’s love of song and dance

Afshan Ahmed takes a detailed look at the international phenomenon, Lord of the Dance, ahead of the production’s shows in Dubai this weekend.

Lord of the Dance will hit Dubai this Thursday and Friday. Courtesy Lord of the Dance

An age-old story

Since it opened 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. Named after a hymn written by Sydney Carter in 1963, the 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. Of course, there is a love story, too.

Happy feet

Flatley keeps an empty chair in the front row at his concerts as a tribute to his grandmother, herself a famous Irish dancer, for teaching him to dance when he was 4 years old. The choreographer often talks about his early memories of learning to dance, including the first time he was sent to Irish dance classes at the age of 11. He was asked to leave because he was deemed too old for the lessons, but the rejection spurred him to prove that age is not a barrier (the 55-year-old still performs from time to time). Flatley trained hard and became the first American to win the Irish Dance World Championships at the age of 17.

A show is born

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. He went on to become one of the founders and stars of the Riverdance stage show; its success led to his growing stardom and, subsequently, to the creation of the Lord of the Dance production.

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

International success story

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. The show also established Flatley as a technically advanced dancer, winning him the Guinness World Records title for the fastest feet (he produced 35 taps per second). Flatley then expanded his operations by creating more troupes for Europe, Asia, Canada and the US. The show was also adapted for a 3-D film in 2011.

The show reinvented

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.

• Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance will be performed on ­Thursday and Friday at the World Trade Centre in Dubai. Tickets cost from Dh250 at ­tickets.virginmega­store.me