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Michael Ryan Flatley (born 16 July 1958) is an Irish American step dancer, writer, flautist, choreographer and occasional television presenter who became internationally known through his theatre musicals, Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames. He shot to fame during the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest 1994.
[edit] Early lifeFrom the south side of Chicago, his parents were from County Sligo and County Carlow. Flatley began dancing lessons at 11 and, in 1969, became the first non-European resident to win the All-Ireland World Championship for Irish dance. As a trained boxer he won the Chicago Golden Gloves Championship in 1975 aged 17. Flatley is also a proficient flute player, having twice won the All-Ireland Competition. In dance, Flatley was taught by Dennis Dennehy at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Chicago, then went on to producing his own show. After graduating from Brother Rice High School, on Chicago's Southwest Side, he opened a dance school. [edit] CareerFrom 1978-79 he toured with Green Fields of America, whose members included Liz Carroll, Father Charlie Coen, Jack Coen, Sean McGlynn, Mick Moloney and Bill Ochs, with a slightly less flamboyant Donny Golden dancing alongside Michael. Later he toured with The Chieftains in the 1980s.[2] He co-created the initial choreography for Riverdance and, with fellow lead dancer Jean Butler, led the show to great success as the intermission act in the Eurovision Song Contest on April 30, 1994. Flatley and Butler then starred in the full-length show that was developed from the original seven-minute act. After leaving the show over creative disagreements,[3] Flatley produced, directed, and choreographed his own show, Lord of the Dance. Michael Flatley did not appear on Riverdance: Live from New York City, he was replaced by Colin Dunne. In 1998, Flatley put together a dance production called Feet of Flames. He later went on to produce another version of the show of which around 50% of the numbers were different from that of the 1998 show. Still titled 'Feet of Flames', he toured the US in 2000 and 2001. Flatley's current Irish dance show is Celtic Tiger, which opened in July 2005. The show explores the history of the Irish people and Irish emigration to the US, fusing a wide range of dance styles, including jazz. The show also includes popular elements from his previous shows, such as Flatley's flute solos and the line of dancers in the finale. In March 2006 Flatley released his own autobiographical book titled Lord of the Dance: My Story. Regarding his future, Flatley was quoted in the Celtic Tiger program book as saying, "I will be a dancer until the day I die," though more developments in entertainment are planned (see below). In the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars in the US, he appeared as a guest, filling in for Len Goodman. In the fall of 2008, Flatley and a troupe of male dancers performed on Dancing with the Stars in the USA and in 2009, he performed the solo 'Capone' from Celtic Tiger. He was the host of the NBC show Superstars of Dance which premiered on January 4, 2009. Michael Flatley will return to the stage for a limited time in Feet of Flames Taiwan 2009. This will be the '1998 Hyde Park' version of the spectacular show. [edit] Awards and recognitionFlatley received the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship in 1988 and was named one of National Geographic Society's Living Treasures in 1991 for mastery of a traditional art form by a living person - the youngest person at that time ever to receive this accolade. In May 1989, Flatley set a Guinness Book world record for tapping speed at 29 taps per second; when this record was broken, he set another record in February 1998, by achieving 35 taps per second.[4] The current record holder is Michael Donnellan, at 40 taps per second. The dancer also received Guinness Book recognition in both 1999 and 2000 for being the highest paid dancer, earning $1,600,000 per week and for having the highest insurance premium placed on a dancer's legs at $40,000,000.[5] In December 2001, Flatley became the first recipient of the Irish Dancing Commission Fellowship award, an honorary degree in Irish dance, and was simultaneously made a Fellow of the American Irish Dance Teachers’ Association. Irish America Magazine named Flatley Irish American of the Year in March 2003. On the 3rd June 2007 The Freedom of the City of Cork was conferred on the entertainer at a ceremony in Cork's City Hall. In 2008, he was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo at a ceremony in Sligo City Hall. [edit] Personal lifeIn 1986, Flatley wed Polish make-up artist Beata Dziaba, but was divorced 11 years later. He battled bouts of depression and drinking after the break-up, and admitted, "When I wasn’t involved in a show I would sometimes be drunk for two weeks at a time". A series of relationships followed. In 2002, he became engaged to his long-term girlfriend Lisa Murphy, but they eventually broke up.[6] In April 2006, Flatley spoke about his recent discovery of a facial skin cancer.[7] He kept the cancer scare a closely guarded secret, but said, "I'm completely fine now, thank God". At the 10th Anniversary of Lord of the Dance in June 2006, Michael Flatley was accompanied by dancer Niamh O’Brien, who dances with him in Celtic Tiger. The 30-something O'Brien has danced with Flatley in Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and now Celtic Tiger. The two shortly thereafter announced that they were dating, and were married in "a low-key Catholic ceremony" in Fermoy Co. Cork on October 14, 2006.[8] On November 15, 2006, Flatley's publicist reported that he had been admitted to a hospital. According to media reports, he was suffering from a serious viral infection.[9][10] All his up-and-coming shows for Celtic Tiger were cancelled. He left the hospital three days later.[11] Michael and Niamh became parents to their first child, a son, Michael St. James Flatley, on Thursday 26 April 2007.[8] Flatley, who is worth £350 million[12], has homes in Barbados, Chicago, France, Ireland and London. Flatley is expected to open a multi-million dollar Las Vegas hotel and casino in the coming years. [edit] In popular cultureFlatley and his work have been referenced and parodied in a wide variety of media, including television shows such as Britain's Got Talent, Friends, Family Guy, and Celebrity Deathmatch, and movies such as Dudley Do-Right and The Boondock Saints. [edit] References
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