Over a decade has passed since two Irish dancers, Michael Flatley and Jean Butler were drafted in to fill a 15 minute spot at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. Who would have thought that the stage where some of the great controversies of Europe are played out and settled would be the same stage that gave rise to the international phenomenon that is The Lord of the Dance. The show that has made him famous, and brought this previously little-known dance form to the forefront of public consciousness premiered at the Point Theatre in Dublin in 1996. The dancer, who celebrated his 50th birthday this year, made his last appearance in the starring role for the performance in 1998, but he continues to breathe life into the show.

Now a resident of Ireland, Michael Flatley is coming back to America once more bringing Lord of the Dance on tour across Canada. The show will be visiting theatres in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The show that was once unheard of is now enjoying international fame. The video and DVD have made sales worldwide, and tickets are constantly being sold out for the show no matter what town it is in. The first year that it was performed it was the most lucrative touring group of the year.

As the vision of Michael Flatley lives on, there is little doubt that it will go down in history as one of the best loved dance shows of all time. Now, the show has become so well-established that there are two troops touring the globe at any given time. There is no stopping the vision and brilliance of Michael Flatley.

Michael Flatley was born on July 16 is the child of Irish immigrants who grew up in Chicago, IL. He was inspired from childhood by his incredible imagination and his dearly loved grandmother, to aspire to being the greatest Irish Dancer in the world. At the age of 17 he brought in the title of All-World Irish Dancing Champion, he was the first American to bring down the title. While he was training to be a dancer, he also studied traditional Irish flute, becoming the All-Ireland Flute Champion as well.

The first show that Michael Flatley gave his energy and vision to was called Riverdance and though he did not remain a part of the show there is little doubt that his genius can still be found. Loosing Riverdance proved to be a fortunate occurrence as this amazing dancer went on to direct his own production, Lord of the Dance. Giving every available resource to this show, he created something that is otherworldly, ancient and completely relevant in its presentation and general appeal. His rendition Feet of Flames, which he first performed in 1998 was taped live and went platinum almost overnight. He continued performing Feet of Flames in 2001. Even though he retired that year, he still continues to fulfill his role as director and creator. His most recent venture, Celtic Tiger, premiered in 2005 and is a culmination of a lifetime of dreaming and creating that has lead to this controversial and utterly spectacular production. Keep looking out for more to come from Michael Flatley, as he predicts that the fun is just beginning.