USA/UNITED KINGDOM: DANCER MICHAEL FLATELEY CREATES ANOTHER DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA "FEET OF FLAMES

Record ID: 546901

  • Title: USA/UNITED KINGDOM: DANCER MICHAEL FLATELEY CREATES ANOTHER DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA "FEET OF FLAMES
  • Date: 21st March 2001
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA (MARCH 14, 2001) (REUTERS) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FLATLEY SAYING, " 'Riverdance', hey, "Riverdance" was my first big creation I'm endlessly proud of it, it's still here in New York on Broadway it's still going strong and that was my first big shot to create something exciting and new for the world and it gave me the opportunity to go on to "Lord of the Dance" and then go on to arena shows which was finally an opportunity for me to create, to compete with the big rock acts and to go up against the "The Stones" and all these other people , Michael Jackson and so then we started to compete with them in ticket sales then we went into stadiums, in Berlin this year we played to 80,000 people and in Budapest and Hungary we played to 109,000 people, you know that's good for a dancer we've come a long and again it 's just, I think it says something about what can happen in today's world , all young people you have to follow your dreams."
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA, LONDON ENGLAND
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts
  • Reuters ID: LVA2Q1CYBJ9RJWDFH0D5J0IQ3B1O
  • Story Text: Michael Flatley, the famed creator of such smash hits as "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance" has created another dance extravaganza, "Feet of Flames" currently touring the world and dazzling audiences everywhere it plays.
    Michael Flatley, the Irish dance sensation and self proclaimed "Lord of the Dance" has found a brand new 'river' to dance in. His show "Feet of Flames" is an amazingly huge extravaganza that centres around Flatley, his fantastic dance steps and talented musical numbers.
    The supporting cast of "Feet of Flames" is made of dozens of talented dancers and musicians who storm onto the stage in huge numbers, with flames shooting out from the stage and blaring music that pumps the audience up to staggering heights.
    For Michael Flatley, the finale of the show is the best part, "You've got 50 dancers on stage dancing as fast as they possibly can, hitting the floor probably 12 to 15 times a second all exactly at the same time, to me that's remarkable that's artistic and it's also athletic and it's beautiful I mean the whole scene is awesome and the sound of that you know that just that rhythm pattern coming across like I said it's, like the Concorde taking off it's so powerful that it makes the people stand up at night."
    Flatley's talent as a dancer is only surpassed by his speed. He holds the world record for the most taps per second at no fewer than
    He has propelled Irish dance into world consciousness. And an even more astonishing fact is that the show earns more than $100 million dollars in sales, making it one of the hottest dance tickets in the world.
    For Flatley it's not the money that's important but the fan adulation and doing what he loves most, "It's like you see Michael Jordan score and you see somebody score at the World Cup soccer you know they slide all over the field they're just glad to be there that's me I'm just happy every day of my life I'm following my dream and it doesn't get any better than that."
    "Feet of Flames," kicks off its millennium tour this year.
    Costing a staggering five million dollars (USD), the show combines a dazzling brand new set, beautiful costumes and stunning dancers. For over two hours, Flately dances at such a manic pace that it is no wonder that he burns over 4,000 calories during the course of each show - the equivalent of 16 chocolate.
    Flatley, 38, has been dancing since he was an 11-year-old in an Irish neighbourhood on Chicago's South Side. His grandmother, herself a championship dancer, introduced him to step dance at theage of four. To this day, the man who began from a humble beginning,every performance by getting down on one knee to pay a silent tribute to her.
    The size of his show puts him in competition with some of the biggest names in entertainment, "To go up against the The Stones and all these other people, Michael Jackson and so then we started to compete with them in ticket sales then we went into stadiums, in Berlin this year we played to 80,000 people and in Budapest and Hungary we played to 109,000 people, you know that's good for a dancer we've come a long and again it's just, I think it says something about what can happen in today's world , all young people you have to follow your dreams."
    "Feet of Flames" includes elements of folk, Irish, flamenco and blues music and combines it with pyrotechnics, special effects, high tech lighting and a huge sound and video system . There are more than 300 people working behind the scenes and 200 tons of equipment and set.
    At the centre of it all is Flatley's charisma and charm that keeps packing huge arenas and stadiums all over the world.
    "Feet of Flames" will tour the United States this summer.
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