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Michael Ryan Flatley (born July 16, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is an Irish step dancer, flautist and choreographer who became internationally known through the theatre musical, Riverdance.
Early lifeFrom the south side of Chicago, his parents were from County Sligo and County Carlow. Flatley began dancing lessons at 11 and, in 1975, 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 known as being a proficient flautist, 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 South Side, he opened a dance school. 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.[1] 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,[2] Flatley produced, directed, and choreographed his own show, Lord of the Dance. In 1998, Flatley put together a dance production called Feet of Flames, a version of which 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 judge, 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. He is currently the host of the NBC show Superstars of dance which premiered on January 4, 2009. 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 - 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 28 taps per second; when this record was broken, he set another record in February 1998, by achieving 35 taps per second.[3] 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.[4] In September 2000, Flatley was awarded the prestigious 'Coq Flambee' by the Sorbonne, Paris, for his commitment to the furtherance of Franco-Irish relations.[citation needed] 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. 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. [5] In April 2006, Flatley spoke about his recent discovery of a facial skin cancer.[6] 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 Saturday October 14th 2006.[7] On November 15, 2006, Flatley's website reported that he had been admitted to a hospital. According to media reports, he was suffering from a serious viral infection.[8][9] All his up-and-coming shows for Celtic Tiger were cancelled. He left the hospital three days later.[10] Michael and Niamh became parents to their first child, a son, Michael St. James Flatley, on Thursday 26th April 2007.[7] Flatley, who is worth £350 million[11], 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. Attempted extortion against FlatleyIn 2006, a woman named Tyna Marie Robertson, a real estate agent with whom Flatley had had a short relationship in 2002, claimed Flatley had raped her. After Flatley denied the allegations and refused to pay a settlement ranging in the millions, she brought a $33m claim against him. However, the civil action was dismissed, and Flatley then filed a counter-suit against Robertson and her lawyer D. Dean Mauro, for extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation. In July 2006 The California Supreme Court held that Mauro had committed extortion, and the lawyer settled by making "a substantial payment." In December 2007 Flatley accepted a settlement of $11m from Robertson after convincing the California Supreme Court the accusations brought against him were false and part of a million-dollar extortion scheme. On the successful outcome of his counter-suit, Flatley commented: "Ms Robertson tried to extort money from me by spreading these lies and the court sent a message that it will not tolerate these types of schemes."[8][12] References in popular cultureA line from the Irish Eurovision song 2008 by Dustin the Turkey refers to Flatley: "Give us another chance, we're sorry for Riverdance, sure Flatley he's a yank". The popular American sitcom Friends also mentions Flatley in a scene where it is revealed that he is a phenomenon that scares the beejeezus out of Chandler. "His legs flail about as if independent from his body!" Michael Flatley was portrayed in a fight against Bill Gates in an episode of Celebrity Deathmatch. In Family Guy Season 2 episode 205 "Love Thy Trophy", Stewie Griffin states after Peter runs into him that "Michael Flatley must be turning over in his grave." And then remarking "Wait a minute, He's not dead, yet!" and proceeds to write down Michael Flatley's name on a Memo Pad. In the popular youth series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by Joss Whedon it is alluded to Flatley in the musical episode "Once More with Feeling". In a conversation between the characters Tara and Dawn Tara mention that the demon at hand is some sort of demonic lord of the dance, "but don't worry, not the creepy one, just a regular demon.". In the Disney's motion picture The Emperor's New Groove the principal character, Kuzco, makes a parody of Michael Flatley's dance and show in the final sequence of first song titled "Perfect World". Kuzco dance in a clearly Flatley's style, meanwhile a group of guards follow him. In Steve Coogans I'm Alan Partridge, he is awarded the title of "Favourite Lord", ahead of Lord of the Rings and Lord of the Flies, Partridge goes on to add in a parody of Rhett Butler's line in Gone With the Wind, "Flatley my dear, I don't Riverdance". The movie Dudley Do-Right (1999) with Brendan Frasier in which the Indians put on an Irish dancing show. A short segment is shown and Chief mentions to Nell Fenwick that he loves Riverdance. In Shrek the main protagonists are set upon in a wooded area by a gang similar to Robin and his merry men who perform a dance move culminating in a move exclusive to Lord of The Dance. In "Another Irish Drinking Song" by Davinci's Notebook, the singer mentions that, when he dies, the Lord also should "kill the cast of Riverdance and Michael Flatley too". In the BBC sitcom Extras, Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), in an attempt to convince his love interest he is a devout catholic, tells a priest he grew up in a parish lead by the Irish father Michael O'Flatley. See also
In the BBC sitcom Extras, Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), while trying to convince his love interest that he is a devout catholic, tells a priest that he grew up in a parish lead by the Irish father Michael O'Flatley. References
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