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Michael Flatley

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Michael Flatley
Flatley on stage, 2009
Born
Michael Ryan Flatley

(1958-07-16) July 16, 1958 (age 66)
Occupation(s)Irish dancer, musician, businessman
Years active1969–2016 (dancing)
1971–present (music)
Known forRiverdance (1994–2016)
Lord of the Dance (1996–2022)
Feet of Flames (1998–2001)
Celtic Tiger Live (2004–2007)
Spouses
  • Beata Dziąba
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1986; div. 1997)​
  • Niamh O'Brien
    ​
    (m. 2006)​
Children1
Websitewww.michaelflatley.com

Michael Ryan Flatley (born July 16, 1958)[1] is an Irish-American dancer and musician. He became known for creating and performing in Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, Celtic Tiger Live and Michael Flatley's Christmas Dance Spectacular. Flatley's shows have played to more than 60 million people in 60 countries and have grossed more than $1 billion.[2] His career also includes work as an actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist.

Flatley is credited with reinventing traditional Irish dance by incorporating new rhythms, syncopation, and upper body movements, which were previously absent from the dance, as well as including influences from tap and contemporary dance. He formerly held the Guinness World Record for tap dancing 35 times per second and his feet were at one time insured for $57.6 million. Flatley retired from dance in 2016 due to constant spinal, knee, foot, and rib pain but remains active in the music business.[3]

Early life

Michael Ryan Flatley was born on July 16, 1958, the second of five children born to Irish parents Michael James Flatley and Elisabeth "Eilish" Flatley (née Ryan), both of whom had emigrated to the United States in 1947.[4][5] Michael was a plumber from County Sligo, and Eilish was a gifted step dancer from County Carlow whose mother, Hannah Ryan, was a champion dancer.[6] Michael and Eilish met at an Irish dance in Detroit,[7] and were married in that city on August 25, 1956.[5] They eventually had five children: Anne-Marie, Michael, Eliza, Thomasina, and Patrick.[8] When Michael was two months old, the family moved from Detroit to Chicago's South Side.[5]

In Chicago, Flatley began dance lessons at age eleven with Dennis G. Dennehy at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance.[9] He attended Brother Rice High School, an all-boys Catholic private school.[5] In 1975, at age 17, Flatley was the first American to win a World Irish Dance title at Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne, the Irish dancing championships.[10] In 1975 and 1976, Flatley won twice in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil concert flute competitions.[11]

In the 1970s, Flatley competed in the amateur boxing Chicago Golden Gloves tournament in the 126 pound novice division and won the middleweight division of the Chicago Golden Gloves Boxing Championship. He recorded five knock-out victories. Flatley stated that he continued to flirt with the idea of becoming a professional into the early 1980s, but ultimately stayed with a career in dance. In this early stage of his career he was described as "the white Michael Jackson" by The Hollywood Reporter, the "Rudolph Nureyev of Irish dance" by the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and the Washington Post compared his feet to "the hands of Vladimir Horowitz in power and agility".[12] He later became a philanthropic donor to the Golden Gloves organization.[13] In 2023 Flatley was one of four fighters to be named a Titan of Chicago Golden Gloves Boxing during their 100th Anniversary celebrations.[14]

Career

Early career

After graduating high school, Flatley worked in various fields.[15] From 1978 to 1979, Flatley toured with Green Fields of America.[16] In the 1980s, he toured with The Chieftains, though he was turned down when he requested to become a full-time member of the band.[15]

Riverdance

After attracting the attention of Ireland's president, Mary Robinson, and dance-show producers, Flatley was invited to help create an intermission show for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. He performed in a 7-minute show titled "Riverdance" for the interval act of the contest, which was held in Ireland.[17][18] After receiving worldwide acclaim, Flatley pushed to turn the show into a full-length production, which became Riverdance. The show was produced by Moya Doherty, with principal choreography and lead performances by Flatley and Jean Butler.[19][17] It debuted in February of 1995 at the Point Theatre (now 3Arena) in Dublin.[20]

In September 1995, after the show sold out, Flatley left Riverdance to pursue what would eventually become Lord of the Dance. Flatley had been in a dispute with the Riverdance producers over his salary and royalty fees. He was fired the night before the show was set to begin its second run in London[21] and replaced with Colin Dunne.[22] He also reportedly did not work well with Butler,[23][15] though on the split, Flatley said, "I just wanted control over the work that I had created myself. That's all. I don't think that that's too much to ask. I felt like I built it and they took it, and that's the end of it... and it hurt."[24]

Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames

Immediately after the Riverdance split, Flatley decided to create his own show, Lord of the Dance, which was capable of playing in arenas and stadiums aside from traditional theaters. It premiered in June 1996 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, the same venue where Riverdance premiered, then made its U.K. premiere at the London Coliseum.[25] The music for the show was composed by Ronan Hardiman. In 1997, Flatley earned £36 million, ranking him 25th among the world's highest earning entertainers.[15]

In 1998, Flatley created an expanded version of the show called Feet of Flames which served as its one-off performance and his final performance in Lord of the Dance. It was performed outdoors in the Rotten Row/Route of Kings[26] area of Hyde Park, London on a gigantic 4-tier hydraulic stage, with a live band, and over 100 dancers performing on all four levels of the stage during the finale. Ronan Hardiman's music from the original Lord of the Dance was used again along with new compositions, also by Hardiman himself.[27] The show featured six new numbers; one of which is Flatley's solo.

Following the success of the 1998 Hyde Park show, Flatley produced another version of Feet of Flames in 1999, which included half of the original show and half new material. Titled Feet of Flames: The Victory World Tour, the show was performed also on a multi-level stage and toured Europe in 2000 and the U.S. in 2001.[3]

Celtic Tiger

Flatley's next show, Celtic Tiger Live, opened in July 2005. The show explores the history of the Irish people and Irish emigration to the U.S., 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.[28]

Flatley wrote "I will be a dancer until the day I die" in the program book of the show.[29]

On November 15, 2006, prior to the autumn and winter tours of the show, Flatley was admitted to a private London hospital with a viral infection.[30] He was discharged two weeks later and cancelled the said tour.[31]

Television performances (2007–2009)

Flately dancing
A Lord of the Dance performance in 2008

In November 2007, Flatley and a troupe of male dancers performed on Dancing with the Stars in the U.S.[32] In October 2008, he appeared as a guest judge on an episode of the show, filling in for Len Goodman. He performed the solo "Capone" from Celtic Tiger on the show. Flatley was also the host of Superstars of Dance, an NBC series that ran for 5 episodes in early 2009. He also performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, during the 1997 Academy Awards ceremony, and was interviewed on Piers Morgan's Life Stories in 2011.[33][34][35]

Return to the stage (2009–2010)

In December 2009, Flatley returned to the stage for a limited run of the "Hyde Park" version of Feet of Flames in Taiwan. The run of shows had to be extended to meet the demand for tickets.[36]

In 2010, he returned to headline the Lord of the Dance show, with performances in arenas in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.[37] However, unlike the original show, the stage for the 2010 Return Tour was redesigned; it featured new sets, new costumes, state-of-the-art lighting, newer pyrotechnics, and projections.

Lord of the Dance 3D, the 3D film of the return tour, debuted in theaters worldwide in 2011.[38][39] The 3D film was later released on DVD and Blu-ray under the title, Michael Flatley Returns as Lord of the Dance, and shows performances from the O2 Arenas of London, Dublin, and Berlin.[38]

Flute album (2011)

In 2011, Flatley released On A Different Note, a flute album.[40] The 25 tracks include airs and tunes he has played in his shows, other traditional tunes, and new compositions.[41]

A Night to Remember, Dangerous Games

On May 18, 2014, Flatley recorded a one-off 60 minute ITV Music Specials episode titled Michael Flatley: A Night to Remember celebrating his long career. The show aired on June 1, 2014, and was presented by Christine Bleakley.[42]

Also in the same year, Flatley created a revised spin-off of Lord of the Dance, entitled Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which featured a similar storyline with new numbers, as well as new music by Gerard Fahy, who previously served as a bandleader and musical director in Flatley's shows.[43]

Injuries, farewell tour, and retirement

In May 2015, Flatley revealed that much of his vertebral column was irreparably damaged and that he had a damaged left knee, a torn right calf/triceps surae muscle, two ruptured Achilles tendons, a fractured rib, and a recurring broken bone in his foot.[44] That year, a caricature of him was hung in the Sardi's restaurant on Broadway.[45]

In November 2015, Flatley's show Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games premiered at the Lyric Theatre, a Broadway theatre. Due to his injuries, Flatley was only able to perform in the final two numbers of the performance. After shows in New York, Flatley went on a final tour in the United States.[46] What was then thought to be Flatley's last show was in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day 2016.[3]

Later work

In January 2017, Flatley introduced his troupe for a performance at the inauguration of Donald Trump, to which he called it "a great honour".[47] In 2021 he was involved with the World Irish Dancing Championships, a competition that he won in 1975 - becoming the first American to do so - to launch a new competition for freestyle dance. The competition attracted in excess of 2500 entrants.[14]

Filmmaking

In 2018, Flatley wrote, directed, financed and starred in Blackbird, a spy film set in Barbados, Ireland and the UK.[48] The film co-stars Patrick Bergin and Eric Roberts. Blackbird was scheduled to receive its world premiere in a private showing at the Raindance Film Festival in London, where Flatley was also a member of the Festival Jury.[49] As of November 2018 pre-production work had already begun on Flatley's second film, titled Dreamdance, set in Hollywood at the outbreak of World War II.[50] Blackbird premiered August 2022 in the Light House Cinema in Dublin.[51] It received a one star review from Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian, and was described by Mark Kermode as “one of the worst films I’ve ever seen”.[52]

Painting

Starting in the early 2010s, Flatley has used his choreographer dance moves to create artwork with his feet, by dancing upon paint splattered canvas. A series of paintings he created in the mid-2010s was based upon the Great Irish Famine. As of 2015, Flatley was second only to Jack Butler Yeats in terms of the auction price of paintings by Irish painters.[53][54][55][56]

Business career

Around this time he also founded the food and beverage company Castlehyde, named for his residential estate.[57] His net worth was reportedly €301 million in 2019.[58]

Awards and achievements

Flatley's feet at Wembley Square of Fame

In 1988, Flatley received a National Heritage Fellowship, the highest folk-related honor awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts.[59]

In December 2001, Flatley became the first recipient of the Irish Dancing Commission Fellowship award (an honorary degree in Irish dance) and was also made a Fellow of the American Irish Dance Teachers' Association.[60] In 2003 Flatley received a special award from Prince Rainier of Monaco for his charity work,[61] and in March 2003 Irish America magazine named Flatley Irish American of the Year. In 2004, Flatley received an honorary doctorate degree from University College Dublin, and that same year received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York.[62][60] In 2016 he received an honorary degree from the University of Limerick.[63]

In 2007, the Freedom of the City of Cork was conferred on Flatley at a ceremony in Cork's City Hall.[64] In 2008, he was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo at a ceremony in Sligo City Hall.[36] Also in 2008, The Variety Club of Ireland presented Flatley with their Entertainer of the Decade Award.[65]

In 2011, he was inducted into Irish America magazine's Irish America Hall of Fame.[2]

On October 24, 2013, Flatley received the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Irish Post Awards on Park Lane.[66] In 2015, a section of 42nd Street and Broadway in New York City was name "Flatley Way" for the artist. The honour corresponded with his opening of his show Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games at the nearby Lyric Theatre.[67] He received the Freedom of the City of London honour from London, UK, which names a number of specific actions those who receive the honor can take that others cannot—such as the ability to "drive a herd of sheep over London Bridge".[68]

Arms

Coat of arms of Michael Flatley
Notes
Flatley was granted arms by Ireland's Chief Herald.[69][non-primary source needed]
Granted
2015
Crest
From an ancient Irish crown or a stag's head argent attired of the first.
Escutcheon
Party per fess dancettée or and azure a pile wavy counterchanged.
Motto
Pede libero tellurem pulsar
Symbolism
This horizontal, three-pointed, partition of the field of the shield is heraldically called dancetée while the pile wavy resembles a river, therefore alluding to his dancing career.

Personal life

Marriages and family

Flatley met Beata Dziaba in London's Royal Albert Hall. The couple married in 1986 in a Danish registry office; they divorced in 1997 after his multiple affairs with other women.[70]

In June 2006, Flatley began dating Niamh O'Brien, a longtime dancer from several of his shows. According to Canon Law, his first marriage as a Catholic in a civil wedding was not recognized by the Church, so the 48 year old Flatley and Niamh, 32, were able to have a Roman Catholic ceremony. On October 14, 2006 the couple married at the heritage landmark St. Patrick's Church[71] in Fermoy, County Cork, with a lavish reception hosted in Flatley's historic Castlehyde House, also located in Cork, Ireland.[72][73][74][75]

He and his wife have a son, Michael St. James, born in 2007.[76] They divide their time between a home in Monte Carlo and Castlehyde House in Ireland.[77][78]

Health

In 2003, Flatley was treated for a malignant melanoma.[79] Flatley later stated, "It was purely by chance that it was noticed [...] I had never even noticed it ... it can be a frightening place to be."[80] On January 11, 2023, a spokesperson for Flatley announced that he had undergone surgery after diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer.[81] The statement read, "Dear friends, we have something personal to share, Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He has undergone surgery and is in the care of an excellent team of doctors. No further comments will be made at this time. We ask only for your prayers and well wishes."[82][83] Flatley later commented to The Times that "Cancer battle is tough but I don’t give in easily."[14]

Properties

In 2001, Flatley purchased Castlehyde House, originally owned by Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland, near Fermoy in north-east Cork, then in a derelict condition, for €3 million. Flatley spent €27 million renovating the mansion and another €20 million furnishing it with artwork and antiques. In 2015, Flatley purchased a mansion in Belgravia, just off Eaton Square, for €28 million and listed Castlehyde for sale for €20 million.[73]

In addition to Castlehyde and his London mansion, Flatley owns valuable properties in the Caribbean, New York, Beverly Hills, France, Italy and Villefranche-sur-Mer. He has invested a significant portion of his wealth in Berkshire Hathaway.[84]

Other

In 2003, courts ruled that Flatley was extorted and defamed by real estate agent Tyna Marie Robertson, who falsely accused Flatley of sexual assault[85] Robertson was ordered to pay $11 million compensation.[86]

In 2006, Flatley released Lord of the Dance: My Story, his autobiography.

In 2010, Flatley dedicated the Garden of Memory and Music in Culfadda, County Sligo, the village his father left to seek a new life in America. The ceremony included a speech and an impromptu performance of one of his father's favorite tunes.[87]

Fundraising

Flatley has raised over €1 million for his charitable foundation by selling paintings made using his feet.[88] He has hosted annual Christmas fundraisers for vulnerable children at his estate. In 2010, Flatley participated in the fundraising JP McManus Pro-Am in Adare, County Limerick, Ireland.[89] In 2020 he created the "Flatley'sTapForTen challenge" in order to raise money for people found homeless due to the COVID-19 pandemic, benefiting the charities Depaul in Ireland and Centrepoint in the UK.[61] He is also a supporter of the Irish Fund for Great Britain that provides social support for Irish citizens living in the UK.[90] He has also spent time as an advocate for cancer research. In 2021, Flatley was named an Ambassador of Culture for Co Saolfada, a cancer research advocacy program.[91] Flatley himself was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2003 and has since recovered.[92] Flatley has also advocated an anti-war sentiment - in 2003 he performed the anti-war piece Warlord before an audience of national leaders meeting in St. Petersburgh. In 2022 he began fundraising for the humanitarian effort during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, providing revenue from his company's dance performances to the cause.[93]

Flatley has been parodied in several US television series, including Friends, where Chandler Bing expresses his fear of Flatley due to the fact his "legs flail about as if independent from his body".[94] He also appeared in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, entitled "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star", in which Marge Simpson dreams of a group of Flatley look-alikes welcoming her into Catholic heaven, and in 3rd Rock from the Sun, a 90s sitcom with Jane Curtin and John Lithgow. [95]

See also

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Lawrence A. (June 15, 2001). "Former Chicago Plumber Brings His Remarkable Feat Back Home". The Chicago Tribune. p. 5-2. Born Michael Ryan Flatley July 16, 1958 to parents who emigrated from Ireland a decade earlier, Michael began dance lessons at age 4, taught by his grandmother, a champion Irish dancer.
  2. ^ a b McGoldrick, Debbie (April 2011). "Michael Flatley: Irish America Hall of Fame". Irish America.
  3. ^ a b c "Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley in his farewell performance". Irish Central. March 18, 2016.
  4. ^ Vaisvilas, Frank (March 16, 2015). "Iconic Dancer's Father Dies at 87". Daily Southtown. p. 3. Michael James Flatley...father of step-dancing icon Michael Flatley...
  5. ^ a b c d Flatley, Michael; Thompson, Douglas (2006). Lord of the Dance: My Story. London: Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-283-07042-6.
  6. ^ O'Donnell, Maureen (June 24, 2016). "Michael Flatley Sr., father to 'Lord of the Dance,' founded suburban plumbing business". Chicago Sun Times.
  7. ^ "Elizabeth Flatley Obituary". chicago.suntimes.com. December 31, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  8. ^ Slater, Sarah (March 14, 2015). "Michael Flatley left devastated after death of his beloved father". The Mirror.
  9. ^ Giangrasse Kates, Joan (January 20, 2013). "Dennis G. Dennehy, 1939–2013". Chicago Tribune.
  10. ^ Dougherty, Tara (June 2009). "The World of Irish Dance". Irish America.
  11. ^ Flatley, Michael; Thompson, Douglas (2006). Lord of the Dance: My Story. London: Pan Macmillan. pp. 1–8. ISBN 9780330445405.
  12. ^ Prescott, David (December 8, 1985). "Michael Flatley Is Fast Becoming a Stepping Legend". The Chicago Tribune.
  13. ^ "Flatley gives $10,000 to Golden Gloves". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 2005.
  14. ^ a b c Corr, Julieanne (June 26, 2023). "Michael Flatley - Cancer battle is tough but I don't give in easily".
  15. ^ a b c d "Lord of dance appears to fall flat on his ego". Irish Times. October 21, 1998.
  16. ^ Moloney, Mick (March 16, 2018). "How One Impromptu Jam Session Spawned a Sweeping Irish-American Music Revival". Smithsonian.
  17. ^ a b "Riverdance Scenes". Riverdance The Original and Best. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
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  19. ^ "Riverdance: The Show - IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  20. ^ Issy Ronald (January 12, 2023). "Dancer Michael Flatley diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of cancer". CNN.
  21. ^ Dunne, Jim. "Flatley's 'Riverdance' court action is settled". The Irish Times.
  22. ^ Hartigan, Patti (May 27, 1997). "Lord of 'Lord of the Dance' gives his side of the story". Baltimore Sun.
  23. ^ Warren, Jane (August 23, 2014). "What became of the Riverdance Queen? Jean Butler explains why she left the limelight". Daily Express.
  24. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The Making of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance: Part 1". YouTube.
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  27. ^ "Feet Of Flames".
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  30. ^ Castle, Tim (November 16, 2006). ""Celtic" dancer Flatley in hospital, cancels tour". Reuters.
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  34. ^ "Recapping the 1997 Academy Awards". Vanity Fair. February 23, 2017.
  35. ^ "Piers Morgan's Life Stories Season 6". Radio Times.
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  37. ^ Ng, David (April 22, 2010). "Michael Flatley returning to 'Lord of the Dance'". Los Angeles Times.
  38. ^ a b "Lord of the Dance in 3D". IMDb.
  39. ^ Cox, Gordon (December 8, 2010). "'Lord' dances to screens in 3D". Variety.
  40. ^ Harty, Patricia (December 2015). "What Are You Like? Michael Flatley: The Last Dance". Irish America.
  41. ^ "Flatley's first flute CD released". United Press International. March 14, 2011.
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  43. ^ Seibert, Brian (November 11, 2015). "Review: Michael Flatley's New Show Has Unicorns, Rainbows and Some Footwork, Too". The New York Times.
  44. ^ McGrory, Linda (July 6, 2015). "Cancer spurred Michael Flatley to take stock of life". Irish Examiner.
  45. ^ "Michael Flatley thrilled by Sardi's restaurant honour". December 11, 2015.
  46. ^ "Review: Michael Flatley's New Show Has Unicorns, Rainbows Too". The New York Times. November 15, 2015.(subscription required)
  47. ^ "'It's a great honour' - Michael Flatley responds to Trump inauguration invitation". January 20, 2017.
  48. ^ Heritage, Stuart (July 6, 2018). "Michael Flatley's self-financed spy thriller: what you need to know". The Guardian.
  49. ^ "Michael Flatley's Blackbird Premieres in London".
  50. ^ Shea, Julian (October 15, 2018). "Flatley flies in new direction". China Daily.
  51. ^ "'You can't listen to the naysayers': Michael Flatley in flying form at premiere of debut film". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  52. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (August 31, 2022). "Blackbird review – Michael Flatley's fabulously bad spy tale is a classic of egosploitation cinema". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  53. ^ "Michael Flatley Tries his Feet at Painting". Irish America. January 26, 2012.
  54. ^ "The new Picasso? Michael Flatley's tapdanced paintings sell for $128k". IrishCentral.com. April 22, 2015.
  55. ^ Parsons, Michael. "Michael Flatley painting 'danced onto canvas' expected to sell for €30,000". The Irish Times.
  56. ^ Kinsella, Eileen (April 27, 2015). "Riverdance Michael Flatley Most Expensive Irish artist". Artnet News.
  57. ^ Leonard-Bedwell2021-06-17T09:12:00+01:00, Niamh. "Michael Flatley plans Castlehyde food, drink and homeware brand". The Grocer.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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  62. ^ Downes, John (November 3, 2004). "Michael Flatley and Charlie Bird among those honoured by UCD". The Irish Times.
  63. ^ Scanlon, Eoin (May 7, 2016). "Michael Flatley honoured with doctorate from University of Limerick". The Avondhu Newspaper.
  64. ^ Kelleher, Olivia (June 4, 2007). "Freedom of Cork city conferred on Michael Flatley". The Irish Times.
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  89. ^ "Golfing Stars shine bright at Adare Manor". April 20, 2018.
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  91. ^ "Michael Flatley named Ambassador of new Irish county for cancer survivors". IrishCentral.com. June 7, 2021.
  92. ^ "Michael Flatley: 'I had never even noticed it' – Flatley reveals malignant skin cancer was spotted by MTV viewer". independent. June 20, 2021.
  93. ^ "When Michael Flatley performed an anti-war dance in front of Russia's Putin". Irish Central. March 21, 2022.
  94. ^ Friends - Lord of the Dance, retrieved December 10, 2022
  95. ^ Burke, Siobhan (March 4, 2020). "I Was a Teenage Riverdancer". The New York Times.
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