Saturday, October 10, 2020

Michael Flatley as The Lord of the Dance

As one of my family’s quarantine assignments, we tackled a cleaning out of the inevitable “stuff” repository that exists in every house; ours is known as the basement. Slowly sifting through heaps of dusty pictures, long-forgotten clothes, and old Halloween costumes, I came across a VHS tape. Although my family’s means of watching it had been sold in yard sales or, frankly, given to recycle centers, this tape symbolized the beginning of a lifetime involved in Irish Dance.

The tape’s title? Riverdance, the show that not only brought Irish Dance to the world but also reinvented it. I sat on the concrete floor of my basement and reflected on the hours I spent as a kid enthralled with both Riverdance and Lord of the Dance and the years of competition and performance I pursued because of it.

Because Riverdance is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year—and Lord of the Dance next year—I thought it pertinent to feature the creative mastermind behind these shows: Michael Flatley. A famous Chicago native you may never have heard of, Flatley was born in the South Side in 1958 to Irish-immigrant parents. Although his grandmother had a champion title at the world level, he didn’t start dancing until he was eleven at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Chicago. Despite the relatively late start, it only took him six years to be the first American to win the world Irish dancing championships, Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne. In addition to this, he was also a champion flute player as well as an amateur Golden Gloves boxer, his creativity expanding beyond just the dancing sphere.


Michael Flatley and Jean Butler in the first
edition of Riverdance as a feature.

Flatley’s real creative genius, however, existed in his ability to envision, choreograph, and perform Irish Dance in a way that appealed to those outside of its realm. He effortlessly maintained elements and history of the traditional art within the structure of a popular and entertaining attraction. Although throughout the years he had proven himself as a skilled performer and talented Irish dancer, it wasn’t until 1994 that he was given an opportunity to actually create a show of his own. Riverdance started as an intermission for a European singing contest, but Flatley captivated the audience in a mere seven-minute show, transforming Irish Dance—as the wider world saw it—“from a tradition-bound art form…into an expressive, buoyant celebration.” Riverdance was eventually expanded into a feature-length performance showed across Britain and Ireland, in which Flatley was both a choreographer and the lead. 

Michael Flatley at the finale of an
early version of Lord of the Dance.

In 1995, however, feeling he didn’t have enough creative control, Flatley left Riverdance and went on to create his own show, Lord of the Dance, with a more “Las-Vegas” type choreography and extravagance. His stage presence as well as the unique nature of the performance enthralled audiences everywhere, and by 1997, the recording of Lord of the Dance live had sold over three million copies internationally. Flatley went on to develop a number of other equally popular shows including Feet of Flames, Celtic Tiger, and Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games and performed off-and-on throughout (including on Broadway!). Although fifty years of dancing had really taken a toll on his body and he was forced to retire in 2016, his shows continue to tour throughout the globe today, selling out in places as far as Taipei and Prague.

What is so interesting about Michael Flatley as a creative is the fact that his creative personality is not only what allows the creation of his product but also what draws people to his performances specifically. He both created it as well as existed as a fundamental part of its success. In essence, people came to see Flatley perform, and he really knew it. 

Flatley in his quintessential pose.

His process is heavily defined by one specific aspect of Csikszentmihalyi’s creative personality: rebellious and independent yet in possession of an internalized domain of culture. In other words, Flatley is, to a certain extent, a traditionalist. He preserved the art of Irish Dance yet revolutionized the way it was portrayed. This desire to depart within the domain is captured in his own words:

“I was dying to try something new. I was dying to try different things. I was dying to go farther with the whole thing.”

Since retiring from dancing, Flatley has explored painting as a means of illustrating the typically invisible motions and taps on the stage. He paints the bottom of his shoes and physically dances on the canvas, leaving behind a manifestation of movement. Sternberg’s emphasis on integration and intellectuality is obviously seen with the nature of the shows themselves; but this example highlights the presence of this trait in Flatley’s personality itself.

Michael Flatley, The Power

It is also interesting to look at Flatley’s process through the framework Andreasen presents when discussing the unconscious. Preparation was provided with his experience in Irish Dance as a child; incubation occurred in his early career in performing as well as teaching; inspiration—although not necessarily a “eureka” moment—was experienced after leaving Riverdance and gaining complete creative freedom; and production witnessed the development of a number of groundbreaking shows, world tours, millions of fans, and even a performance for the American presidential inauguration. Whether the unconscious, intuition, and/or pure natural talent, it appears to arise from within:

“Whatever I’m trying to create comes from inside…what we create here, we create on our own.”

My four-year-old self’s love for Irish Dance certainly has Michael Flatley to thank.  

 

If you are interested, definitely check out these short clips from the various shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW9_-fCwc1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjxTTjJtXDA

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4 comments:

  1. Moira GreaneyOctober 11, 2020 at 9:46 AM

    This was such an interesting post to read. I never did Irish Dance but many members of my family grew up dancing, and I always loved to watch their performances. It's so fascinating to hear how Flatley really revolutionized the dance style while still sticking to the traditional roots. I especially loved learning about how Flatley turned to painting with his shoes after he retired. This is such an interesting way to continue making creative works within his new constraints. Thanks for sharing this post!

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  2. Nicholas ElishOctober 11, 2020 at 12:55 PM

    Never having an aptitude or inclination for dance, reading about Michael Flatley and his skillful blend between tradition and innovation was extremely interesting! While I actually have heard Flatley's name mentioned several times (usually in memes or skits), it never occurred to me that he was an actual person or that he was not only a world-champion riverdancer (among other accomplishments), but was responsible for re-wiring the dance community and its' perception among the populace of the world. As you mentioned in your post, Flatley really embodies a creative soul, turning from one of the most creative mediums (dance) to arguably the most creative outlet (painting), and even combining the two by dancing with sole-painted shoes on canvas to amplify his creations and express himself in the most complete manner possible.

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  3. Lena BrearleyOctober 11, 2020 at 1:52 PM

    I've always been a terrible dancer, but I love to watch. Irish dance isn't something I've seen much of which is why this post caught my eye. It sounds like there is so much tradition in Irish Dance that Flatley had a wealth to pull from. It seems that reimagining tradition this way is common for many great creatives. I wonder if they would describe their goal as creating something new or if they are more so trying to bring their passion to other people?

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  4. Ali KhanOctober 11, 2020 at 6:01 PM

    Like many of the people commenting on this thread, I too suffer from a case of two left feet; despite my best intentions, I couldn't dance to save my life. Having a number of friends who have taken part in Irish dance, however, has given me a keen interest in the subject. Flatley's personal style of dancing, mixed with his added flair combines and creates something mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. This is very different to the almost regimental-style of dancing that I've grown up watching my Irish-dancing friends perform. I believe Flatley's unique take on Irish step dancing is a testament to how he embodies Csikszentmihalyi’s trope of a creative personality; Flatley is rebellious and independent in his style of dance, yet his style manifests itself in an internalized domain of culture. On a side note, if Flatley could go on to change this sub-field of dancing despite his late introduction to it, there may be some hope that I (and many others) could successfully attempt and do the same one day—albeit in a different field (I wouldn't count on it though).

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