February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
And now, that same dancer is set to make his Irish debut with the dance extravaganza, “Lord of the Dance,” on home turf.
Mark Mulholland, 27, says he is delighted to be returning to Belfast to take to the stage with his talented co-stars for the show’s one-week run on March 7.
“I am really excited to be coming home, especially to be able to perform ‘Lord of the Dance’ for the first time in Belfast,” he said. “It’s a bit overwhelming to think that something that I was only supposed to be involved with for a year has taken me to the age of 27.”
Dancing since the tender age of 5, Mulholland said it was a dream come true when he was granted a place with the “Lord of the Dance” troupe when he was 17.
“I was cast initially as a dancer with the European leg of the ‘Lord of the Dance’ tour,” he said. A decade later, he is a member of Troupe One, whose tour schedule includes Europe and worldwide destinations.
Dancing in far-flung places including South Africa, Dubai and China for the last ten years, Mulholland says one of his most memorable temporary homes was in the south eastern corner of the U.S.
“I danced for a summer season with the show in Disney World’s Epcot Centre in Orlando,” said Mulholland. “We did a 10-week residency which was massively popular in the park, performing four half hour shows throughout the day. I can remember the queues of people stretching right to the entrance of the park just to see the show.”
Enjoying his time in Florida so much, the dancer visited many other destinations throughout the U.S. during breaks between tours.
“I have visited many other parts of the States, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Virginia, Miami and Boston, but they have all been for holidays,” laughed Mulholland.
Having worked closely with Irish dancing’s most famous icon, Michael Flatley, Mulholland says the Chicago native is an inspiration to dance alongside.
“Michael is an inspiration to all Irish dancers,” said Mulholland. “He is due a lot of credit to how mainstream and popular Irish dancing has become, especially for lads that dance. Through the shows he has created, he has brought Irish dancing to the world’s attention. Many countries that we have toured in had never heard of Irish dancing 12 or 13 years ago.”
Mulholland is amazed by the continuing popularity of Irish dance in the U.S.
“America now probably has more Irish dancers competing than Ireland does, and that is quite surreal,” he said. “This year the World Championships are in the U.S. for the first time.”
Attracting huge attention wherever it goes, Mulholland revealed that “Lord of the Dance” can boast many VIPs in its audience, including members of the Japanese and Swedish royal families and Egypt’s first lady.
It will be his family and friends however, who will be the real VIPs in the audience for Mark when he takes to the stage in Belfast next month.
“It will be great to have all my family there,” said the globe-trotter.
The youngest of nine brothers and sisters, this will be the first time all Mark’s family will be able to gather together to watch him dance — and to meet Michael Flatley.
Eager now to touch down on Irish soil, Mulholland still has a six-week run in Frankfurt and the Czech Republic to complete before he makes it home, but he is excited nonetheless.
“Getting to do what I love, touring the world and getting paid for it isn’t a bad way of seeing in the day,” he laughed.