February 15, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN – In what is claimed will be the biggest-ever dance show in Britain is to be staged in London’s Hyde Park on July 25 when Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” troupes will come together in a spectacular “Feet of Flames” performance.
The outdoor show will be Flatley’s final performance of “Lord of the Dance,” which opened at the Point Depot in Dublin in June 1996.
Flatley choreographed “Lord of the Dance” after he split with the equally successful “Riverdance,” show which grew out of the 1994 Eurovision interval item.
Producer Moya Doherty is now estimated to be worth _37 million as a result of “Riverdance.”
Flatley has also become a multi-millionaire, with “Lord of the Dance” grossing almost $100 million in tours of Ireland, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. More than 2 million people have seen the show.
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“Lord of the Dance” publicists claim it has eclipsed “Riverdance,” saying it took a year to sell one million videos of “Riverdance” whereas “Lord of the Dance” sold 1.5 million in 12 weeks. More than 2.5 million videos have been sold worldwide.
Both shows have resulted in a huge craze for Irish dancing and music.
The statistics for “Lord of the Dance” indicate its massive success: