Riverdance
Riverdance(1995) Michael Flatley, who began Irish step dancing lessons when he was 11, was the first American, at age 17, to win the World Championships for Irish Dance. The same year, 1975, he won the first of his All-Ireland Flute Championships. A big professional break came in 1983, when he became a featured performer with The Chieftans, a world famous traditional Irish band. In subsequent years he received various distinguished dance awards. He also twice gained entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for tap dancing speed (28, then 35) taps per second.
In 1994 Flatley was the principal star and choreographer of Riverdance, the featured highlight of the European Song Contest. The expanded this into a full-length Riverdance which became a sensation in Ireland and the United States. Riverdance captures the brilliance of his exuberant dancing and heightened public interest in Celtic dance and music.
Flatley subsequently produced, and starred in, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and, most recently, Celtic Tiger. Flatley, now calling himself the Celtic Tiger, has become a phenomenon worth about $500 million. His success has also triggered a revival in Celtic culture.
