Only one word is adequate to describe the performance of Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance this past weekend: Splendid.
Staged at the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House, the Irish folk dance troupe, now in their 11th year, performed for the first time in Egypt over three consecutive evenings. The two-hour show flew by instantaneously, much faster than anyone in the audience would have expected.
“Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley. Seen by over 50 million people in 40 countries it has thrilled audiences in Europe, the US, Canada, Argentina, Russia and throughout the Pacific Rim. The show has sold in excess of 10 million CDs, videos and DVDs, while its soundtrack album has been awarded Gold and Silver Discs.
Truly the mark of an amazing spectacle, “Lord of the Dance brought the not-so common art form of tap dance to Egypt with grace, class, and color.
Bright neon skirts and pant suits in yellow, orange, green and pink lit up the theater floor as the dancers tapped to the beat of traditional Irish music.
The costumes, lighting, and fine performers, matched the story behind every scene and added to the understanding of the folkloric tale of the “Lord of the Dance. A tale of good vs. evil, the main storyline of the show follows the main character ( the Lord of the Dance) and his battle to prevent the evil Don Dorcha from taking over Ireland. The Lord of the Dance defeats his foe and prevents the invasion with a little help from a little spirit.
Villains were adorned in black, skin-tight suits festooned with silver and Celtic knots, as well as body armor, which combined to create the illusion of brute masculinity and strength. One was hard pressed to miss the evil temptress of the show: a young Irish woman with vibrant red hair in a blood-red leotard to match.
Costumes ranged in all colors but always sparkled, whether it was the singer in lush, green robes adorned with glitter, or the Irish female dancers who pranced and tapped around the stage in white, weightless, fairy-like tutus.
An unexpected delight – for the audience members who weren’t acquainted with the concept of the show – was the variety of art performed besides tap-dance. Singing, ballet, and the sharp and speedy fiddling by two female violinists and a flutist made the show a total and complete success.
Dancers performed with the flawless synergy that choreographers dream of. For a performance such as this, the entire team must be given credit: the lighting went without any glitches and only added to the intensity of the dance and the tapping of the dancers’ feet.
As for the one definitive highlight of the show, it is most certainly the face-off between the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ male dancers. Cairo never saw any man’s legs move and kick and jump and pound the floor with such speed and intensity. Occurring towards the end of the second half of the performance, this particular scene left the audience speechless, unable to take their eyes off the stage. One could hear nothing but the beating of the dancers feet, almost a song on its own.
It was the kind of moment that incites an audience to move, to feel the energy of the dancers and the surge of adrenaline that only a spell-binding performance can create. Who would have thought that a dance show could be so interactive?
It’s no wonder that an additional performance of “Lord of The Dance was squeezed into the troupe’s busy world tour. Though performances had only been planned for the evenings of March 30 and 31, the high demand on the two sold-out performances propelled the group and the organizers to stage an extra show on April 1, which is no surprise, as Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance has been the number one dance performance around the world, ever since premiered in July 1996.
Flatley says “It’s absolutely fantastic being number one, and we intend to stay that way.
Judging by Cairo s reaction, it’s difficult to argue otherwise.
