Unparalleled in ticket sales and extravagance, Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance may not have introduced contemporary Irish dance to the international arena, but images of men in black stretch-plants performing a Celtic-infused tap dance are embedded in the memories of millions -- whether they have seen the show or not.
Lord of the Dance made a strong impression in Taiwan last year with two visits to the island in January and November. For those who missed it the first two times or just can't get enough, the production is back with a cast of new and familiar faces, and they are booked to perform in eight cities around the country.
This year Desmond Bailey will reign as lord of the fourth troupe, leading 40 dancers on their first trip to Taiwan. The new company was recently formed to meet increasing demands for the show in Asia and Africa. Bailey will also be joined by Helen Egan who, on her third trip to Taiwan, remains in her famed role as Spirit.
Barely six months since their last visit, there is no shortage of enthusiasm in Taiwan, where tickets for the Taipei and Kaohsiung shows are selling quickly. There is even a loyal fan club that maintains a Chinese Web site dedicated to the man behind the show. The former lead dancer of Riverdance, Michael Flatley moved on to write, choreograph and produce his own dance sensation.
While Bill Whelan's Riverdance is often considered the more authentic representation of traditional Irish dancing, Flatley's Lord of the Dance can be credited for turning it into a flashy spectacle equipped with pyrotechnics. Regardless of which is more true to its Celtic roots, both have simple storylines energized by quick, aggressive movements.
Each show requires 35-crew members and 35 locally hired individuals to construct the set. At home, in Ireland, performances use more than 100km of cable to produce the 3,000 amps of power necessary for each production.
Having pre-examined the location for all productions staged in Taiwan, a member of the crew said the stages are about the same in length as those in Europe but smaller in depth. The set design and same amount of equipment will be used at each venue, but for some shows it will be modified -- mostly placing pieces closer together.
During a short preview at the Taipei International Convention Center on Wednesday, it appeared as if the dancers were slightly squished, which obstructed their movement on stage.
A more recent form of criticism has come from accusations suggesting that the troupe uses a tapping soundtrack during their performances. When asked about this, Bailey replied that yes there is a soundtrack to the entire show but that it never gets used during a live show.
"Everything we do up here is real, all the sounds on the stage are live," he said.
The show opened in Taipei on Wednesday and will continue until Sunday before making its way to Taichung. A complete list of tour dates and venues is available at www.lordofthedance.com (in English) or www.kham.com.tw (in Chinese).
Performance notes:
What: Lord of the Dance
Where: Taipei International Convention Center at 1 Xinyi Rd, Sec 5, Taipei (
When: Today and tomorrow at 7:30pm, plus a matinee tomorrow at 2:30pm.
Tickets: NT$800 to NT$4,800 available on-line at www.kham.com.tw.
Telephone: (07) 740 1526
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