Flatley, Michael Ryan (1958– )

Irish-American dancer. The creator of the popular performance Riverdance (1995), he introduced flamboyance, sensuality, and touches of flamenco to traditional Irish step dancing, popularizing the genre worldwide.

Flatley was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Irish parents, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He took up step dancing at the age of 11, becoming a world champion in 1975. He first shot to fame as the principal dancer alongside Jean Butler (1971– ) in Riverdance, a striking performance of hard-shoe step dancing, at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, which brought international acclaim to traditional Irish dancing and led to the creation of a full-length stage show in Dublin in 1995. After leaving Riverdance in 1995, Flatley produced and choreographed his own spectaculars Lord of the Dance (1996–98), Feet of Flames (created 1998), and Celtic Tiger (2005), all of which incorporated dancing styles that were looser and more contemporary.

Flatley was educated by the Christian Brothers at the Brother Rice High School, and spent time in Ireland as a boy, where he was introduced to the art of step dancing; his grandmother had been a Leinster champion. Alongside his dancing prowess, he was also a prize-winning flautist and a champion boxer, winning the Golden Gloves championship in Chicago in 1975.