Lord of the Dance coming to Mohegan

More than 100 million people worldwide have seen Lord of the Dance - the international Irish dancing extravaganza that has performed sold-out shows at theaters, arenas and stadiums in over 67 countries. "Our success demonstrates the hunger people have," says Flatley, "to wholly submerge themselves into a world where dancers interpret every nuance of classic good versus evil through modern Celtic music." Lord of the Dance has an ability to connect with the audience and initiate and captivate a new generation. Adding to the visceral and emotional impact are costumes, lighting and staging that are cinematic in scope. "Make no mistake," adds Flatley, "Lord of the Dance begins where modern theatre ends." Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role. The music for the show was written by Ronan Hardiman. Michael Flatley found his first fame starring in Riverdance, but he left the show in 1995 before its debut in London after a disagreement over creative control. Flatley dreamed of putting together a dance show capable of playing in arenas instead of traditional theatres. He soon began thinking of rhythm patterns and steps for an a cappella number. This number would later become "Planet Ireland", the show's finale. The show took six months to bring it from conception to the stage. Auditions were held in the SFX City Theatre in Dublin. Lord of the Dance had preview shows at the Point Theatre in Dublin from June 28 to July 1, 1996. The show staged a premiere performance on June 27th 1996 - the video was filmed on July 2, 1996. The story follows the character "Lord of the Dance" and his fight against the evil dark lord "Don Dorcha" from taking over Planet Ireland. The "Lord of the Dance" defeats the dark lord's invasion with help from a little spirit. There is also a story with a "love vs lust" theme expressed through dance throughout the show. The show is Sunday, May 9; tickets cost $20. For further details, see their Web site at www.mohegansun.com.