Michael Flatley Famous Irish step dancer, choreographer Date of Birth: 16.07.1958 Country: USA

Biography of Michael Flatley

Michael Ryan Flatley, the famous Irish step dancer and choreographer, is insured for $40 million. He was born on July 16, 1958, in Chicago to parents who had immigrated from Ireland in 1947. When he was 4 years old, his grandmother, a former dance champion, taught him the first movements of Irish folk dance. At the age of 11, Michael's mother took him to a dance school. Michael Flatley became the first American to win the World Irish Dance Championship.

In total, Michael has won over 120 awards in 13 countries and almost all 50 states of America. In his childhood, Michael and his brother were often bullied by their peers, so their father enrolled them in a boxing school. Soon, Michael earned the title of "Golden Gloves of Chicago" among juniors.

Michael Flatley first appeared on the big stage with the Irish folk group The Chieftains, participating in the dance routines. He gained universal attention by dancing the lead role in the show Riverdance during the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994.

The show Lord of the Dance was created just 8 weeks after Michael left Riverdance. In the past two years, Lord of the Dance has been performed over three hundred times in more than a hundred cities worldwide.

Every year, Michael wears out over a hundred pairs of dance shoes. Simultaneously, he uses six pairs, which rarely last longer than two weeks. Michael Flatley's legs are insured for $40 million.

Michael Flatley is also a professional flautist. He carries his flute everywhere and plays it when he wants to relax. He is the winner of the All-Ireland Flute Championship.

In the show Feet of Flames, Michael performs a flute solo and also plays with the accompanying group.

The video recording of the show Lord of the Dance is one of the most popular theater recordings in the United States, with over 3 million copies sold.