JAMES' STORY
I remember the first time I set eyes on Michael Flatley - I was about 13 years old, my Father had bought home a video of something called Riverdance. I had never heard of it (my sister was getting married the day of Eurovision so it was the one year I didn't watch it!) but sat down to watch it anyway, as I was interested in musicals, although not too bothered about dancing.
I was instantly captivated by the raw power of Reel around the Sun, and when Michael Flatley leapt onto the stage to perform one of the greatest dance routines of all time, I was hooked. I thought it was the most incredible show I had ever seen - one that could not be bettered. Later, I saw adverts on TV for Lord of the Dance, and although I wanted to see it, I couldn't help think that there was no way this new show could be better than Riverdance. You can't improve on perfection. Or so I thought. One Easter holiday, I spotted The Making of Lord of the Dance on BBC1 and watched it. That was the moment I first saw Cry of the Celts and from that moment I completely fell in love with the routine. That was dance perfection, and I still hold that as my all time favourite Flatley moment, the power and exhilaration of his first explosive entrance onto stage to hordes of screaming fans. I wondered what it must feel like to be able to do that, little realising that one day I would...
From that day, I was obsessed with LOTD. I quickly got the video and soundtrack and played them constantly. Even though I previously had no interest in dance, I would watch and re-watch my favourite routines, make audiotapes of the video's soundtrack and dance to it in my bedroom. My sister bought me a copy of Colin Dunne's Celtic Feet Irish Dance instructional video, which I briefly attempted, but soon gave it up as a bad job. I felt I was more flat feet than Celtic feet.
Around about 1996 I got the internet at home, and often used it to access the famous Lord of the Dance website, including its Visitors Book (or VB, as it is known to those who remember those days with a fondness). I was able to be part of a community of fellow LOTD enthusiasts (or Flatheads, as they were known) and I feel glad to have been part of something which, at the time, was unique. The VB was being updated almost by the second, filled with inspirational stories about how MF and LOTD have affected their lives, as well as jokes, poetry and all other kinds of creativity. I doubt we will ever see those sort of days again, but those who were there at the time will know what I'm talking about. There, my own creativity suddenly had an outlet. I have always been a creative person, writing stories from a very early age, and as I got older, I developed an interest in animation and computer game design. Through the VB I was able to find an audience for my various projects - my writing, my LOTD computer modifications, and my LOTD or Irish Dance themed computer games. In order to give a home to my creative outlets, I created the first LOTD website dedicated to downloads and videoclips (www.flathead.freeserve.co.uk for those who remember it.) I taught myself website design to accomplish this, and although I didn't realise it at the time, this would result in career changes later on in life.
In January 1997 I was privileged to see Michael Flatley perform in LOTD at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena. Although we were sat quite far back, the show was spectacular and I'm glad I got to see him perform at the height of his popularity.
On St Patricks Day, 1999, Lord of the Dance influenced my life further. I went to Birmingham and saw Troupe 1 perform (click here for my show report). As I watched, I felt a yearning inside me, that I had to know what it felt like to perform these dances for an audience. And so, from that day on, I dusted off the old Celtic Feet video and practiced and practiced and practiced until I got better.
 My first performance | Eventually I reached the point where I felt confident that I could perform for others. My first performance was 31st July 1999 at a variety show put on by friends. I performed my favourite dance - Cry of the Celts - for about 200 people. So what, you may ask? For me, that was a big thing. All my life I have been painfully shy, and would never show off anything in front of other people, so for me to get up and dance something like that in front of 200 people was a massive step forward and a major boost in confidence. From then on, there was no stopping me. |
In the year 2000 I applied for a job at a local web design company, and I got the job, which I attribute partially to tips on interview technique and confidence that I had picked up from watching Michael's interviews, and also to the strength of my LOTD fansite (which by then had become www.lotd.co.uk , but is now www.firedanceweb.com/lotd/) LOTD had helped me again!
| Another big step for me was when I traveled abroad for the first time in my life - to Munich, to see Feet of Flames. (Click HERE to read all about my adventures in Munich and how I met Michael Flatley for the first time) I saw 3 shows, each one special and inspiring. There I believe I saw Michael at the very pinnacle of his power, and saw the greatest show I had ever seen. I was also able to meet the man who had made such a difference to my life, and to thank him for that. He even signed my hardshoes! |  Me with Michael Flatley - a living legend |
After seeing FOF, I was inspired to set up my own web design business, Saoirse Web Design (currently Firedance Web Design) My first customer being Ann from Dublin, who commissioned me to set up an Irish themed website for her business, and more recently, to do the design on this website! My love of LOTD and its dancers took me to many places across England and Ireland, including a trip to Dublin to see my favourite female dancer, Gillian Norris in Ragus (click here to read about that show).
Me
with Gillian Norris, my favourite female Irish dancer
I continued teaching myself Irish dancing with the help of Irish dance videos, and I improved. Below are a few video clips of my performances.
After Hours Street Dance 2000 - my personal favourite of my performances!
Dancing on Eire and Folk Dance Medley from a performance in 2002.
I haven't danced on stage for some time, but I hope to return in the latter half of 2006. The more shows of Michael's that I see live, the more I realise that I want to dance in a show of my own. I hope to achieve this dream for a night, at least. I have planned a variety show of my own to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of my marriage, with several of my solos as the centerpiece of the show. I have a few ideas on how to mix Irish dance with computer graphics, and I hope to use these ideas in my show.
Because of Michael, I have become a much more confident person, and by following his "follow your dreams" attitude I have dusted off old dreams and returned to my first love - writing - and my lifelong dream of becoming a published author. I am currently working on a teen fiction novel that I have a lot of faith in, and I owe this renewed faith in my own dreams and self confidence to Michael Flatley.