By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
Fresh off the dancing heels of its 10th anniversary tour, Lord of the Dance has booked more than 45 tour dates in North America next year, beginning Feb. 5 in Fargo, ND.
“That kind of reaction speaks directly to the quality of dancer who I have had the privilege to bring to the stage,” Flatley said in a statement, referring to the standing ovation the troupe received during a Nov. 20 performance on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars. “They give of themselves in a way that is unique alone to Irish dancing, stretching a form of dance that has evolved over more than 2,000 years.” The dancers’ average age is 22, and each one has achieved individual recognition as a national dance champion. “Each one is a superstar,” Flatley added.
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 with ticket sales of than $800 million. During its highly profitable four-year residency in Las Vegas, an estimated total of two million people attended the shows.
“Our success demonstrates the hunger people have to wholly submerge themselves into a world where dancers interpret every nuance of classic good versus evil through modern Celtic music,” Flatley said in a statement.
Lord of the Dance 2008 dates:
February 5 Fargo, ND Fargo Dome
February 6 Mankato, MN Midwest
February 7 Rockford, IL Coronado
February 8 Davenport, IA River Center
February 9-10 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum
February 12 Joliet, IL Rialto Square
February 13 Owensboro, KY Riverpark Centre
February 14 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
February 15 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Arena
February 16-17 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Col.
February 19 Asheville, NC Civic Center
February 21 Huntsville, AL Von Braun
February 22 Chattanooga, TN Memorial Auditorium
February 23-24 Atlanta, GA Cobb Center
February 25 Spartanburg, SC Memorial Auditorium
February 26 N Charleston, SC PAC
February 28 Daytona, FL Peabody Auditorium
February 29-30 Naples, FL Philharmonic
March 2 Melbourne, FL King Center
March 4 St Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theatre
March 5 Orlando, FL Hard Rock
March 6-7 Ft Lauderdale, FL Broward
March 8 Jacksonville, FL Times Union
March 11 Buffalo, NY Shea’s
March 12 Binghamton, NY Forum
March 13 Syracuse, NY Landmark
March 14-15 Stamford, CT Performing Arts Center
March 16 Lowell, MA Memorial Auditorium
March 18 Erie, PA Warner
March 19-20 Dayton, OH Schuster Center
March 21-22 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum
April 15–16 San Antonio, TX Majestic
April 17 Austin, TX Erwin Center
April 18 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Center
April 20 Monroe, LA Monroe Civic Center
April 21–22 Houston, TX Jones Hall
May 2 West Point, NY Eisenhower
May 4 Hartford, CT Bushnell
May 5-6 Worcester, MA Hanover
May 8-10 Rama, Ontario, Canada Rama Casino
May 13 Grand Rapids, MI DeVoss
May 14 Toledo, OH Stranahan
May 15 Kalamazoo, MI Miller Auditorium
May 16-17 Rosemont, IL Rosemont
May 18 Bloomington, IL PAC