Michael Flatley

NAME Michael Ryan Flatley.

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Michael Flatley is famous for revolutionizing traditional Irish dance, transforming it into a global spectacle through shows such as Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger Live. He is credited with introducing new rhythms, syncopation, and upper body movements to a previously rigid dance form, and for his record-breaking speed and showmanship.

BIRTH Born July 16, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Flatley is the second of five children born to Irish immigrants Michael James Flatley, a plumber from County Sligo, and Elisabeth "Eilish" (née Ryan) Flatley, a gifted step dancer from County Carlow. His grandmother, Hannah Ryan, was a champion dancer. The family moved from Detroit to Chicago’s South Side when Michael was two months old.

CHILDHOOD Raised in a family that cherished Irish traditions, Michael began dance lessons at age 11, taught initially by his mother and later at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance. He practiced relentlessly, often in the family garage, and was told by his first teacher he had started too late to succeed-an opinion he proved wrong.

EDUCATION Flatley attended Brother Rice High School, a Catholic boys’ school in Chicago. His early education emphasized discipline and tradition, both of which influenced his later career.

CAREER RECORD Flatley worked in various fields after high school, including as a stockbroker, a blackjack gambler, and a flautist. 

1975 First American to win the World Irish Dance title at age 17.

Champion flute player, winning the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil concert flute competitions in 1975 and 1976.

Early 1980s Toured with The Chieftains.

1994 Flatley's big break came when he was invited to create an intermission show for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. This became Riverdance. 

2016 Retired from dancing due to chronic injuries

APPEARANCE Flatley is approximately 5'7" (1.75m) tall. He is known for his athletic build, and distinctive curly hair. His performances are marked by high energy, precision, and dramatic flair.

Flatley_alone.jpg: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maxguy

FASHION On stage, Flatley is associated with flamboyant costumes, often featuring sequins, embroidery, and tailored jackets, reflecting both Irish tradition and show business glamour.

CHARACTER Flatley is fiercely determined, innovative, and ambitious, with a reputation for perfectionism and a strong work ethic. These qualities helped him overcome early setbacks and revolutionize his field. He is also known for his generosity and commitment to philanthropy.

SPEAKING VOICE Flatley’s speaking voice is confident and motivational, often sharing his motto: “Nothing is impossible ... follow your dreams”.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Flatley is known for his charm and ability to connect warmly with audiences and interviewers.

RELATIONSHIPS Flatley's first marriage was to Beata Dziaba, whom he  met at London’s Royal Albert Hall. They tied the knot in 1986 at a Danish registry office. The marriage ended in divorce in 1997. The relationship reportedly broke down after Flatley’s multiple affairs with other women.

He is now married to Niamh O’Brien, a dancer who performed in several of Flatley’s shows. They have a son, Michael St. James, born in 2007.

Their wedding, held on October 14, 2006 at St Patrick’s Church, Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland, was a lavish event attended by thousands of well-wishers, followed by a grand reception at Flatley’s Georgian mansion, Castlehyde House, in County Cork. Because his first marriage was a civil ceremony, the Catholic Church did not recognize it, allowing Flatley and O’Brien to marry in a Roman Catholic ceremony. (1)

Michael Flatley and Niamh O’Brien Source Hello magazine

Michael Flatley was engaged to Lisa Murphy in the early 2000s. The engagement ended before Flatley’s marriage to Niamh O’Brien in October 2006.  Lisa Murphy passed away on February 1, 2024, at the age of 51 following a long illness with cancer, Her funeral was held in Ballinteer, Dublin, attended by well-known figures from the world of showbusiness and entertainment, including Michael Flatley, who was present with his wife Niamh O’Brien.

Michael Flatley spoke movingly about his final moments with Lisa, sharing that he was able to say goodbye and express things he had always wanted to tell her, which brought him a sense of peace. 

MONEY AND FAME Flatley’s shows have grossed over $1 billion, and he enjoyed significant commercial success. His feet were once insured for $57.6 million, underscoring his fame and value as a performer.

FOOD AND DRINK Michael Flatley follows a disciplined diet, partly due to health reasons. He has publicly stated that he cannot eat wheat or dairy, which means he avoids most desserts, cakes, and ice cream-even though he once enjoyed them. He has advocated for gluten-free and dairy-free options at events and venues he frequents.

Flatley enjoys steak every night, accompanied by a large pint of water. He has described this as a nightly ritual, and it reflects his preference for simple, high-protein meals that suit his active lifestyle and dietary needs.

He also appreciates high-quality pasta, specifically mentioning fresh pasta with truffles at Harry’s Bar as a favourite meal.

Flatley is a whiskey enthusiast, both personally and professionally. He often enjoys a shot of whiskey before dinner and has launched his own Irish whiskey brand, The Dreamer, which he developed with great personal involvement. The whiskey is described as smooth, with notes of milk chocolate, raisins, and vanilla, and is named in honor of his father and family heritage.

He also enjoys cognac, sometimes after a meal, and has created signature cocktails, such as the Flatley Espresso Martini (made with whiskey instead of vodka). Additionally, he has expressed interest in Blue Mountain coffee with almond milk, reflecting his dairy-free lifestyle. (2) (3)

DANCING CAREER  Michael Flatley, it must be said, did not start dancing because of a sudden and urgent compulsion to become a global phenomenon. He started, instead, at the age of 11, in the suburbs of Chicago, because his Irish-American family thought it would be a nice way for him to keep in touch with his roots — which in the Flatley household were strong enough to knock over furniture. His grandmother, as it happens, had once been an Irish dance champion, and the family took this sort of thing very seriously.

This being Chicago in the 1970s, the odds of becoming a world-famous Irish dancer were roughly on par with being struck by lightning while simultaneously winning a Nobel Prize and meeting Elvis. To make matters worse, Flatley's first teacher told him he was too old to make it in dance, which is exactly the sort of motivational speech that inspires either lifelong bitterness or international superstardom. In Flatley's case, it was the latter: by 17, he had become the first American to win the World Irish Dance Championship.

This was no small feat, not least because Irish dancing at the time was a remarkably joyless enterprise. The upper body wasn’t just still — it was practically under house arrest. Hands were pinned to the sides like the dancer had just been caught sneaking biscuits. Feet did all the work, but even they did it in a way that suggested fun was strictly forbidden. Flatley, watching this stiff-legged reverence, had the radical idea that Irish dancing didn’t have to look like a form of punishment.

And so he did something quietly revolutionary: he let the arms move. Not just twitch, mind you, but actually move. He also added tap, jazz rhythms, and enough theatrical swagger to power a West End revival. The result was something no one had seen before — a kind of Broadway-by-way-of-Ballymena that turned Irish dance into spectacle.

The world, as it turned out, was ready. Flatley's big break came in 1994 during the Eurovision Song Contest (usually a reliable source of camp and confusion), when he debuted Riverdance as the interval act. It was supposed to be filler — the TV equivalent of an enthusiastic fruit tray — but instead, it detonated like a dance-bomb. Audiences went berserk. People actually stood up during an intermission, which simply wasn’t done.

The interval act quickly became a full show, which played to sold-out crowds and global acclaim, all thanks to Flatley’s high-speed heelwork and unapologetic showmanship.

Then, in true showbiz fashion, he fell out with the producers. (Possibly over who got to wear more sequins. We may never know.) So Flatley did what all the best megalomaniacs do: he built something bigger. Lord of the Dance premiered in 1996 and took Irish dance and gave it the Vegas treatment — stadium lighting, fireballs, and drama so intense you could slice it with a brogue.

It was a monster hit. The Wembley Arena run sold 21 shows — a record that still stands, likely out of sheer exhaustion. Flatley’s subsequent spectacles, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger, grew even more elaborate. By this point he was tap-dancing on multilevel platforms and evoking the entire history of the Irish people, all while wearing shirts open to the navel.

His feet, incidentally, were insured for $57.6 million. And he could tap at a rate of 35 clicks per second, which is faster than most people can even think about moving.

Over time, Flatley’s knees — and indeed, the rest of him — had enough. He retired from dancing in 2016, his body having absorbed more punishment than a rugby team. But he hardly vanished. He took up painting (with his feet, naturally), wrote poetry, made music, and even directed a spy movie, because why not?

He remains a singular figure: a man who turned Irish step dancing into a billion-dollar empire. His shows have been seen by over 60 million people in 60 countries. He has a National Heritage Fellowship, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and an enduring place in Irish culture somewhere between Saint Patrick and Bono.

And to think — it all began because someone told him he’d never make it.

MUSIC AND ARTS  Flatley is an accomplished musician and plays the Irish flute. He has released flute albums, including On A Different Note and The Gold Collection. He won the All-Ireland Concert Flute Championships twice.

In the early 1980s, Flatley was invited to perform as a featured dancer with the renowned Irish traditional music group, The Chiefteans and his innovative style was so well received that he became a regular feature on their tours throughout that decad

Michael Flatley is a passionate and accomplished visual artist. He is uniquely known for creating paintings by dancing on canvas, using the speed and precision of his footwork to apply paint in dynamic, abstract forms. His art has achieved significant recognition, with works selling for high prices at auction and exhibitions in London and Dublin. Flatley often paints for hours at a time in his studio, describing the process as a deep passion and a way to leave a lasting imprint of his inner self. (4)

LITERATURE Flatley has written an autobiography, Lord of the Dance: My Story, published in 2006, where he shares his life story, creative journey, and personal reflections.

NATURE Flatley draws inspiration for his art from the natural world, particularly the "dancing light of the sun and moon on water" and the serenity of his surroundings, especially at his home in Barbados and at Castlehyde in Ireland. He finds that being in tranquil, natural environments allows him to hear his inner thoughts and fuels his creativity. (4)

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Michael Flatley’s interest in boxing began in his youth when his father encouraged him to learn self-defence after he was bullied at school for Irish dancing. Flatley quickly developed a passion for the sport and began training and competing as an amateur boxer.

Flatley participated in several intermural amateur bouts during high school and competed in the novice division of the 1975 Chicago Golden Gloves, the oldest non-national boxing tournament in the United States. Although he did not win the championship-he lost a 126 lb. novice division bout to Kenneth Reed-his involvement in the sport was significant. Flatley later made a generous donation to the Chicago Golden Gloves amateur boxing program, for which he was awarded an honorary Golden Gloves Championship belt. This led to some confusion in the media, with some sources incorrectly listing him as a Golden Gloves champion.

Flatley seriously contemplated a professional boxing career. He received an offer from a promoter in London and considered pursuing boxing full-time, especially as his father was supportive of this path. However, Flatley ultimately chose to follow his passion for dance, a decision he later described as the right one for him.

Flatley credits boxing with teaching him discipline, perseverance, and self-reliance-qualities that profoundly influenced his approach to dance and life. He has spoken about how the solitary nature of boxing, where success depends entirely on individual effort, shaped his work ethic and determination.

“There’s no one in that ring except you. Your trainer’s not there. Your mates aren’t in there. Once that bell rings, you’re on your own and you have to find out real quick if you worked hard enough or not.” (5)

Flatley is a skilled chess player.  He holds the title of FIDE Master (FM), which is an official chess title awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE). 

Image by Perplexity

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Michael Flatley has a strong religious faith, which is rooted in Catholicism. He has spoken publicly about praying the Rosary, especially during emotionally significant moments, such as keeping vigil with his ex-fiancée Lisa Murphy in her final hours. 

Flatley has described himself as a “man of faith” and has credited his belief in God with helping him through life’s challenges, including serious health issues like cancer. He has said, “I am a believer. Even heading into my surgery, I absolutely believed that God would guide me through it. ... If God wants to take me, he can take me any time”. 

Flatley has also used his public platform to encourage young people, saying, “God wouldn’t give you a dream or desire to do something if he wasn’t going to give you the opportunity to achieve success." (6)

POLITICS Flatley is not noted for political involvement, but he has promoted Irish culture and supported charitable causes.

He performed at the inauguration of Donald Trump in 2017, describing it as "a great honour."

SCANDAL Flatley’s departure from Riverdance involved a dispute over salary and royalties, leading to his dismissal the night before a major London run. He later commented on his desire for creative control over his work.

Flatley was involved in a major legal dispute over alleged damages to his Castlehyde mansion following a fire in June 2016. He has filed a lawsuit against the main contractor, Austin Newport Group Ltd, and several insurance underwriters, claiming that negligent remediation works after the fire led to unsafe levels of toxic chemical residue, making the property uninhabitable for his family

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Flatley retired in 2016 due to chronic pain from spinal, knee, foot, and rib injuries sustained during his career. 

He was treated for melanoma in 2003 and an aggressive cancer in 2023, which is now in remission

HOMES Michael Flatley purchased Castlehyde House, a grand period mansion near Fermoy, County Cork, in 1999 for €3 million. The 18th-century estate, situated on the banks of the River Blackwater, became his primary residence and a symbol of his success, hosting lavish parties and serving as a personal retreat. Flatley invested heavily in restoring and renovating the mansion, turning it into a luxurious home with custom features and extensive grounds.

In 1997, Flatley acquired a Grade II listed, seven-bedroom Italianate villa in Little Venice, west London, for a reported £7.8 million-outbidding Madonna by £500,000. The historic villa, originally built in 1840 and once home to royal mistress Lillie Langtry, was extensively renovated by Flatley with the help of architect Peter Inston. Flatley added personal touches, including a mahogany-panelled den, a basement leisure centre with a swimming pool and gym, a mural of his Irish estate, and a dedicated wardrobe for his stage costumes. The home became known for its opulence and history, hosting celebrities, athletes, and royalty.

Flatley sold the property in 2004, but many of his lavish additions remain. As of 2024, the villa was on the market for £26 million.

TRAVEL His career has taken him around the world, performing in over 60 countries and touring extensively with his dance shows.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Flatley has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and as a judge and host on various television programs. His shows have been filmed and released in cinemas and on DVD, such as Lord of the Dance 3D.

ACHIEVEMENTS First American to win the World Irish Dance Championships.

Guinness World Records for fast tap dancing (taps per second).

Created and starred in globally successful dance shows.

Received the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship.

Received an honorary Doctorate from University College Dublin and the University of Limerick.

Inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame.

Sources (1) Hello magazine (2) Irish Times (3) VIP magazine (4)  Michaelflatley.com (5) Irish Central (6) The Irish Catholic