Flatley, Michael (1958-…), is an American dancer best known for his lead role in the Irish dance production Riverdance (1994). In Riverdance, Flatley fused traditional Irish dance , tap, and jazz moves to gain enormous new popularity for folk dance . Riverdance became an international sensation by the late 1990’s.
Born on July 16, 1958, in Chicago of Irish parents, Flatley began dancing at the age of 11. He became the first American to win the All-World Irish Dancing Championships. He also became the youngest recipient of the United States National Heritage Fellowship. Flatley left Riverdance in 1995 to establish a new dance show, Lord of the Dance. He retired from dancing in 2016.
