Lord of the Dance evokes fear, passion and much more
Award winning Celtic dance group Lord of the Dance performed at the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center Wednesday, April 4.
Dreamy, celestial themed backgrounds and mystical costumes gave the performance an out-of-this-world feel.
LOTD is a Celtic Dance production started by world-renowned choreographer and dancer Michael Flatley in the 90s. LOTD uses dance and music to tell the story of an ancient dark power that emerges to challenge the Lord of the Dance.
The Lord transcends time and space to protect his people from the evil force, the Warriors.
The first sight the audience saw was robed figures carrying torches against a moonlit sky backdrop in the first act, Cry of the Cults.
The spooky act was followed by Erin the Goddess, a traditional Irish singer.
Her performance was moving and was a nice transition into the lighter mood that the following act brought. Next, the audience was introduced to “The Girls,” a group of petite women wearing feminine pastel costumes against a milky way backdrop. Their fast footwork and charming persona created a pleasant mood.
The pleasant mood was abruptly interrupted when the Dark Lord, Don Dorcha, and his evil warriors took the stage. In unison, the warriors marched like army men in front of a black and red background projecting fanged skulls.
The music was upbeat and heavy giving the act a sense of heightened danger and intensity.
This dark and heavy mood slowly turned sultry and heated when Temptress Morringham enters.
Scantily clad in red, Morringham danced seductively against a red backdrop with flames.
Her provocative act was followed by two blond violinists, whose peppy songs led to the audience joining in with a rhythmic clap.
The upbeat music and dancing was complemented by a scenic backdrop of rural Ireland, creating a happy, country setting.
Then the audience had its first encounter with the Lord of the Dance’s army, the Warlords.
After another moving performance by Erin the Goddess, the Warlords finally came face-to-face with the warriors.
Their dance off ended when sultry Morringham entered, and distracted the warriors.
After a romantic performance by the violinists, the Lord was captured by Don Dorcha and his dark warriors.
Finally, Don Dorcha and the Lord of the Dance dueled it out one-on-one to see who will be the ultimate Lord of the Dance.
After a grueling dancing duel, the Lord proves victorious and celebrates his victory with his clan in one final dance.
The Lord of the Dance’s ability to evoke fear, passion, humor and happiness in the audience by just using dance and music has been internationally recognized and appreciated.
Michael Flatley has been named one of the “Greatest Irish Americans of the Century” by Irish America magazine.
In 1991, Flatley was dubbed to be a “Living Treasure” by the National Geographic Society.
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