Biography

"I believe in myself, believe in everything that's positive, so I don't let any negative energy come into my life to the best of my ability -- that's the best way to carry on. There are no limitations, no rules. If you believe it, you can do it. You can do anything . . . Nothing is impossible."

Michael was adamant that Lord of the Dance was "an Irish show that had to be born out of Ireland ," and on July 2, 1996 , Lord of the Dance premiered at the Point Theatre in Dublin . Audiences and critics couldn't get enough, calling it "powerful", "fantastic", "electrifying", "spellbinding", and "an awesome sight". It was an instant success, playing to sold-out venues, receiving standing ovations, and eventually setting records all over the world. In the UK the show sold out four consecutive weeks at the Coliseum in London and set an all time record for a run of 21 shows at London 's legendary Wembley Arena. The American debut of Lord of the Dance at Radio City Music Hall sold out thirteen consecutive nights, and a stunning performance by Michael and his troupe was one of the highlights of that year's Academy Awards ceremony, watched by 2.5 billion viewers worldwide. Lord of the Dance was the top grossing live show in both the US and Australia in 1997, and the video went platinum in the United States , Australia , and the UK .

"You're out on stage, the music is blaring, the crowd is screaming, the lights are flashing, your heart is pumping, the sweat is flying, and it's the greatest feeling in the whole world."

From Dublin Michael took the show to Liverpool and Manchester , where he faced what could have been a fatal blow to the show and to his career -- a torn calf muscle. Doctors advised Michael to stay off the leg for at least six weeks, but the opening at London 's Coliseum was only four days away. Against all advice, Michael refused to give up. He had his therapist wrap the injury and danced through the pain on opening night in London.

"You can take as much as your mind can trick you into believing you can take. It proved to me that nothing could stop me. The most important thing is that you believe in yourself and keep on going."

Michael starred in his final performance of Lord of the Dance at Dublin 's RDS arena on June 28, 1998 . On July 25, 1998 , he took that artistic rendition to the next level and presented the "turbo-charged" version, the spectacular Feet of Flames , to an audience of 25,000 on the historic Route of Kings in London 's Hyde Park . A specially engineered four-tiered stage showcased over 100 dancers, new music and dance numbers, a full band and chorus, plus his spellbinding a cappella solo. As the largest seated show ever to be performed in England , it was also the biggest, most visually dazzling dance show ever staged. The Feet of Flames video, taped live that evening, went platinum the world over.