Legend of Irish dancing Michael Flatley has been honoured on Broadway after part of 42nd Street was dubbed Flatley Way.
The Lord of the Dance is enjoying his final tour before hanging up his dancing shoes for good. He is the star attraction as part of the encore of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games which will run for eight weeks at the Lyric Theatre in New York.
The renaming of the street is a rare honour on Broadway and one fitting of the incredible career and achievements of Flatley.
Flatley was the creative force and astute business strategist that grew Riverdance into a global phenomenon following its debut performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.
Since then the show has become a must-see at venues all over the world and has been watched by more than 60 million people in 60 different countries.
Flatley has previously said he wanted to perform on Broadway before retiring, and described it as the “greatest place on earth”.
The ‘Flatley Way’ tribute is a wonderful way to mark the end of Chicago-born dancer’s career, and a great legacy for him to leave behind, in one of the theatre capitals of the world.
Flatley said: “As soon as you walk out, you feel the energy of the place. I’m one of those people who live on energy. I love energy and I can feel it in the building.”
Now aged 57, and with decades of performing taking its toll on his body, Flatley admits that the time is right to step down and make way for the next generation of performers. He said: “I’d love to dance but my old legs, I’m afraid, they won’t allow me too much more.”
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games runs until January 3 2016 and features Flatley dancing alongside dozens of fellow Irish dancers and also holographic images.
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