The reel thing: Michael Flatley takes it to the limit

Flatley's new production: Lord of the Dance Dangerous Games

As his latest production heads to Auckland, Lord of the Dance creator Michael Flatley tells Stephen Jewell why he's turning his back on the stage.

As his good friend David Beckham told him, Michael Flatley knows that it's best to quit while he is ahead. For two decades after first launching his signature show, The Lord of the Dance, the Irish dance master is finally calling it a day, bowing out with one final performance at Wembley Arena in early July.

"David's a lovely man and he's a true British and indeed global icon, but what happens is that eventually your body tells you that it can't do it any more," says Flatley. "David probably shares that feeling that if you're no longer able to do it at the level that you know you can; if your body can't deliver in the way that you want it to, then it's a good time to step out."

Born in Chicago, the 56-year-old first rose to prominence with Riverdance in 1994, only to resign on the eve of the show's opening in London's West End after a dispute over creative control. The Lord of the Dance, conceived as a dance spectacular that would be just as at home in arenas or stadiums as in theatres, was first staged at Dublin's Point Theatre in 1996. Since then, it has enjoyed sell-out seasons all around the world, appealing not just to the widespread Irish diaspora.

"We did some demographic research one time and less than 20 per cent of our audience had any Irish connection whatsoever," says Flatley. "It's a global dance form now, and it's a global dance, and dancers from many other forms of dance want to be a part of it. It's been remarkably successful and is one of the few shows anywhere that gets a standing ovation every time.

"When you come on to the stage for that final encore, the audience all stand up and you've got thousands of people on their feet; it's like the greatest feeling in life.

Michael Flatley. Photo / Getty Images

"You know that you've done something right, so to be able to do that for 20 years is something that would be exciting for any dancer."

Having drastically scaled back his appearances at The Lord of the Dance's latest iteration Dangerous Games to a bare minimum, Flatley has been taking a bit of a back seat for some time now. "My old legs have taken a severe beating over the years," he says. "My entire body has been beaten and battered, but I'm not complaining. It's been an honour, and I've enjoyed every moment of it. I'm proud to have done what I have because it's the business that I chose and the art form that I love. I've given everything to this art form, but my body has nothing more to give, so it's the perfect time for me to retire."

Touring New Zealand next month, Dangerous Games is a bold reimagining of the original Lord of the Dance that utilises the latest video technology to completely immerse the audience in its mythical surroundings. "I wish I had all that stuff 20 years ago when I first started out," he laughs. "But I'm delighted to have it now because it meant that I was able to create this wonderful, almost 3D space that the dancers could perform in. It really has changed the whole look and feel of the show, although the temptation is to overuse it. I had to temper it and use it sparingly, so that it actually has an impact. Nothing is worse than overkill with electronics, so it was really important to pull it back and only use it at important parts of the show, so that the dancing and the storyline are still the central focus."

Incorporating Daft Punk-style dancing robots and sinister looking soldiers, Dangerous Games adds a sci-fi sheen to The Lord of the Dance's traditional folk tale. "I'm not sure if the whole show is like that, but maybe in a way it is, so people should just make up their own minds about these things," says Flatley. "It's otherworldly if that makes sense, although I don't think you can really pinpoint what it is. It's set in a sort of dream landscape, but if you ask a hundred people what they like about the show, chances are you'll get a hundred different answers, and that's maybe the best part of it. There's something in it for everybody."

Despite its futuristic trappings, Flatley insists that it is still faithful to The Lord of the Dance's core concept.

"There are a few twists and a few old paths that we've changed," he says. "We've tried to make it more exciting and have given it a new look and feel but without losing the original knock-out punch. It's like when people go and see their favourite bands, they want to hear the original songs, so we've tried to not lose those big-star numbers. But at the same time, we've tried to reinvent them a little bit and to show them in a new way."

Flatley is overseeing every detail of the lavish production. "We've always had two or three and sometimes up to five touring companies going at the same time, and I could never have been in all of them," he says.

"But I do travel between them, and I keep an eye on all of them. I'm the creative director, so I'm the guy who runs it all and makes it happen. It's my job to make sure that the show is always up to scratch. We know that people pay their hard-earned money to see us, so our whole goal is to try and deliver the best show we possibly can every single night."

Who: Michael Flatley
What: Lord of the Dance Dangerous Games
When and where: The Civic, Auckland, August 18-23; St James, Wellington, August 25-30