Michael Flatley is a name everyone knows, specifically for his iconic performance in Riverdance. However, there are some things you might not know about this fellow, and we are here to share them with you all.
Having risen to international fame in 1994 while performing in the seven-minute Eurovision interval, Flatley set the scene for modern-day Irish dancing and put a spin on what we all knew traditionally.
Little did he know at the time that this brief intermission show, which he was invited to help create by Ireland’s president Mary Robinson, would be the beginning of his stardom.
To this day, people all over the globe know his name and when they hear that Riverdance beat kick in, so too do the goosebumps.
There are many things we know about the beloved Irish dancer, choreographer, and musician, but there is plenty we don’t know. So, let’s take a look at ten facts about Michael Flatley you never knew.
10. He is in the Guinness World Records book − all tapped out
His feet sure are famous for a reason, and at one point, they even tapped thirty-five times per second, getting him into the prestigious Guinness World Records book.
9. His birthday is 16 July 1958 – he’s a Cancerian
Born on the 16 July in Chicago, Illinois, Michael Flatley’s star sign is Cancer.
8. His mother and grandmother were gifted dancers − he got it from his mama
He is the son of two Irish parents, one from Sligo and one from Carlow. His dad played Irish music as he was growing up.
However, it was his mother and his grandmother who were the dancers in the family. Evidently, they passed on their talents to Michael.
7. He bought the former house of Douglas Hyde − a home from home in Cork
In 2001, he purchased the former house of the late Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland, for €3 million.
He renovated it and sold on the house located in Fermoy, County Cork, for a whopping €20 million.
6. His middle name is Ryan – a very Irish name indeed
While many international stars use their middle names or change their names altogether, Michael Ryan Flatley kept his just as it was. We can’t imagine him as Ryan Flatley anyway.
5. He is 1.75m tall (5ft 9”) – standing tall on famous feet
This fact speaks for itself. Perhaps this is one of the facts about Michael Flatley you never knew.
4. He is also a film director – a man of many talents
Not only is he a world-famous Irish dancer, but he also directs movies. In 2018 he wrote, produced, acted in, and directed a movie called Blackbird.
He also has another movie called Dreamdance in the pipeline. Is there anything this man can’t do?
3. He worked as a blackjack gambler – how different things could have been
Yes, you heard it here first, another one of the facts about Michael Flatley that you most likely never knew before is that he used to be a blackjack gambler from 1978 to 1979.
This was long before his rise to fame for Riverdance. Interestingly, other jobs he has had include a flautist and a stockbroker.
2. He has performed to over 60 million people in 60 countries – a true showman
Wow, well, if this is not impressive, then we don’t know what is. His shows have taken in nearly €1 billion over the years, and we can only imagine how tired his feet must have been having performed this much.
1. His feet were once insured for €53 million – million-dollar feet
With a talent like his, it’s no wonder he had his famous feet insured for a whopping €53 million. He is not the first to do this. Rihanna has insured her legs, Kim Kardashian has her backside insured, and even Tom Jones’ chest hair is insured!
If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the Lord of the Dance himself, then we hope you have been pleasantly surprised by our ten facts about Michael Flatley you never knew.
There is much more to Michael Flatley than we have all heard before, and probably much more where that came from too. We particularly love the fact that he insured his feet, now that’s a clever man!
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