What inspired you to create Spirit of the Dance? Riverdance had just come out in London starring Michael Flateley; the show was sensational and broke all the barriers of a dance spectacular. They introduced the world phenomenon of Irish Dance and the public could not get enough. Everyone wanted to see more, so the idea to create Spirit of the Dance was born. Is your show similar to Riverdance? There was no point in producing a show similar to Riverdance, it would not have lasted three months. I needed to create my own niche in the market whereby I composed my own music and gave Spirit of the Dance its own identity. I made the decision very early on, that Spirit of the Dance would break new ground. The show would be based around the world of dance incorporating exciting international dance styles. What do you feature in the show? We feature Flamenco, Salsa, Tap Dance, Tango, Urban Funk, Can Can, Jazz, Scottish Highland Fling, and Irish Dance in our show. This evolves each year and we change the show to include the latest international dance styles. Tell me about the music It took me three months to write the musical score and the songs for Spirit of the Dance. I literally searched my soul to bring forward all my lifetimes musical experience and transposed them into the music for the show. In the production, you will find inspirations of Irish Fiddle, Classical piano, Jazz, Big Ballads, Rock and Roll, Broadway and more. Combine them all together, add a sprinkle of imagination, and a thumping beat, and you have the heart and soul of the musical score of Spirit of the Dance. What is your musical backround? I was born with a love for music and from a very early age, I learned classical music on the piano. Musical creativity has always been inside of me, but I needed to find a way to express my passion for music. It seems that Spirit of the Dance was just waiting for me to create it, so my music could come to life. Starting a show this size, what would it all cost? It costs an absolute fortune to create a show for the first time. Everybody needs paying from day one, and the problem is there is no money coming in because the show hasnt been made. Everyone you can think of needs money, from the rehearsal studio to the choreographers to the lighting designers, costumes etc etc. The list goes on and on, and all you can see infront of you is people wanting money for their services. It was a long scary road. So did you have the money? Absolutely not! So my first job was to try and raise funds and get enough people interested to invest in the show, but without money, there could be no show. I tried my hardest to raise funds I needed but nobody wanted to know. They all said the Irish dance craze wouldn’t see the year out and no-one had enough confidence in my ability to do it. I went to banks, investors, some of the biggest producers in British Show Business. I knocked on so many doors that my knuckles were raw. The more I was turned down, the more determined I was to keep going. Something was driving me as if this was my destiny and nothing anybody said could stop me from believing that this show had to made. What happened next? I broke the two golden rules of this business. The first was “Don’t give up your day job”. Well, I did just that, I gave up everything and threw myself into the project 24 hours a day. The second and most important rule I broke was “Don’t sell your house and put all your money into Show Business”. Yet again I did just that, I mortgaged everything from the car to the house to the family silver. I was very fortunate at the time because my family supported me 100%. I shudder to think what might have happened if the show had failed, but my belief and determination drove me forwards, not daring to look back. Call it destiny, call it fate, call it stupidity if you want, it just had to be done and I had to do it. People often ask me whether they should do the same as I did if they believe in a dream – I tell them “Not on your life!” How did you actually make the show? I brought in the best people I knew to help me. Everybody worked incredibly hard and despite working through the night on more nights that I can remember, having a decent meal became a luxury. I had forgotten what a good night's sleep was all about. People worked on trust for me with the promise that they would get paid once the show had opened, but they knew just as i did that it was all a huge risk. While the show was being made i was working around the clock, and looking for an inner strength to keep motivating everyone around me to keep going. At times it was tough. There were a lot of artistic arguments, a fair amount of shouting and lots of tears, but despite all of this the show had to be ready for the opening night. When did you know the show would be a hit? It was opening night at the Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol, England in September 1996. I remember standing at the back worrying and sweating over how the audience would respond, and more to the point what would the critics say. Those two hours were the longest of my life. As the show opened, a thousand emotions went through my body and I was becoming more of a nervous wreck as the show progressed. As it reached the finale, the audience stood up and applauded and cheered for what seemed like a life time. Tears of relief streamed down my face. An incredible feeling rushed through me. At the time, I had no idea where all of this was going to lead, but at least I knew that I would be sleeping in my own bed that night. The rest, as they say is history. We now have ten separate dance troupes performing all over the world and Spirit of the Dance is now one of the most successful dance shows in show business history. Because of the success, I've been able to bring in the worlds greatest choreographers, set designers, lighting technicians, costume designers, and I have managed to bring a huge wealth of artistic talent into my production team. Do you ever hear from the people who turned you down when you were trying to raise money at the start? Now there's a funny thing. All the people who turned me down, all those that had no confidence in me, all want to be my best friends now! I get calls every week from people wanting to invest in a new tour that might be going out, and I take great pleasure in saying no thank you to all of them! How long has the show been running and which countries is it touring? Spirit of the Dance is now in its 8th year, and has been seen by more than 30 million people around the world. We have a huge international fan base, and our shows sell out up to a year ahead. It is a major success in the USA where we have four full time troupes in Myrtle Beach, Branson, Reno and Las Vegas. We are also touring China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Brazil, South Africa, UK, Middle East, India and the list goes on and on. Where are you based, and how many miles have you travelled since this all started? Since the first day Spirit of the Dance became a hit, I have travelled with the show. It seems my home has become a hotel somewhere, in different towns and cities, in different countries around the world. I probably spend more time in airports than anyone I know. I spend a lot of time in America, where Spirit of the Dance has two of its own theatres, tours extensively, and also stars in major Casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But my travels really can take me anywhere. You name it, I have been there, or I am on the way there any time now. From Australia to Singapore, from South Africa to the Middle East. And then there is Europe. I have travelled to every European capital. One of my main offices is in Amsterdam, where all the European dates are co-ordinated, and I spend a lot of time in this unique City. But then there is Spain, Italy, Holland, Germany, Russia, and even in the South of France, where Spirit has a resident show in the famous Monte Carlo Casino. As each year passes, I say to myself my travelling will wind down, but each year seems to be bigger than the year before, and my air miles go through the roof! Why do you think the show is so popular? I was determined to make Spirit of the Dance a happy, exciting entertainment experience and put a smile on the faces of audiences everywhere. The entire show is created to make audiences have such a great time, they want to come back and see it again and again. Audiences love the spectacular Irish dance parts of the show, but they also enjoy the wide diversity of International dance styles that we present. The show is based around a love story where the etheral Spirit takes us on a journey through the world of dance in search of world peace and her true love. One of my favorite press quotes of all times sums it all up; "Spirit of the Dance is a breath taking, heart-pounding international production that leaves audiences screaming for more." Are you proud of what you have achieved? The answer must be yes. Looking back, it seems a life time of adventures that started with an idea and a dream that developed into one of the most successful dance shows in Show Business history. My biggest thrill still comes from standing at the back of the theatre and watching audiences of different nationalities and different countries screaming and applauding the show. That gives me satisfaction beyond my wildest expectations. In reality I am the luckiest man in the world living my dream. Apart from Spirit of the Dance, are you now making other shows? Yes, I am thrilled to say I now have a fantastic production company and I am currently producing seven different shows that are touring the world. Look at my production site and see what I mean: www.spiritofthedanceproductions.com home >>