The Lord of the Dance himself Michael Flatley, 58, was on hand in honor of newly minted President Donald Trump, 70, and First Lady Melania, 46. He retired from dancing back in March of 2015 due to the damage that 20 years of Irish tap routines had taken on his body, but he introduced his amazing performers at the Liberty Ball. Michael set the scene for his dance troupe, which ended up handling all of the hoofing duties.
He’s a fan of the new prez, saying “I am proud to introduce the greatest team of dancers in the world. They’ve come all the way from lreland with me tonight to celebrate the election of America’s newest President Donald Trump. May God bless him and guide him and I hope you enjoy the show.”
The male dancers were all clad in black pants and tank tops while skylines of America’s biggest cities and famous landscapes were shown on a screen in the background. The lead dancer in Michael’s former position wore leather pants and armbands as he led the dozen dancers in energetic tap routines.
Irish step dancers from Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” perform https://t.co/osl89sdlTn #inauguralball https://t.co/65WWuY6fDo
— CNN (@CNN) January 21, 2017
Pics: Donald Trump’s inaugural balls
They were followed by a troupe of beautiful ladies who ditched the tap shoes to perform in foot skins, while they bounded and hopped around the stage. They were eventually joined by the tappers, now wearing black vests and bare chests, who hoofed it while the women glided gracefully alongside them clapping. Michael created the phenomenal Riverdance show back in 1994 that went on to become a global sensation, and the Lord of the Dance crew’s special routine for the Liberty Ball thrilled the crowd at Washington D.C.’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
The Liberty Ball is one of just three galas that the president and first lady are attending. The inaugural committee had a hard time wrangling any A-list talent to perform at the myriad of parties thrown after Donald’s swearing-in. Michael and his crew were a last-minute addition to the festivities, proving that dance has no alliance to any political party.
HollywoodLifers, what did you think of Michael and his dance troupe’s performance at the Liberty Ball?