Lord of the Dance: 25 Years of Standing Ovations -- Warlords 4K 2022 (featuring Matt Smith)

Warlords. The very first number Michael Flatley ever created for Lord of the Dance. See it now in ultra-high-definition 4K.
Warlords existed before Lord of the Dance existed. Approximately ten days after Michael Flatley was fired by the producers of his first show (who to this day continue to use his choreography), during what he described as "an extended drinking session" in St. Tropez, he sat bolt upright in bed with brand-new rhythm patterns echoing through his head.
That morning, Michael was on the first flight back. "The only way I could prove I built the first show was to build another one," he told Lord Melvyn Bragg on The South Bank Show less than two years later. "Let everyone else do the talking, let the press say what they want; let me get back to work right away."
Warlords, in prototype form, made its debut on the Des O'Connor Show in late 1995. Even once Lord of the Dance was into its famous ten-week development crucible, it was still in that same prototype format -- but somewhere along the way, Michael refined it into the finished product that made it into the original 1996 show.
And today, as the 25th anniversary version of the show begins its world tour, that number is unchanged. But what has changed are the faces onstage: this is a new generation of top-gun Irish dancers.
The world has also changed. In the mid-nineties, no one had even heard of Irish dancing, let alone Michael Flatley's art form overlaid atop it. The internet was in its infancy, and the beginnings of social media as we know it were still roughly a decade away. Today, meanwhile, commercial Irish dancing is everywhere; the novelty has worn off, raising the bar that much higher. And, compounding things further, because the core consumer base had nothing else to watch back in the day, they just watched -- and rewatched, and REwatched -- those classic original videos.
Nostalgia is a double-edged sword: you get a head start with people who are familiar with your brand and charitably inclined towards it, but you also have to surpass it while keeping it familiar enough to feel "right." This is a huge mountain to climb for today's Team Lord, especially its star. When Michael Flatley took the stage, he was by default the Lord of the Dance. When his handpicked successors, Matt Smith and Cathal Keaney, take the stage, they have to earn that title belt every single night in front of thousands of people, especially in an anniversary show that calls back to the original show so hard.
Remember, this is a live touring show: it lives or dies based on its ability to sell tickets now. A historical gross of one-billion dollars is amazing, but it's past-tense; what that audience cares about is that TONIGHT is going to be just as stratospheric; TONIGHT is going to be the greatest night this brand has ever had.
That means "good enough" doesn't exist. That means dancing like it's the last night of your life.
In two hours, Matt Smith takes an audience of classic fans from hopeful nostalgia to open-mouthed wonder -- all while making new fans out of those who have never seen the show before.
As part of the master plan for LOTD25's online marketing campaign, it took a lead-up of three years of constant video drip-feed to properly introduce the new generation, especially Matt Smith and Cathal Keaney, to you. It had to be done gradually, a piece at a time, so that it felt like a natural progression from "Who's this guy?" to "Oh YEAH, it's a new Matt Smith video, here we go!"
And it's worked. Check out the comments section of any recent Matt Smith video over the last year or so: it's filled with people saying, "The best since Flatley," "It feels like the old days again," et cetera. (We also get a lot of people asking, "Is that Michael's son?" And for the record: no, he isn't. But the fact that people are thinking that gives you an idea of just how brilliant a dancer he is!)
This is exactly the reaction we're hoping for. Because even though Michael isn't onstage any more, he's very much the commander-in-chief behind the curtain, and that same commitment to delivering a stratospherically brilliant experience drives everything in LOTD. It will continue to live on for generations to come as a place where the greatest Irish dancers in the world can truly shine.
Planet Ireland arises! Tickets on sale now to Lord of the Dance: 25 YEARS OF STANDING OVATIONS. Experience the classic magic -- with a new generation.
#LordOfTheDance #LOTD #LOTD25 #IrishDance #IrishDancing #4K

[@Oueax]

I see there's Cathal and Zoltan Papp in the group. Also I'm not sure that Connor Smyth is there. But I love Zoltán, he gives me hope I can take on Irish dancing at the age of 30. My 4 yr old daughter is loving the show, be it the OG 1996 or the new generation, she's very into Irish dancing. I hope I can learn together with her soon

[@user-vk4fb6ht4c]

Ансамбль Майкла Флетли неподражаем.Браво.

[@polixeniagraf2636]

Perfection ! 👌🙂Thank you very much ! ❤👏👏👏

[@sergiroses3550]

Pues querida amiga que me has enviado esto labor encuentro encuentro muy muy muy famoso el otro el

[@beatricericard120]

Bravo messieurs magnifique spectacle 👏👏👏🎶🕺🏻🌞🎶🕺🏻🌞

[@damejeannemoi]

ENCORE, ENCORE, ENCORE !!!!! On ne s'en lasse pas!!!! Merci!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍❤❤❤❤❤💖💖💖💖👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏💐💐💐💐

[@user-qt4ti9ok3y]

У меня даже нет слов ♥️🙏😘 Весь ☮️ в этом Искусстве Танца 👏👏🤗♥️🙏🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷😍 Бравооо 👏👏💋

[@Dragonfly_dance_]

You can see how much Matt loves doing what he does!!!

[@hunatya3183]

The video quality is amazing! Kinda wish they had more dancers on the stage for this one tho

[@vincenthigginbotham8729]

Great stuff I love flamingo dancing and Greek as well and even some Russian dances

[@margaretmclennan5169]

8 wish i couldd see all his show on here love him hes brill

[@CelinhaGuerra]

Lindos demais, amo vocês 🙌🙌🥰❤😘

[@kislanymanci7603]

Amazing!!!! And Krén Andris - Bandiiiiii is there at laaaast❤️ Lads r awesome👍🏻

[@gladysespindola6262]

MARAVILLOSO!!!👏👏👏

[@wiebkekoster7474]

I love this part of the Show!!!

[@lfgarza]

Top notch!

[@rainerdorr2939]

Absolutely great job 🔥🔥🔥

[@aidaginajiman5745]

🥰🥰🥰

[@user-qt4ti9ok3y]

У меня даже нет слов ♥️🙏😘 Весь ☮️ в этом Искусстве Танца 👏👏🤗♥️🙏🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷😍 Бравооо 👏👏💋