Planet Ireland, and everything in it, is the Little Spirit's dream. Here we see that dream at its most beautiful and feminine: Celtic Dream.
Celtic Dream is the first all-girl number in Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance. It begins with the hauntingly beautiful Wind-Up Doll sequence, featuring the amazing Cassidy Ludwig as the Little Spirit. It's a small moment in the show, but an incredibly important one: you see the Little Spirit tinkering with her world, bringing new things to life, marveling at the power of creation that she (for the moment) controls. For all of the show's pyrotechnical bombast, it's easy to forget these small, quiet moments that tell a story underneath.
This number is also important because it introduces the character of Saoirse. She's more than just a love interest for the hero; she is an archetype, embodying beauty, grace, warmth, and a quiet strength. Portraying this onstage is incredibly difficult; Saoirse has fire and steel in her (as evidenced later in the first act when she confronts Morrighan in Breakout), but anyone playing this role has to be able to make an entire audience fall in love with her, and that's more than just skill -- that has to come from somewhere inside of you as a person.
Niamh Shevlin, whom you see here, is remarkably up to the task. One of the greatest Irish dancers in the world today, this for many of you may be the first proper look you've gotten at Niamh performing onstage. In 2019 we livestreamed her very first lead performance, but that was a single-camera backstage; here we have four cameras tracking her. It's incredibly difficult to find that right mix of characteristics that makes for a truly memorable Saoirse, but Niamh absolutely nails the role.
Planet Ireland arises! Tickets on sale now to the 25th anniversary tour of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance: 25 YEARS OF STANDING OVATIONS. See the classic magic -- with a new generation.
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