One of our most accomplished composers has joined with two of our finest fiddlers – and the results may echo for years to come.

Superhoofer Michael Flatley may have celebrated his 51st birthday last year, but he reckons he's still in the best shape of his life.

The global star will reprise his smash hit Lord of the Dance production this autumn, some 12 years after leaving the stage, with a string of performances all over Europe.

And the dancer revealed to the Herald how he's chafing at the bit to get back on stage, despite his advancing years.

"I'm pumped up and ready to go. I'm six months away and I can't wait. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life -- 50 is the new 30!

mfinn@herald.ie

- Melanie Finn, Showbusiness Editor

Warning: Irish dancing can seriously damage your health. Engineers at Coventry University have discovered that Irish dancers’ ankles have to bear 14 times their bodyweight while executing certain steps and have compared the force with that experienced by fighter pilots.

The load is far greater than a person would experience while running. The researchers said one well-known Irish dancing step, known as the rock move, should be monitored because of its potential to cause injury.

Performers from Riverdance, as well as world champions, were monitored while dancing in a laboratory which measures the impact of various activities on the body. The study team, whose work is in the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, had to check their readings because they did not believe how large the forces were. The measurements for Irish dancers were the highest recorded.

In the rock move, legs are crossed at the ankle and the dancer rocks from side to side on the balls of their feet. Most of the force is taken by ankle joints as the weight is transferred rapidly back and forth. The force was found to be 14 times bodyweight, while that on the Achilles tendon was 42.5 stone. The soles of some of the dancers’ feet bore 4.5 times their bodyweight.

“That’s 4.5G — fighter pilot stuff. If you were subjected to 4.5G long term, you would be at great risk of blacking out,” said James Shippen, a lecturer at Coventry University’s School of Art and Design.

“Obviously, Irish dancers are doing it in short bursts, but at that instant they are pulling fighter pilot loads on their feet.

“We take engineering principles and apply them to Irish dancers. The loads are enormous. It’s very punishing on the body. Classical ballet dancers’ loads are incredibly light, about one quarter the level.”

Sinead Whelan, director of Celtic Feet Irish Dance and Theatre Company in Coventry, took part in the study. “A lot of our dancers get injured but because a dancer’s career is so short we don’t, if we’re honest, take as much time out as the physios recommend,” she said.

Irish dancers suffer injuries similar to those of footballers, according to Whelan. In particular, they get knee injuries such as floating cartilage.

“James had to recalculate the force that went through our dancers’ legs about five times before he believed the data he was getting. He said they’re not dancers, they’re paratroopers,” Whelan said.

Julian Erskine, senior executive producer of Riverdance, said the studies were an eye-opener. “When Riverdance started, nobody knew what Irish dancing did to the body because it wasn’t done on a sustained basis. We realised early on that it shouldn’t be taken lightly and we’ve always had a physio and two massage people with every company.”

Riverdance has a physical therapist on-call 24 hours a day for performers, who can tap out 46,000 beats per show and perform eight shows a week.

One dancer, Melissa Convery, ruptured her Achilles tendon and blacked out on stage. “You usually dance through the pain,” she told the San Jose Mercury News in December. “But I sprang and it popped. I had to learn to walk again.”

Dancing legend Michael Flatley will tap his way back onto the world stage as he reprises his role as Lord of the Dance. For a limited run commencing in autumn, 2010, Lord of the Dance starring Michael Flatley will play in venues throughout the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Tickets for the UK dates go on sale on Friday 23rd April. Flatley said, “I am very excited to dance again”. I’ve created many shows but Lord of the Dance has a special place in my heart and I haven’t performed in it since 1998.” Watch Michael announcing his return to Lord of the Dance for the Fall 2010 tour For 14 years Lord of the Dance has captivated audiences around the world, playing to over 60 million people in over 60 countries in every continent. Michael will be joined by a 40 strong cast, some of whom performed originally with Michael when the show debuted in 1996. It is a phenomenal show and Flatley’s return to it has been hugely anticipated. He just completed a successful tour of Taiwan with ‘Feet of Flames’ that exceeded box office expectations and had audiences begging for more even after five standing ovations. Michael Flatley was catapulted into stardom when he created, choreographed and produced Lord of the Dance after realising his lifelong dream of taking Irish Dance to another level by creating a spectacle that would break box office records in arenas and stadiums worldwide. Lord of the Dance is a timeless story based on Irish folklore of good versus evil, and through the media of dance and music it is understood and appreciated by every culture; there is no language barrier. Dance has never been more popular and Michael¹s return to the stage promises not to disappoint. “It will be different this time around” remarks Michael, “I've achieved my success and I’m proud of what I’ve done, this is like a victory lap. This time is for my loyal fans who have been there from the beginning.” Michael Flatley LORD OF THE DANCE cities and dates 2010 Michael Flatley LORD OF THE DANCE cities and dates 2010 Tickets for the UK dates go on sale on Friday 23rd April. UK & Ireland Saturday 30th October – Sheffield Arena Sunday 31st October – Manchester Evening News Arena Wednesday 3rd November – London O2 Arena Thursday 4th November – Birmingham LG Arena Saturday 6th November – Nottingham Arena Sunday 7th November – Liverpool Echo Arena Monday 8th November – Wembley Arena Wednesday 10th November – Newcastle Arena Friday 12th November - Belfast Odyssey Arena Saturday 13th November – Dublin O2 Arena Sunday 14th November – Dublin O2 Arena Europe Saturday 20th November – Mannheim, Germany Monday 22nd November – Zurich, Switzerland Tuesday 23rd November – Munich, Germany Wednesday 24th November – Vienna, Austria Friday 26th November – Oberhausen, Germany Saturday 27th November – Halle, Germany Monday 29th November – Cologne, Germany Tuesday 30th November – Hamburg, Germany Thursday 2nd December – Stuttgart, Germany Friday 3rd December – Frankfurt, Germany Monday 6th December – Berlin, Germany Tuesday 7th December – Leipzig, Germany For tickets visit www.ticketzone.co.uk or call UK tour hotline 0844 875 875 8 Tickets priced at £75, £49.50 and £35 plus booking fees

The High Kings talk about their new album, families and hectic touring schedules.

"For the third consecutive week, The Chieftains' "San Patricio" tops the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The 19-track set is a tribute to the San Patricios, the ill-fated battalion of mostly Irish soldiers who abandoned the U.S. army during the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 and crossed the border to fight alongside the Mexicans."