Lord of the Dance, the Irish dance show starring Michael Flatley, will hit the big screen in 3D on St. Patrick's Day. The event will only run for one week, so if watching the amazing footwork and spectacular theatrics of Lord of the Dance in 3D sounds like a great way to celebrate the holiday, make sure you don't procrastinate.
I have long been a fan of Riverdance, and we have shown our kids clips and segments from Riverdance several times, especially around St. Patrick's Day. So, I was excited to see Lord of the Dance 3D on the big screen, especially since we've never had the opportunity to see either of the shows live. My daughter and I both enjoyed the show; however, it was disappointing in some ways. The darkened effect that comes with any 3D movie is more pronounced with a stage show like this. The advantage, is that you can see every step the dancers do up close (like you are sitting in the best seats in the house), which is really great because sometimes going to live shows you just can't see the details. But let's be real, watching the show on a movie screen, especially with the shadow of 3D glasses over the whole thing, just isn't as exciting as seeing a live performance.
Lord of the Dance is quite a production; the dancing is obviously phenomenal, and there are some amazing instrumental performances within the show as well. The performance revolves loosely around a story. From the official synopsis: "The fate of Ireland lies in the balance as The Lord of the Dance (Flatley) and Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord, struggle for dominance in an epic duel inspired by ancient Irish folklore." With all of the supposed tradition and folklore, I thought the flashy Vegas style costumes seemed out of place, which took away from some of the magic for me. When I think Ireland, I have the stereotypical images of green hills and castles in my head, so the part in the show where the female dancers rip off their cute little dresses and dance a number in costumes that are essentially black bras and underwear not only doesn't fit, but it's also distasteful. I don't want to take away from the incredible talent of the dancers, they are truly inspiring, but if I'm g! oing to pay money to see a show like this (even in movie theaters), I want a traditional (updated traditional would even be fine), fanciful, flavorful experience that will give our family a sense of the history, the culture, and the traditions of Irish dance. The show just doesn't have enough of that.
(Photo credit: SuperVision Media. Disclosure: The studio provided a free screening of this movie for review purposes. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.)
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