According to his team, Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” kind of cancer. On January 11, the 64-year-old star’s crew turned to Instagram to publish a monochromatic photo with a lengthy text detailing his health issues.
“Dear friends, we have some personal news to share with you: Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer. He has had surgery and is under the care of an outstanding medical staff.”
The team has made no other statements or discoveries regarding Flatley’s illness but has urged his fans and followers to send him their best wishes and prayers.
Everything you need to know about Michael Flatley’s career and his past cancer diagnosis.
Michael Flatley was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 16, 1958. He is the son of Irish immigrants who arrived in the United States in 1947. When he was 64, he became interested in the region after taking Irish dancing classes in the city and subsequently performing with the folk group The Chieftains. He came to prominence in 1994 after delivering a seven-minute performance in the Eurovision Song Contest. Following that, it was expanded to his theater play Riverdance, which featured traditional Irish music and dance. It premiered in 1996 at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
Flatley went on to produce theater productions such as Feet of Flames, Lord of the Dance, and Celtic Tiger. Lord of the Dance broke the record by performing 21 consecutive gigs at London’s Wembley Arena. Michael Flatley resigned from dancing in March 2017 owing to an injury received during a St. Patrick’s Day performance in Las Vegas. In the middle of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Lord of the Dance celebrated its 25th anniversary by traveling and collecting funds for humanitarian efforts.
Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with cancer on more than one occasion. After a spectator discovered it on MTV in 2003, it was found that the dancer had malignant melanoma. Flatley remarked to the Irish Independent about his cancer treatment:
“It was discovered entirely by coincidence. I’d never even noticed… It may be a scary place to be.”
Michael has already collected funds for cancer research and charity. He has worked with a foundation called Breakthrough, where he acted as an ambassador for a project to build a county in Ireland representing cancer survivors. Flatley has gone on to write, direct, and produce films now that he has retired. His most recent effort was the 2018 espionage picture Blackbird, in which he portrayed Victor Blackley. Flatley’s personal life revolves around her marriage to ballerina Niamh O’Brien. He also has a 15-year-old son named Michael St. James Flatley.