Troupe passes time in movie theaters



Perhaps dancers in Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" will take up movie criticism after their current careers end.
"Lord of the Dance" has been performed for more than 50 million people since it debuted in 1996. Numerous troupes are circling the globe, and hundreds of dancers are racking up miles from a string of road trips.
Is there any country, any major city that Louise Connolly hasn't reached with "Lord of the Dance"? She ponders the question, then rattles off a list of places she's traveled to: Hawaii; Alaska, Canada, Miami.
Four years ago, she performed in New York's legendary Radio City Music Hall. "Anywhere you can name, we've probably been there," she concludes.
So what does she remember from those stops? Not much. "It's sad not to see places we visit," she said. "It's like that in most cities we go to."
It's also the reality of being a performer. By the time the troupe travels from one destination to the next and factors in pre-performance warm-up and preparation, there isn't much time for sightseeing.
If Connolly and her peers are likely to see anything in Youngstown, Cleveland, or elsewhere, it's a silver screen.
"We live in a movie theater whenever we can," she said.