Until Michael Flatley came along, Irish dancing was sterile and sexless. His art form completely revolutionized the dance, and this applies to both men and women.
The perfect example of this is the original Temptress Morrighan from Lord of the Dance: Gillian Norris. "Sultry" slip jig isn't taught in school, yet somehow Gillian invented the style for seductive bad-girl Irish dancing that is still used to this day.
In our third episode of OG Tour Stories, Team Lord OG legends Denise Flynn, James Devine, Michael Donnellan, and Gillian Norris talk about: Gillian Norris!
Today, there are practically no limits on non-competitive Irish dancing. But keep in mind, back when this was originally developed, this was an atomic bomb in the world of Irish dancing. Even in Michael's first major show the year prior, the female Irish dancing was rather austere; here we see, with Lord of the Dance, the genesis of Irish dancing being used to portray dramatic characters both good and evil, embodying a wide spectrum of emotions. Using Irish dance to tell stories with characters is one of the biggest impacts Michael Flatley's art form has had on Irish dancing, yet it's often overlooked because we all too often focus on Michael the dancer instead of Michael the creator.
But these creations need superlative artists to bring to life, and it is a simple truth that in the world of Irish dance, there are few names as prominent as Gillian Norris. It's time to hear her story.
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