Charmed by 'Lord of the Dance'

While most students and Bloomington residents were gearing up for the men's basketball game versus Duke Wednesday night, I was at the IU Auditorium witnessing the best dance show in the world, literally.\n"Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance" came into town for one night only, but the house wasn't close to packed. As soon as the lights dimmed, I bullied my sister into moving to a closer section. Unfortunately, Wednesday was the first time I didn't watch "LOTD" from the front row, which accounted for less enthusiastic audience participation on my part. Having seen the show twice before, I wasn't expecting any surprises.\n"Lord of the Dance" is a classic tale of good versus evil. The spirit of dance, personified in character "Little Spirit," dons a sparkly, elf-like costume and opens the show by playing the classic psalm "Lord of the Dance" on her flute. All is well until the Dark Lord and his minions attack Little Spirit and steal the spirit by breaking her flute. The Good Lord -- the Lord of the Dance -- rescues her and repairs the flute, essentially reviving the spirit. From this point on, the Dark Lord and the Good Lord are arch nemeses. \nThe seductress, Morrighan, who wears a revealing, deep red dress, tempts the Good Lord with her sexy dance moves to turn away from the "good girl," Saoirse. The Dark Lord and the Good Lord battle in a dance-off (the women have their own version, too). Eventually, Morrighan betrays the Good Lord by "giving up" his position to the Dark Lord. He captures the Good Lord, strips away his belt and hoists it into the air (much like a WWE scene). Just as the Lord is about to be defeated, Little Spirit gives him the strength to triumph over evil. The Lord gets the girl, and all is well again. \nOf course, all of this is interpreted through excellent choreography and music. Irish dancing is a tough sport that requires strength and endurance -- my best friend Katherine, a former "LOTD" groupie, tried to teach me six years ago, and I ended up with a sprained ankle. But with pure grace, the seasoned dancers of "LOTD" make it look easy. \nThe costumes are a variation of traditional Irish dance garb and fun outfits (the dancers wear neon accentuated by black light during "Siamsa"), which are all very pleasing to the eye. The show includes about five music "scenes," too, featuring two violinists and a singer. \nAs an "LOTD" veteran who owns the video and CD, I think I can be a good judge of last night's performance. The two Lords were especially charismatic and precise. I, along with the crowd, was astonished by the amazing footwork. They are talented, and you can tell they enjoy every minute of the show. On the whole, it was worthwhile and very enjoyable.\nLike many other students on this campus, I love IU basketball. So why did I attend "LOTD" instead of supporting my Hoosiers? It's simple: Exactly three weeks from today, my best friend Katherine is getting married, and I'm her maid of honor. We met in eighth grade because I thought she was a freak for plastering photos of "LOTD" all over her locker. But she educated me, and I came to love it, too. \nWhen I heard the troupe was coming to IU, I knew I had to attend the show. At certain points during the performance, my eyes welled up because the music and dance reminded me of another time in my life and of our friendship. "LOTD" might be a little cheesy (as my sister noted at the end of a performance with a fantastic impression of Little Spirit), but it has brought together more than just the world's greatest dancers, and for that, I love it.