After a one-night-only performance in Paris last fall, Flatley's Lord of the Dance returns to France for a limited engagement. The Celtic dance extravaganza, with a cast of 40, will hit Rennes on June 18, Lille on June 22, Paris on June 25 and 26 and Strasbourg on Sept. 29.

Michael Flatley, who created the show but is no longer performing in it, spoke to Playbill On-Line during his short stay in Paris. Lord Of The Dance has been a worldwide hit and asked if the reactions are different depending on the countries, Flatley says: "We have the same reaction from Ireland to South Africa, from Australia to Japan. Every place we go, we have the same reaction. I think it¹s because our show is a show that crosses all boundaries. We¹re so lucky that it appeals to such a broad mass of people."

Lord Of The Dance might fit perfectly into the Celtic trend that is going through France these days. From French Celtic rap to more traditional folk music, audiences seem to have gone crazy over these sounds and rhythms. France is rediscovering some of its musical heritage and Celtic music is definitely part of it. Flatley doesn¹t seem to worry too much about the French response to his show. "I think we¹ll have a tremendous reaction because I think in France, people appreciate and understand culture. I think that they love arts and that we¹ll see an enthusiastic response. Ultimately I¹d like to dance in Paris myself, some time in the year 2000. "

Flatley has stopped performing in his show a little while ago. "I have taken a year off to work on a movie and in next March, I¹ll begin a world tour again. In a way it¹s good for me to give my body a chance to heal. It¹s very demanding. It can be overwhelming at times, but because you love what you do, you keep going. Because you love it so much. Sometimes it might be bad to keep going but you can¹t stop because it¹s in your blood."

Taking a break from performing gave Flatley the opportunity to be involved in many projects in very different fields : stage, film, book writing. But one philosophy ties them up together. "My book is about encouraging people to follow their dreams, and I think my show is and I think my movie will be. So I think one of my main focuses is to try and help other people to get up and do something special for themselves. The key is to do what you love every day. " -- By Stephane Ly-Cuong