Irish dancer extraordinaire Michael Flatley and film producer Harvey Weinstein have teamed up to create the ‘World Dance Awards,’ already being dubbed the ‘Grammys’ of dance.
The Irish Examiner reports on the ambitious new endeavor between Flatley and Weinstein. Each of the men already has an impressive resume - Flatley brought Irish dance to the mainstream with his productions, including ‘Riverdance,’ while Weinstein is behind several Oscar-nominated flicks, including ‘The Artist’ and ‘Shakespeare in Love.’
Weinstein and Flatley announced the new project while in Cannes on Wednesday at the MIPCOM international television event. Weinstein said the World Dance Awards would be "a ratings blockbuster.”
While Weinstein is backing the project, the idea came from Flatley, a Chicago native who is now living in Co Cork in Ireland. He achieved worldwide fame when he brought ‘Riverdance’ to the masses in 1992, followed by a string of other successful Irish dance productions.
Flatley said the project is "a dream come true which has taken too long to happen.”
"If this show has a cousin, it’s the Grammys," said Weinstein. "It’s going to be a game-changer for all the networks that buy the show. This is going to be a ratings blockbuster that the people who buy it early will have year after year after year.”
"The sky’s the limit, we’ve got to reach all the little children," said Flatley.
"I think people have underestimated the popularity of dance around the world,” added Flatley, “but it is huge and it is only growing... I see this as a very powerful, fast-moving show which perhaps runs two hours featuring 10 key awards, such as best dance on film, on video, [and] world’s greatest dancer."
Here, catch a video montage of Michael Flatley:
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