thePULSEBy Tine Roycroft
Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance comes to the Hanover Theatre on March 7 to wow audiences with incredible scenes of precision dancing and a beautiful blend of traditional and modern Celtic music. And with the show comes cast member and Holy Cross student, Declan Crowley, who discovered his love of Irish dance at a young age.
“I wouldn’t have even known what Irish dancing was, were it not for Lord of the Dance,” Crowley remembered. “I saw it on TV in the early ’90s. Michael Flatley was performing. I was dancing in my living room, and at first, my family thought it was just cute. Then they saw I was taking it very seriously.”
Crowley, 21, began taking classes near his home in upstate New York, and his talent led him to the internationally known Broesler School of Irish Dance in New Jersey, which was two hours away from his home. During high school, it was normal for Crowley to leave for dance class at 5 p.m., arrive at class at 7:30 p.m., dance until 1 a.m., return home at 3 a.m., and attempt to catch a few hours of sleep before heading to school.
His perseverance paid off, and not only did he achieve great success on the Irish dance circuit, he was accepted into and enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross, where he opted to major in English and minor in political science. Then, the world stage called, and Crowley answered.
“Holy Cross has been so understanding and helpful with me being on tour,” he said. “They’ve been overwhelmingly supportive in allowing me to chase my dream. It’s been a great ride so far.”
Crowley and the other cast members perform each weeknight and have two shows each weekend day. They dance together; they travel on a tour bus together; they train and take their meals together. Luckily, according to Crowley, they all get along like family.
“They’re my best friends at this point in my life,” Crowley said. “We’re all from similar walks of life. One of us might be from New Zealand, the other one from upstate New York, but we’re all coming from the same Irish background. A lot of us know each other from our years growing up in the dance circuit. “
Even after traveling the globe, the young Irish dance superstar is excited to be coming back to Worcester for the March show.
“The Massachusetts crowd is always a great crowd, with a heavy population of Irish people,” Crowley said. “It’s always fun to perform there because there are lots of Irish dancers, lots of Irish dance schools who come to see the show. It’s a special energy. “
Between performances and intense rehearsal schedules, Crowley finds time to study with other members of the cast, as they all pursue their Irish dance teacher certifications. And in the near future, Crowley will return to his beloved Holy Cross, finish his degree and, with his intelligence and a little luck of the Irish, go on to attend law school.
Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance will be performed at The Hanover Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7. Tickets are $27-$57. For more information, visit thehanovertheatre.org.
