Going a step beyond 'Riverdance'

His dancers thump their way through a pair of shoes a month. And since producer David King has 30 dancers in six companies of "Spirit of the Dance — the New Millennium," it’s quite a feat to replace those soles.

‘Spirit of the Dance’ 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday Hawai‘i Theatre $25-45; group discounts available 528-0506 (box office) or 524-6600 (Ticket Plus) Also: March 21-25 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului; (808) 242-SHOW.

"They don’t like new shoes, when we replace the worn ones, because the new ones are stiff and the dancers get blisters," said King. "But we have to replace the shoes because the soles split and they get quite a pounding four hours a day."

On the heels of "Riverdance," King — a British musician, composer and dancer — mounted a dance show that captured the spirit of the Irish dance sensation but went one up on the original.

"‘Riverdance’ came out and was a huge success in London and the whole of Europe," said King, 50, who wrote his own show, "Spirit of the Dance," to satisfy a market that "Riverdance" and its sister spin-off, "Lord of the Dance," couldn’t, going beyond Ireland for inspiration.

The show, opening tomorrow at the Hawai‘i Theatre, is one of six King has produced in the last five years. "Three are touring in America, playing to sell-out houses. One is in Australia, another in London and the last in Hong Kong."

Besides showcasing Irish dance, King’s shows are scripted like theater, with a story line and an original score that fuses traditional cultural sounds with elements of flamenco, classical ballet, salsa and jazz. Even rock.

"Two hours of traditional Irish music can be boring, too much for everyone," said King.

That’s why he decided to add other dances to the mix. "We still have the power, the spectacle of Irish dance, but we’ve taken the show a step further, throwing in rock. Think Rolling Stones with dance," he said.

His concoction revolves around an elf-like ballerina character and tells a story. "We felt she held the spiritual, mystical mood of the music," said King, who was a dancer 20 years ago. "Not a great dancer, just OK, but I do know what they go through," he said. "Especially about the shoe thing."

Worldwide, he employs about 200 troupers who dance with the precision of a drill team, yet are graceful as ballerinas, depending on mood.

In his London production, King uses a live orchestra; on tour, the dancers perform to his original recorded tracks. Though he composes the music, he taps choreographers to help shape the production.

Why has Celtic music and dance connected with global audiences? "The Irish dance tradition has been around forever. It was not commercial because people used to dance only at weddings, funerals and competitions," said King. "We tried to wrap it around a story."

Furthermore, Michael Flatley in the original "Riverdance" brought

a powerful sexuality to the genre, attracting a mainstream audience and the subsequent spin-offs. "Irish dance is a big thing now," said King. "Irish dance schools are cropping up everywhere. These stage productions have brought Irish dance to the front, making it fashionable."

"Riverdance" currently is on Broadway as a theatrical spectacle.

King took risks to launch "Spirit of the Dance," mortgaging his house and quitting his day job. But he has no regrets.

"Each year, the show gets bigger and bigger," he said.

What characterizes "Irish music"?

"You’ll find a fiddle in there somewhere," said King. "And powerful drums. The dancers, of course, have to be athletes — takes a lot of energy and training to dance the way they do, to take the choreography beyond Ireland."

With the physical demands, King said his dancers consequently are young, with the youngest being 18 and the oldest around 24.

He’s already working up concepts for next year. "You write a piece of music, you think of a dance style, you tap choreographers to create the moods and feelings you want."

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