Abu Dhabi: The Lord of the Dance, the globally popular Irish dance act, will be tapping its way into the hearts of residents in the capital when they perform in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) from June 23 to 26, it was announced at a press conference yesterday.

"We are adding two additional performances to the line up because of the overwhelming response we received when it was announced that Adnec will be hosting Lord of the Dance in June. Lord of the Dance is a global phenomenon that has smashed box office records the world over, and it is great that audiences across the region are excited to see the show in Abu Dhabi," Christina Anthony, Special Events Director, Adnec, said.

Fastest feet

The acclaimed dance act, which was created by Michael Flatley, Guinness World Record holder for having "the world's fastest feet", (35 taps per second), has been seen by over 100 million people in over 70 countries since its inception in 1996.

"The last couple of years have seen the strengthening of the ties between Ireland and the UAE. Bringing the Lord of the Dance is an extension of this partnership ... Arabs and Irish share a love of storytelling and the Lord of the Dance is a great medium to showcase our culture," Robert O'Driscoll, Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of Ireland, said.

Good content

In addition to staging the Lord of the Dance performances, Adnec will also be hosting its annual Summer in Abu Dhabi, which begins the same day as the concerts and has proved to be popular with residents and visitors seeking to escape the UAE's summer heat.

"Part of living in a city is having good content, exclusive activities and products that suit its culture ... all these elements position Abu Dhabi as an event and tourism destination. There are several events that the Adta is focusing on in the upcoming months, including the Lord of the Dance and Summer in Abu Dhabi as well as Fifa ... in addition to the other events that are organised throughout the year," Faisal Al Shaikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, said.

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