Not every Irish lad or lass is gifted to the same degree. Yet, on this westernmost edge of Europe, this tiny insular land of less than five million inhabitants, the populace reels in the heat of 'dance fever'. No, its certainly not a fever induced by an equatorial climate or a viral spiral. However, there may well be an hereditary epidemiology.

Irish Stepdance is performance dancing and is competitive and has been formalised by the Irish Dancing Commission. Many stepdancers compete in group set and ceili dances but most competitions are for solo performances.

Solo stepdances are characterized first by the shoe worn - hard and soft. The reel (4/4 time signature), slip jig (9/8 time), single jig and light jig (both6/8 time) are the common soft shoe dances. The girls wear ghillies (slippers) while the boys wear leather shoes with heel clicks. Proper positioning of the upper body, straight with arms loosely not rigidly to the sides, leg and foot positions and loft in leg raises and jumps are factors considered along with the footwork of the dance steps in scoring well.

Hard shoe dances place emphasis upon rapid percussive toe and foot movements as well as the elements described above. The 'hornpipe' is performed in 2/4 time and the 'treble jig' in 6/8 time. Thirty six dances with set steps and music, some with irregular phrasing, are the traditional sets. The thirty standardized ceili dances are often called 'book' dances.

A 'feis' is an organized Irish dance competition. An 'oireachtas' is a regional championship competition and qualifies dancers for Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne or world championship.

Michael Ryan Flatley is inspired and driven. Born in Detroit, Michigan of Irish parents on 16 July 1958, his family moved to the south side of Chicago when he was young. His grandmother, Hannah Ryan of Carlow, was an Irish dancing champion who reared his mother as a dancer, as well.

Michael's self-discipline began as a musician and he won the All-Ireland competition as a flautist. In 1975, at seventeen, he won the All-Ireland dance championship and then opened his own school for Irish Dance in Chicago.

Michael Flatley choreographed ";Riverdance"; in 1994 as a seven minute number performed with New Yorker, Jean Butler, during intermission at the Eurovision Song Contest. Butler and Flatley were a dance team who had toured with 'The Chieftains' during the 1980's. Flatley developed Riverdance into the full-scale production that toured the world which brought about the renaissance of Irish traditional dance.

Michael Flatlley choreographed and produced Lord of the Dance in 1998, followed by Feet of Flames in 2000 and his current production, Celtic Tiger in 2005. Niamh O'Brien who danced in each of these shows became Mrs. Michael Flatley in 2006.

The question must be framed in the context of Irish Import versus Irish Export. Which one is Michael Flatley, the brilliant choreographer and superbly talented dancer? Can he be separated from the worldwide popularization and attendant capitalization upon Irish Traditional Dance? Riverdance and Lord of the Dance were Michael Flatley's brainstorms and productions. Was Michael Flatley and Riverdance made in the USA and exported to Ireland? Or was Irish Traditional Dance exported by Ireland to America with its waves of immigrants, and just repackaged for distribution in America? Let the reader be the judge and comment below.