Stepping up
Murphy’s Celtic Legacy to perform 2 shows in NM
Chris Hannon can’t imagine his life without dance.
The art is part of him and is the impetus behind his starting Murphy’s Celtic Legacy.
In the past four years, Hannon’s dance company has grown, and the company is on a 26-date tour in the United States. Two of the dates are in New Mexico.
“We arrived a few days ago from Northern Ireland and performed in Folsom,” he says in a recent phone interview. “It was a great opening night, and I’m still amazed at seeing how people in the States are embracing us. It’s been four very long years of making headway into audience’s hearts. We are asking a lot of people to come out and see us.”
Hannon began Murphy’s Celtic Legacy in 2013 after years of performing around the world with “Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance” and “Feet of Flame” for more than 14 years.
In 2011, Hannon left the company for a “normal life.”
“Teaching dance was an important transition for me,” he says. “But I always wanted to have my own traveling company.” He also wanted to honor his grandmother Pat, who introduced him to Irish music and dance when he was a child.
“Irish music and dance always tells a story,” he says. “It’s the way I learned about my own culture. To be able to take these pieces out on the road and perform for audiences is a brilliant way to get a message across. These are stories that go back to my roots, and I get to share them with a different audience each night.”
Hannon says the company is always working to keep the show fresh — for both the dancers and the audiences.
“We wanted to make the choreography harder for each tour,” he says. “We have four new routines in the show. We are constantly working at keeping things updated and challenging ourselves as dancers and musicians. That’s the fun part. Not one show is similar.”
Hannon says the company also works together in keeping healthy.
“We have to keep the demon away, which is alcohol,” he says. “As I get older and still performing, my diet has changed a lot. Lots of exercise and water helps keep all of us on the right path.”
Murphy’s Celtic Legacy will have two performances in New Mexico this weekend, and Hannon is looking forward to both.
“I haven’t been back there in a while, and the area is magical,” he says. “This time, I’m on my own with my own company. There’s a lot of growth for me in these performances.”