Michael Flatley, best known as the star in "Lord of the Dance" and "Riverdance," is recovering from surgery after being diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of cancer.
The news was announced in a statement on behalf of the Irish dancer Wednesday via Instagram.
"Dear friends, we have something personal to share, Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer," the statement posted on Flatley's official Instagram account read. It was accompanied by a photo of Flatley, 64, looking out to sea.
"He has undergone surgery and is in the care of an excellent team of doctors," the post continued. "No further comments will be made at this time. We ask only for your prayers and well wishes. Thank you. Teamlord."
This is not first battle with cancer for Flatley. In 2003 he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after it was spotted by an MTV viewer.
"It was purely by chance that it was noticed," he previously told the Irish Independent while discussing his successful treatment for skin cancer, according to People. "I had never even noticed it … it can be a frightening place to be."
Flatley also opened up about his skin cancer in his autobiography, writing: "A scare like that makes you even more aware you need to live every moment while you can," People noted.
Born in Chicago to Irish parents who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1947, Flatley took up Irish dancing and went on to tour with the Irish folk group The Chieftains, according to the Guardian. He rose to prominence in 1994 after delivering a stunning seven-minute performance during a Eurovision Song Contest.
Two years later his performance was developed into a theatrical production, "Riverdance," which premiered at Point Theatre, Dublin, and combined traditional Irish music and dance.
Building on the success of "Riverdance," Flatley went on to create several shows including "Lord of the Dance," which had a record-breaking run of 21 consecutive shows at the Wembley Arena.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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