ACT 1: The Cry of the Celts: The sombre strains of Celtic voices fade away as the light rises on The Little Spirit, surrounded by the sleeping Girls of Ireland. With her magical flute and sprinkling of gold dust she wakes them from their slumber and they gracefully dance until the sound of drums heralds the arrival of the Lord of the Dance. He leaps onstage with a dazzling display of footwork and exuberance, finally calling forth the whole tribe to join him in celebration.
Erin The Goddess:  Erin the Goddess enters draped in velvet green and sings a ballad of the longings of love.
Celtic Dream: The Girls of Ireland dance a vision of peaceful beauty, joined by Saoirse, but the dreamy loveliness is soon to be replaced by darker times.
The Warriors: Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord, arrives in a malevolent mask, swaggering with the bravado of the usurper. His army follows, dancing in tight militaristic precision and ready to steal the peace of the land in order to name their leader the new Lord.
Gypsy: A more subtle threat to that peace comes in the form of the sultry Morrighan, sensuous and beautiful and eager to steal the Lord of the Dance from Saoirse.
Strings of Fire: Celtic fire and spirit are ignited by Mairead Nesbitt and Cora Smyth (in T1) on violin, their bowing building from a sweet strain to a wild romp.
Breakout: Saoirse and the Girls dance again in a twirl of colour and a soft staccato of taps until Morrighan struts in and challenges Saoirse’s ability to be seductive. Saoirse and the Girls answer by stripping down to black tap pants and crop tops and proving they have just as much allure as the Temptress.
Warlords: The Lord of the Dance and his Warlords walk in on the end of the Girls’ display and offer one of their own, with the Lord examining the readiness of his army and leading them in a lightning fast drill, which does not fail to impress the watching Girls.
Erin The Goddess: As the Lord dismisses his troops with a shout, Erin returns to sing a song in Gaelic that stirs even those who don’t speak the language.
The Lord of the Dance: Saoirse and Morrighan perform a duet, matching each others moves with delicate feminine grace. Four male dancers join them in a double display of agility and talent. As they exit, the Lord once more takes the stage, leaping and stepping in a way that can leave no doubt of his right to his title. He exits for his troupe to take over, then joins them again, leading them in a stage thundering crescendo to finish the act.

ACT 2: Dangerous Game: The Little Spirit walk onto the stage and plays her flute to calm the storm. As the last notes fade, Don Dorcha and one of his captains ambush her and steal her flute. After a mean-spirited game of keep-away, Don Dorcha breaks the flute, destroying the Little Spirit’s magic. Devastated by her loss, she doesn’t see the approach of Don Dorcha’s full troops until it is too late. The band bullies the Little Spirit wickedly, trapping her and pushing her to the floor. The Lord of the Dance ruches in to her rescue, shielding her behind him as he faces off with Don Dorcha. His Warlords enter and a full-scale battle is on, both sides alternately attacking and falling back, ending in a stalemate. The Little Spirit breaks up the fighting, sending the combatants away from each other until she is alone with the Lord. She presents him with the broken flute, her face fallen. He takes the flute and fixes it for her, returning it to the unbelieving Spirit with a gentle caress. The Spirit retreats in gratitude with her precious flute.
Hell’s Kitchen: Morrighan enters and makes a brief play for the Lord’s affections, but while he certainly appreciates what she has to offer, his heart belongs to Saoirse and so he smiles and leaves. Undaunted, Morrighan dances by herself, sure that she will win him in the end.
Fiery Nights: Don Dorcha and some of his men, along with their girls, dance in as Morrighan struts her stuff. Don Dorcha sees a new opportunity, and he and Morrighan leave to plot while the others stay for a passionate dance together.
Lament: As the partners end their dance in each other’s arms, the violinists enter and play a sad air, reminding them of the troubled times that they are a part of. They exit  one by one, subdued from their passion into a more sombre mood.
Siamsa: The tribe of the Lord, however, are still full of exuberance and joy at the arrival of Spring, and dance together in a colourful celebration of life and love.
She Moves Through the Fair: Erin the Goddess follows the dancers with a ballad describing the passion of lovers soon to be wed.
Stolen Kiss: Saoirse and her friends gracefully dance together as the Lord steals in to watch. The other girls leave the lovers alone and tenderness abounds until Morrighan brazenly steps in, cutting in on Saoirse and holding the Lord entranced while Saoirse is forced to watch sorrowfully. The Lord remembers himself, however, and turns from Morrighan to hold his true love and prove his faithfulness with a deep kiss.
Nightmare: The spurned Morrighan is quick in her revenge, pointing out the Lord and his love to Don Dorcha’s waiting troops. The Lord sends Saoirse away but is caught himself. The sneering troops enjoy their triumph, surrounding him before stealing the belt that marks him as the Lord of the Dance, forcing him to look at it as they revel in their victory. Don Dorcha himself marches down, signalling his captains to lead the helpless Lord to his doom, flaunting his power as he prepares the final strike, the Lord vanishing in an explosion as Don Dorcha deals the deathblow. With the Lord now gone, Don Dorcha and his men declare victory and the belt is strapped ceremoniously around Don Dorcha’s waist.
The Duel: In his gloating, Don Dorcha has forgotten about the Little Spirit, who runs in and with her magic brings back the Lord of the Dance. Don Dorcha’s troops panic and flee, leaving a surprised Don Dorcha to deal with an angry and very much alive Lord. Don Dorcha does his best to prove his power, but the Lord not only matches his every move, he outdoes him at every turn, his feet finally blurring with indomitable speed that sends Don Dorcha running for his very life.
Victory: The triumphant Lord falls to his knees, then swoops up and twirls the Little Spirit who comes running in to hug him. Turning to the newly arrived Saoirse, he kisses her and they exit between rows of candle-bearing druids celebrating the return of peace. As the druids leave, the Little Spirit runs in, carrying her own light and frolicking in joy. Finally, the tribe, reunited once again, march out and dance in unified support of their Lord.
Planet Ireland: The encore piece is one of flash and stunning sound, Michael conducting his troupe in a raucous foot-stomping thrill ride that takes step-dancing fully into the 90’s.