SPIRIT SHOWS
DAVID KING
INTERVIEW
DAVID KING
INTERVIEW
An Interview with David King.
The Producer, Composer and Creator of Spirit of the Dance and over 20 other hit shows.
David King is one of the most successful international producers ever to come out of the UK. He is the award winning executive producer of Spirit Productions with offices in London, New York and Monaco.
PRESS INTERVIEW WITH DAVID KING FOLLOWS;
The Producer, Composer and Creator of Spirit of the Dance and over 20 other hit shows.
David King is one of the most successful international producers ever to come out of the UK. He is the award winning executive producer of Spirit Productions with offices in London, New York and Monaco.
PRESS INTERVIEW WITH DAVID KING FOLLOWS;
I was born in Leeds, in the north of England. My parents had both been entertainers when they were younger, but by the time I was born, they had retired from show business life, and ran a retail store.
Was there music around you as you grew up?
I had music in my life 24 hours a day. When I was just 7 years old, I was a child protégé on the piano, giving classical concerts and entertaining everywhere. At weekends, my uncles and cousins would all come to my parent’s house, and there would be music in the house. Usually the old time rag time style of music, including the piano, clarinet, drums, ukuleles, and a host of other instruments. My sister Wendy was a cabaret star . In my teenage years, I would drive Wendy to her shows, and stand at the side of the stage and watch her perform. It was the highlight of my week, just to be able to stand there and be involved.
What inspired you to create Spirit of the dance?
It was the spring of 1996 , a close friend gave me a ticket to see a show called “Riverdance” starring Michael Flatley. I really didn’t want to go. I was struggling at the time, trying to get a living in the entertainment business, and couldn’t seem to get anything right. But my friend wanted company that night, and almost dragged me, kicking and screaming, to go and see a show I didn’t want to see!
Riverdance was sensational and broke all the barriers of a dance spectacular. Their show introduced the world to the phenomenon of Irish dance. It first caught everyone’s attention as a filler piece for the Eurovision Song Contest, and then went on to become an amazing live show. The audience just couldn’t get enough. Michael Flatly was amazing, and was worshipped by the packed audience every time he came on the stage.
On the way home, my friend asked me if I enjoyed the show.
The reply I gave him shocked him, and probably haunts him to this very day.
“I am going to make a show just like this, but even better” I said to him.
He laughed at me.
“Lend me a thousand pounds” I said. “And you can be my partner, and take 50% of all the profits.”
“No chance. No way” came his reply.
Six months later, on the 6th. September 1996, my show “Spirit of the Dance” opened at the Bristol Hippodrome Theatre in the south west of England . It was the first show I had ever made. It became a massive, monster hit overnight. Within two years, Spirit of the Dance was the biggest dance show in the world, with 14 troupes of dancers performing my show in 14 different countries on the same night.
Is your show similar to Riverdance?
There was absolutely no point in producing a show similar to Riverdance. It wouldn’t have lasted three months. I had to create my own niche in the market, and give Spirit of the Dance its own identity. Right from the start, I knew I had to create my own show, and rely on my own individuality, and not copy Riverdance. I took the decision very early on that Spirit of the Dance would have its own identity and break new ground. That’s why the show is based around the international world of dance, and it incorporates dance styles from around the globe. During our performance, we introduce the audience to Salsa, Flamenco, Ballet, Ballroom, Tap, Jazz and much, much more. Of course it is the powerful Irish Dance that is the hit of the show every time, but the audiences enjoy every aspect of our international production.
To start a show this size, it must be a very expensive exercise. Did you raise the money?
I tried my hardest to raise the money that I needed to launch the show. I went to see the biggest people in the business – but nobody wanted to know. I was turned down everywhere. I knocked on so many doors, that my knuckles were sore. No one had any confidence in me, and I was usually turned away at the door. They also said the Irish dance craze wouldn’t see the year out, it was just a flash in the pan . I knew deep in my heart they were wrong. Everybody I contacted was against the idea, no one gave me any support, and I really had to make the decision to jump in with both feet. I stuck firmly to my beliefs. I was determined, and would not take “no” for an answer. Something inside of me told me that this show had to be created, and I had to do it. People have asked me all these years later why no one else saw the huge gap in the market that Riverdance had created. How come I was the only one ? Why didn’t any one else do it? My answer, each and every time, is I was the one that had the vision, the dream, and the determination. Nothing was going to stop me, and nothing did.
I broke the two golden rules of business. The first golden rule always is “Don’t give up your day job”. That’s exactly what I did I’m afraid. I gave up everything, and threw myself into this project 24 hours a day.
But it gets even worse…because the second golden rule in show business is “Don’t mortgage your house and put your money into showbusiness” Against everyone’s advice, I did exactly that.
Not only did I break all the rules, but I mortgaged everything, including my house, my car, and the family silver. It all went into the pot so that I could turn my dream into reality and launch Spirit of the Dance.
People in the business thought I was crazy, and perhaps I was. And as confident as I was, I also knew if it went wrong, I could be living in a cardboard box somewhere. It was a very scary time.
I shudder to think what might have happened if the show had failed, but my belief and determination only drove me forwards, not daring to look back over my shoulder. I was very lucky. Riverdance had created a huge demand for Irish dance, but because they were new as well, they were committed to appear at the theatre in London for an extended run. Theatre all over the UK, in fact all over Europe and the world, were screaming for Irish Dance because of the hype Riverdance had created. But at that time, they couldn’t fill the demand - so I did!.
I had another stroke of luck, when the show’s star, Michael Flatly, left Riverdance in a blaze of publicity. He announced to the world that he was going to make his own show, bigger and better than Riverdance. He walked out, and three months later, my show opened. People assumed that my show was Michael Flatley’s new show. This only did me good, and ticket sales for Spirit of the Dance went through the roof!
The risks, the gambles I took, were done because something inside of me was telling me I simply had to do it. Call it destiny, call it fate, I don’t really know, but it had to be done. People ask me whether they should do the same as I did if they believed in a dream - and I always tell them “Not on your life”!!
So you obviously believed in yourself and that you could make all this happen?
There comes a time in everyone’s life when you have to take a chance and I saw this as the biggest chance of my life. This was going to be the opportunity that could make or break me. I really had to go for it. So I took my chances, used every ounce of talent and skill that was inside me. And I went for it.
It wasn’t until the opening night of the first ever appearance of Spirit of the Dance. This took place at the Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol, England in September 1996.
I remember standing at the back of the theatre, sweating and worrying about how the audience would respond to the show, and more importantly, what the critics would say.
This was the defining performance, and it would either propel me forward or put me on the streets. Those two hours were the longest of my life. As the show came to a close, I felt that the audience was on my side, and
then they stood up and cheered for a full five minutes.
Tears were streaming down my face and it was as if somebody had unscrewed a massive valve in my head so all emotions could pour out.
Of course I didn’t know where it would all lead but at least I knew my family could sleep in their own beds for the rest of the week. The rest, as they say, is history, and there are now dance troupes performing Spirit of the Dance all over the world. And it is now one of the most successful touring dance shows in Show Business history.
How do you feel about the audience’s reaction to the show?
Quite often, I will sit in the theatre and just watch the audience’s reactions to the show. The feeling I get when I see and hear the joy and delight of audiences all over the world is simply the best feeling imaginable. It makes all the endless hours and sleepless nights worthwhile.
How long did it take to create the show?
Spirit of the Dance has evolved over the years and I have lived every minute of it, creating the themes, and putting all the pieces of the jigsaw in place. The original concept was conceived, produced and composed in just three months, which I believe is an all time record. I would write new music to match the changing moods of the show, and waited on tenterhooks for the audiences to give their approval.
The show has been running for almost 15 years, during which time it has built up a huge following and has become one of the most successful theatrical productions ever to come out of British Theatre. It has sold out at just about every theatre where it has appeared , all around the world.
It is a major success in the USA and starred for almost three years in Las Vegas. The show has also visited Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, China, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and all of the European Capital Cities.
Why do you think Spirit of the Dance is so popular?
Obviously, we owe a debt of gratitude to Riverdance who got the ball rolling and made the public aware of the excitement of Irish dancing , but Spirit of the Dance has a life force of its own. It expands on the original Irish theme and has now become a truly international phenomenon that showcases powerful dance styles from all around the world.
It is based around a love story of life where the ethereal Spirit takes us on a journey through the world of dance in search for peace joy and love for all mankind.
Audiences love it because the whole production is so passionate. It’s powerful, fast paced and thrilling, but most of all it’s incredibly entertaining.
I understand you wrote the music. Is that correct?
Yes, I am proud to say that, I was involved in the writing of the music and songs for the show.
I suppose the music has been inside of me all my life , starting as a young boy and my love of classical music. The musical score of the show reflects my musical influences, which include the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Classical piano, Jazz, Irish Folk and Rock N Roll . Put them all together, add an enormous amount of passion, a lifetime of dreams and you’ve created the musical score of Spirit of the Dance.
Where are you based, and how many miles have you travelled since this all started?
Since the first day Spirit of the Dance became a hit, I have travelled with the show.
It seems my home has become a hotel somewhere, in different towns and cities, in different countries around the world. I probably spend more time in airports than anyone I know. I spend a lot of time in America, where Spirit of the Dance has two of its own theatres, based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Branson Missouri.
I also have shows that play in Las Vegas, and I spend quite a lot of time there too.
One of my favourite places to be is Monaco, in the South of France, where my shows play every year. I have a beautiful apartment there, where I can chill out, relax, and write music!
But my travels really can take me anywhere. You name it, I have been there. From Australia to China from South Africa to the Middle East.
One of my offices is in Amsterdam, where my European dates are co-ordinated, and I spend a lot of time in this unique City. But then there is Germany, Russia, and all places between.. As each year passes, I say to myself my travelling will wind down, but each year seems to be bigger than the year before, and my air miles go through the roof!
Why do you think your shows are so popular?
I was determined to make Spirit of the Dance a happy, exciting entertainment experience and put a smile on the faces of audiences everywhere. The same applies to all my shows. They are real audience pleasures, in every sense of the word. All of my shows are created to make audiences have a great time. One of my favourite press quotes of all times sums it all up;
"Spirit of the Dance is a breath taking, heart-pounding international production that leaves audiences
screaming for more."
The answer must be yes. Looking back, it seems a life time of adventures that started with an idea and a dream developed into one of the most successful dance shows in Show Business history. My biggest thrill still comes from standing at the back of the theatre and watching audiences of different nationalities and different countries screaming and applauding the show. That gives me satisfaction beyond my wildest expectations. In reality I am the luckiest man in the world living my dream.
Apart from Spirit of the Dance, are you now making other shows?
I am very proud to say I now have an amazing international production company and I make a wide variety of different shows. I currently produce over 20 different shows that are touring the world.
Look at my production site and see what I mean: www.spiritshows.com
I also now have an international management and agency company, Spirit Artists, which supplies some of the biggest music acts in the world to corporate events and private clients. I have recently worked with Sir Elton John, Leona Lewis, Andre Bocelli, Vanessa Mae, Liza Minnelli, Simply Red, Lily Allen, Duffy, Lionel Ritchie, Gloria Estefan and Jamie Cullum to name but a few. I get such a thrill when the worlds biggest stars call me by my first name, and many of them have become my close friends.
See: www.spiritartists.com
