Lawrence has been waiting for the Lord to appear for years. âÂÂLord of the Danceâ that is.

The energetic, toe-tapping, Celtic offspring of Michael Flatley is finally here. âÂÂLord of the Danceâ will show at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lied Center.

The 30-plus-member dance company is swinging through Lawrence as part of an extensive North American tour. TheyâÂÂve already been on the road for three months.

Despite all the quick-cadence athleticism required during the rigorous performance schedule Ãi¿½” the company performs seven or eight times a week Ãi¿½” principal dancer Amanda OâÂÂToole said in a phone interview from Athens, Ga., that the body adjusts.

âÂÂYou just kind of get used to it. After you do it for long enough, your body kind of goes into automatic mode. It knows whatâÂÂs expected of it,â she said.

Of course, a battery of leg stretches, warm-ups and cool-downs helps. And once-weekly appearances by physical therapists, massage therapists and chiropractors are a must.

It all pays off in a glittery show that has traveled internationally to great acclaim.

âÂÂItâÂÂs very high energy, a lot of flashy lights and big beaming smiles and fast feet and high kicks,â OâÂÂToole said.

A high point in OâÂÂTooleâÂÂs 4 1/2 years with the tour came a few years ago, when she got to dance opposite Flatley Ãi¿½” the original Lord of the Dance.

âÂÂIt was pretty exciting, I have to say, quite an honor to dance behind someone who has brought this art form that was, especially in North America, hardly known at all,â she said. âÂÂHeâÂÂs brought it to this whole new level. HeâÂÂs done something for this art that nobody else has ever done.âÂÂ

Flatley no longer dances with the production, though he maintains his helm as artistic director of the several companies who travel the globe performing his creation.

FlatleyâÂÂs name has become synonymous with the wave of Celtic dance mania that began sweeping the world in the mid-1990s. A former dancer with RiverDance, Flatley left that troupe in 1995 amid controversy and created âÂÂLord of the Dance.âÂÂ

The production combines traditional and modern forms of Celtic dance and music to tell a story of good and evil through the lens of Irish folklore. Interweaved is a love story that in which OâÂÂToole plays a part. Her character is Saoirse, the âÂÂgood girlâ in the production.

âÂÂShe basically kind of symbolizes purity and goodness,â OâÂÂToole said. âÂÂSheâÂÂs the love interest of the Lord.âÂÂ

OâÂÂToole, 21, a native of northern British Columbia, Canada, joined the show at 17 as a back line dancer. A few years ago she auditioned and captured the lead role.

She has been dancing since she was 8 and appreciates the updates Flatley has made to traditional Irish dance.

âÂÂTraditionally, Irish dancing would be everything is basically done from the waste down, arms by sides, severe expressions on faces, a lot of ankle work, that sort of thing,â OâÂÂToole said. âÂÂBut in âÂÂ’Lord of the Dance,â we kind of brought it to a different level, involved a few arm movements, head movements, facial expressions and a little bit of acting. Traditional Irish dancing is interesting to watch. But this has made it a little more crowd-pleasing, maybe a little more showy.âÂÂ

Tim Van Leer, executive director of the Lied Center, said people had been asking to see âÂÂLord of the Danceâ for years.

âÂÂThis is one of a variety of shows that people have talked about. ItâÂÂs one of those when it rains it pours kind of things because âÂÂ’Rentâ was the other one,â Van Leer said. âÂÂThese are the kinds of opportunities that make the community special, that sort of set the Lied Center apart from other facilities and other programs. WeâÂÂre just thrilled to be able to have it on our series.âÂÂ