Audiences at Valletta's Mediterranean Conference Centre were treated to an Irish dancing spectacular entitled Rhythm of the Dance over the weekend.

The contemporary Irish dance, music and song extravaganza is now in its 11th year of inter-national touring, having played to over three million fans in 40 countries across four continents.

The show features more than 20 dancers, three tenors and seven musicians. Presented by the National Dance Company of Ireland, it was produced by Kieran Cavanagh, who for many years has been a promoter of international renown.

Putting on a dance spectacular like Rhythm of the Dance was a long-held ambition of his.

Following costly and time-consuming research, he came up with a formula - and, judging by the reaction it has received so far, he got it just right.

World champion dancer Michael Byrne was in the lead role while choreography was in the hands of Mark C. Tynan, an internationally-recognised dancer himself.