Flatley was born in Chicago to Irish immigrants

Mr Flatley is filing the $100m (�53m) case for extortion and defamation following her $35m (�18m) civil claim against him earlier this year.

The claims date back to 2002. The woman reported the alleged rape to police but criminal charges were not sought.

The woman's civil claim against Mr Flatley has already been dismissed.

Before she made the claim, the woman had threatened to sue Mr Flatley in a letter and subsequent phone calls via her lawyer, according to court papers.

Thrown out

The calls and letter stated she would sue unless Mr Flatley agreed to a "seven figure" settlement.

Lord of the Dance broke box office records

Her lawyers had argued Mr Flatley's civil case against her infringed her right to free speech but the California state Supreme Court rejected this.

The "communications constituted criminal extortion as a matter of law, and, as such, were unprotected by constitutional guarantees of free speech or petition," the six-member panel wrote.

Mr Flatley's lawyer in Los Angeles, Bert Fields, welcomed the decision.

"Celebrities are so frequently targeted with claims that they've committed some kind of misconduct, usually of a sexual nature," Mr Fields said.

"Because of the Supreme Court ruling, we can make these people go to trial and prove our case," he added.

The woman's lawyer was not available for comment.

Mr Flatley helped launch the legend of the Irish dancing spectacle Riverdance after performing at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin.

He was a multi-millionaire by the time he left Riverdance after a concert in London on 25 July 1998.

Mr Flatley turned down a �1m offer to box professionally from Irish promoters Team Ireland, and carried on dancing, taking his Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames tours around the world.