`Spirit of Dance' director healing in London.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. _ Daniel Wilkinson didn't know what to expect when he went to visit Alan Harding on Monday at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.

Harding, director and choreographer of the Irish dance production "Spirit of the Dance" at The Palace Theater, and Wilkinson, a troupe member, had worked together for three years.

Wilkinson heard that Harding, who was once clinging to life from a ventilator, was breathing on his own again. He wondered how much of the same man remained. He remembered Harding as the man who demanded perfection in dance rehearsals yet always told jokes and kept dancers laughing.

Wilkinson was surprised when he entered Harding's room in the hospital's progressive care unit.

"He was sitting up in his bed. He wanted to come to Monday's show, but the doctors said he couldn't," said Wilkinson, who traveled with five other members of the dance troupe. "After seeing him in such good spirits, a lot of us felt better about the situation."

Harding's recovery from a near-fatal accident has inspired the creator and cast of one of Myrtle Beach's top entertainment attractions.

Harding, who is from England, was released Tuesday in good condition, after remaining in critical condition for seven weeks. He was flown on a Learjet to a hospital in London for reconstructive surgery on his right leg.