The House of Dancing Water is a water-based stage production written and directed by Franco Dragone. The show, which was the second water show by Franco Dragone’s company, premiered in September 2010. As of February 2013, it had been performed over 1,000 times and seen by over 2 million spectators. The production is located at the City of Dreams resort on the Cotai Strip in Macau. The show runs for 90 minutes, and features acrobatic elements and original acts, with a stage that transforms into different sets. Over 80 gymnasts, circus artists, dancers, divers, actors, and motorcyclists are featured in the show.
The performers work alongside 160 production staff, technicians and professional scuba divers from around the world. Dragone also directed Celine Dion: A New Day and Le Rêve in Las Vegas with his own company, Dragone. Performers began training in January 2009. The total duration of the show’s creation was 19 months, due to delays in the construction of the 2,000-seat Dancing Water theatre, which was built over 5 years at a cost of US$250 million.At the center of the theatre is a 3.7 million-gallon pool. Eleven automated stage lifts that fit neatly together can be raised a meter above the water’s surface or dropped seven meters below it, creating a pool deep enough for a diver to leap from a 24-meter-high platform.
The show plays out a classic love-story plot which sees a beautiful Princess go against an evil Queen with elements of Macau’s history played out along the way. The water-based act combines the best elements of dance and acrobatics with astonishing high-diving performances and thrilling motorcycle stunts.Located in the City of Dreams, The House of Dancing Water is just a few minutes’ walk from some of Macau’s largest and most popular hotels, such as The Venetian and Wynn Palace.
With the stage placed in the centre of the auditorium, there genuinely isn’t a bad seat to be found.The Macau show cast comprises of approximately 90 performers from over 25 nationalities, including acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, musicians, and motorcycle stuntmen.Created and directed by award-winning producer, Franco Dragone, the show is the first water-based performance of its kind to be launched in Asia.
The purpose-built theatre also contains one of the most spectacular commercial pools in the world, holding up to approximately 17 million litres of water, more than FIVE Olympic-sized swimming pools.Without giving away too much of the narrative, the dream-like storyline follows a fisherman, who falls in love with a Princess that is taken prisoner by an evil Queen. In the show, you see his battle to save the Princess and defeat the evil Queen with the help of nature, a villager and group of tribesmen.
The show features mind-blowing set pieces with motorbikes, acrobats performing death-defying dives into the water and gigantic set-piece ships rising out of the floor. Audience members will find their jaw’s dropping and gasping throughout the 80-minute performance as the stage constantly shifts between the pool and a solid floor.
The show is appropriate for all ages and children and adults alike will leave feeling adrenaline fuelled and completely entertained.The 2,000 seats encircle the stage, affording 270-degree views no matter where you sit. The best seats are in Class A – be sure to pick seats at least five back from the front row, unless you’re happy to get completely soaked – in which case you’ll be provided with a towel and a poncho.
