The House of Dancing Water


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., 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.

Creation

The show was developed at Dragone's headquarters in La Louvière, Belgium. 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.

Cast

About 70% of the artists in this show are trained to perform almost all of the acts in the show. Each performer must pass an intense swim test, along with weeks of training to obtain their scuba certification for aquatic shows.
The House of Dancing Water's cast comprises several different categories of performer. They include:
The show's score was composed by Benoît Jutras. Franco Dragone and Benoît Jutras had previously worked together on several shows for Cirque du Soleil. The show's soundtrack album was released on June 10, 2011.
  1. Dancing Water
  2. * Opening and theme throughout the show
  3. Chandelier
  4. * The Human Chandelier
  5. Pyramid
  6. * The Human Pyramid Act
  7. Swans
  8. Pagode
  9. * Bungees
  10. Flags
  11. Fountain Dance
  12. Prisoners
  13. * Straps
  14. Journey
  15. * Bamboo Dance
  16. Boat
  17. Xia
  18. * Transition into Russian Swing
  19. Motos
  20. * Motorcycle Act
  21. Wabo
  22. * Earthquake Scene
  23. War
  24. The Crowning
  25. In Joy
  26. * Finale and High Dive
The music used during the Russian Swing act, which changed during the first months of the show's run, is not on the soundtrack album.