Never Meet Your Heroes: Revisiting House of Dancing Water

Theres a strong, nostalgic smell of fumes, cigarettes and fragrances, when I set foot in Macau for the first time in 8 years. It immediately floods me with memories of a time when life was more simple, optimistic, and brimming with ambition. 

I’m heading to my old office – ‘House Of Dancing Water’. This show founded the core of my professional career when I arrived; a 22 year old, newly graduated contemporary dancer. This show was genuinely something I hadn’t dreamed of. I couldn’t have, because it was so beautiful and epic. Circus, water, and technology beyond anything I imagined, performed by a small town’s worth of cast and crew who truly activated this creature into life, day in, day out. It was worth bragging about all over the world. Three years later, with 1248 shows under my belt, I left, a completely different, confident artist. Life has never been so good since. So…you can imagine; when a few were tasked to resurrect the show after its covid pandemic close, people were quite precious about how that would go down. 

A dream team of original creation designers and icons of early casts joined forces with new creators, and original associate director Giuliano Peparini, to bring ‘House’ kicking and screeching its rusted scissor lifts back into our post-Covid prepocalypse. There was one person though, who wasn’t there. No matter how loud, creative, terrifying, established, European or well dressed a replacement could have been – no one could replace the late, Franco Dragone. I only personally knew this man as the legend that, however ferocious he could be during creation, everyone who witnessed him talked with a glowing pride, and sense of achievement. The ownership of being part ofhiscreation was worn as a badge of honour since 2010. 

Franco’s special gift was his vision for storytelling. He gave space for characters to grow their sense of purpose, and managed to conceptualise extreme circus acts; Russian Swing as training for war, a Fountain Act with 80 high powered water jets showing the vulnerability and failings of an evil Dark Queen. Scenic changes transitioned the development of the ‘East meets West’ love story between Anni and Jean, and dancers played very important roles as extensions of the narrative and character personalities. There was equality in gender and purpose within all the roles – lead and background. Showing resilience, flight and independence, care and jest. All of it tied together with brilliant musicality, played live. But that’s not what I saw now. 

The live music used to drive the overall narrative. Giving space, emotion and tension, allowing the audience to focus on story and incredible human skill. It’s now a playback time coded musical soup, drowning out the complexity of the choreography. The biggest loss is the ‘Human Chandelier’, where choreography and soundtrack used to tick on like the cogs of an exquisite Rolex. Now, with the addition of aerialists harnessed into extremely distracting giant dresses, this scene is overworked, and we miss any hopes of the narrative. 

Narrative? We don’t know her. Everything feels like it’s moving too fast, and with the addition of new character ‘Salvador’ – a pirate – none of the characters have time to establish their role in the power play of this fairy tale. Subsequently, female narratives have been relegated from the show; they’re accessories of bigger scenes, where male artists or characters flounder to push the story.

The most significant change, and most disappointing, was the conscious decision to remove all female dive profiles. The Russian Swing Act of old was incredible. It drove acrobats to train to such high levels, that The House Of Dancing Water essentially pioneered elite female high diving. Without doubt the show, its coaches, physio team and facilities provided artist Rachelle ‘Rocco’ Simpson with the perfect conditions to become Red Bull Cliff Diving’s inaugural World Series Champion in 2014, with Anna Bader as runner up. From there, on the world platform followed Cecilie Carlton, Sophie Brundish, Helena Merten, Kaylea Arnett, Meili Carpenter, Lisa Faulkner and Katie Etterman. Access to high level training for women in many sports is a never ending fight for finance, respect, space to train and just not being harassed. Kicking out the women here is shocking oversight, and screams big dick energy in the worst way. 

Equally, the male characters don’t get the opportunity to show they have other dimensions. Because our new character Salvador needs time, the grapple for power in the fairytale is as true as the grapple for clarity on stage. The majority of the story sits within a stereotype where most of the men are fighting, drunk, or clowning around. There is some saving with ‘Wabo’ and the ‘Fisherman’, but again, their gentile roles are overshadowed. More roles axed are the ‘7 Daughters’, who were a physical and emotional extension of the Dark Queen. This was key on a stage the size of a football field, and they were forces to be reckoned with. Their relationship has gone, along with the choreography, and replaced by new scenes with brilliant aerialists, who only get to show their skill level in transitions that support the male dominated scenes, or pop in occasionally to be rescued. Most major story movement is pushed on by the men. Who are essentially just bro’ing about. And the ending of the show…please!? All this, held together with new lighting, which would be absolutely on point for an epic TV game show, but for the artistry of large scale theatre? It’s about as atmospheric as a fart on a plane. 

OK. I’ll stop, I won’t ruin the ending…. Because needless to say, everyone involved still has a lot to be proud of. It’s still impressively technical, and all performers are working hard. I still underestimate how strong and energized I was aged 22-25; 3 hours of shows, 5 days a week, plus training, plus extra training, plus having a life!? Being in the House Of Dancing Water then, and now, is not for a hobbyist. What did I love though? The introduction of apnea breath hold artist (Wai Ian I – Kiki). This is the essence of Franco – vulnerability paired with the near impossible. A new Wushu artist for Anni (Yu, JingJing – Jenna) – her movement is exquisite and feels culturally humbling. And a new hand balancer (Anton Manaharov), which reminds you we’re playing in an imaginary world of softness, and beauty. All these things feel like Franco. They’re a relief in the blur of scenes. And yes, I can see the audience are happy. They still eat it up, because who wouldn’t? Anything this big, loud and shiny is interesting – just wander around the adjacent casino.

Is it still impressive? Yes. So what’s the problem? Me. I’m the problem. I’m just nostalgic, and mature. I look for shows which inspire, and make me want to perform still. I don’t see myself in the show anymore. My character has literally gone. But I think about being that hopeful young performer, watching these female roles and wondering if they’d identify, or be inspired by them as much as the original? Overall, it just feels like it got dragged into the Gen Z creation world, but missed the useful wokeness bits, and the simple things just got stepped over in favour of ‘stuff that looks good’. 

Like a lot of things I left behind before Covid – by choice or by force – like nostalgic smell of fumes, cigarettes and fragrances, that met me at the ferry terminal, The House Of Water is now just a memory of a time which, like many things, had its moment, and I just got older.

P.S. Tomorrowland wants it’s laser show back.

Sophie Duncan

Choreographer, Creative Director and Performer -UNITED KINGDOM

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