From 1993 to 2005, Franco Dragone revolutionised American urban culture and performing arts. From Mystère to Rêve, by way of the Céline Dion triumph (A New Day), each of his shows, first with the Cirque du Soleil and then with his own company, Franco Dragone Entertainment Group, has raised the bar of excellence, of fantasy and of wonder.
Dragone is more than just an artist. He is also an entrepreneur. He could have settled in Vegas and ridden the wave of his success, but instead he took to heart the words of Barba: “move towards the lightning, because where there is storm, there is water, vegetation, life.” And the lightning, at the start of the 21st Century, has been nowhere stronger and more enticing than in Asia.

The creation of The House of Dancing Water in Macao, 16 September 2010, was a roll of thunder in more sense than one: in the size of the project, which encompasses not only designing a show but also building the theatre, and of the budget (USD 250 million); in the artistic and technological challenges to be overcome; and in the amazing welcome of the audiences for this unprecedented event. Once again, Franco Dragone has pushed back the frontiers of his art.
Adding to an already impressive audience of 75 million people will, in one year’s time, be a further 700,000 enthusiastic spectators.

This great adventure would not have been possible without the exceptional partnership that formed between the Franco Dragone company and that of Lawrence Ho, Melco Crown Entertainment, owner of the City of Dreams complex that hosts the Dancing Water Theatre. A partnership based on mutual trust and respect, perfectly in harmony with the show’s theme of the meeting between West and East.
To celebrate the first anniversary of The House of Dancing Water on 16 September, a charity evening will be held, featuring a concert by prodigious Chinese pianist Yundi. The show itself will be followed by a prestigious gala dinner. Two thousand tickets have been sold, the prices for which vary from HKD 1,500 to 4,500. Profits, estimated at EUR 100.000, all go to the Melco Crown Entertainment “Yundi Scholarship” foundation, the aim of which is to promote Macanese culture and encourage young musical talent.
The decision to combine an anniversary event with a charity evening bears witness to Franco Dragone’s social commitment and that of his business partner Lawrence Ho, as well as of pianist Yundi.

For our 10th anniversary, we take you on a ride through a lot of videos about the shows of the Franco Dragone Entertainment Group on our Youtube Channel : Dragone TV.

Fasten your seatbelt and have a nice trip !

A new Day :

FMX (motorbikes) from Macau :

Liège Guillemins :

Crown Macao Opening :

And many more on our Youtube channel : Dragone TV !

Macau, which is situated 65 kilometres away from Hong Kong on the southern coast of China, has gone through the ages picking up surprising and contrasting elements from China at its most traditional, Portuguese colonisation and an extraordinary urbanisation revolution. All of these elements are combined in present-day Macau.

To become even more globally attractive, Macao had to change culturally while preserving its identity as an advanced post in the Far East’s economic development strategy. This is precisely the principle behind the wild project launched by the promoters of the City of Dreams, the extraordinary complex of high luxury hotels and shops, casinos and theatres on the forefront of entertainment technology, the masterpiece of which is the theatre dedicated to “The House of Dancing Water”.

By offering gamblers and travellers the opportunity to reside in the heart of Macau, Lawrence Ho, who co-founded the City of Dreams and is Chairman of Melco Crown Entertainment, also wished to take part in making in-depth transformations to his city’s public image for more family-oriented stays.

The selection of Franco Dragone was a deliberate choice in this process. To recall, according to Chris Jones, an academic at Chicago’s Columbia College, the creative and conceptual dimension of Franco’s work is one of the most remarkable artistic contributions to urban culture in modern America.

Mutatis mutandis, this type of approach, which is based on being open to all forms of expression from the post-modern era and conveyed by a personality who defines his source of inspiration in his relationship to people and to the world, could only appeal to the promoters’ wish of anchoring their beacon-city at the crossroads of civilisations between an adventurous past and a future writing its own history, between East and West, on a bridge made of glass and audacity where promises and traditions fuse, a bridge called Macau.

10 years is the first double-digit anniversary – a first step away from childhood.
Above all, we must not lose the energy bestowed by our unshakeable faith in the future. In the scope of our experiences, we must strive to retain the indispensible nugget of innocence that fuels our dreams.

The first of the two candles on the cake stands for unity, self-awareness and identity. The other is for this closed loop that encircles the world, and for future promise.

Together they represent the strength that comes with being together.

10 years, like the fingers of two hands. Hands that have been shaken with other hands, on every continent. Hands for drawing, exchanging, speaking and building.

10 years, like a breath of air. We have behind us Le Rêve, A New Day, The House of Dancing Water, Décrocher la Lune, and so many other emotional moments, all shining out from the shadows of days gone by, the better to light the way along the path ahead.

Faces, roads, flights, meetings, departures, discoveries, shows, dancers, artists, friends, theatres, gardens, happiness, tears and laughter.

Who is talking about taking stock? You take stock when you have grown weary.

I am ten, or rather we are ten: a little paper boat carrying our hopes and in turn carried by the current; a boat that has grown with your nurturing.

Now, with you all gathered here, it is time to hoist the great sail. With the candles only just blown out, now is the time to get on board and write the rest of the adventure together…

Website.

What a great way to start 2011 !

« Le Potager des Visionnaires » created by Franco Dragone for the Museum of the Civilization of Quebec is ranked #1 in the “most seen temporary exposition” chart out of the 450 museums in Quebec.

More about this project on our website !

Have a look at this video shot during the rehearsals for Zaïn !