Battle of The Dance

Content with it's fantasy themes and aerobatic troupes, Las Vegas has never really been a welcoming setting for shows with a political or historical backbone – until now. Battle of the Dance touched down in Las Vegas in December 2011, holiday season for most of the formidable longtime shows that brighten up the Strip. Making the most of this perceived “quiet period”, Battle of the Dance launched their ambush with a dazzling 'dinnertime' opener at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino - one of Las Vegas' very last remaining antiquities.

The Flamingo may not be medieval in age, but it has sure seen it's own fair share of gang-related warfare. Prime setting then for a show that unravels the kinks in history, taking its audience all the way back to 1588 when the Spanish first landed on Celtic soil. The ensuing story maps this oft forgotten battle through a series of spectacular movement dramas, performed by a 30-strong cast of both professional and emerging stage dancers. Legend tells of a small group of Spanish conquistadors whom, despite being thrown off course during an altercation with the English, were determined to stake their claim to British soil. The Spanish encountered treacherous storms which wrecked much of the 20 ship fleet. Survivors swam ashore seeking shelter and although some were hanged for treasonous activity, a handful remained inconspicuous for nearly a decade. Artistic Director Jack Rein explains much of the story itself focuses upon the aftermath of the tragedy, concentrating upon the migration of the Spanish into the Irish way of life, specifically the introduction of Flamenco to Celtic culture.

Opening to subdued lighting and shadowy forms, the stage at Battle of the Dance is quickly transformed with the aid of a huge rear cinematic screen and various laser effects. Dancers swathed in vast folds of billowing material quickly spread, replicating the tumult of that fateful night in 1588. Fast forward a scene and the contrast could not be more evident. Lead dancers Francisco Javier Serrano Diaz, Maile Leonard, Elena Romera, Jose Ibancos and Wendy Castellanos lead the second scene - a ballet number set in the 19th Century. Melding the passion and intensity of Spanish tradition with the complexities of Irish dance, the delicate number climaxes in a blur of frenzied footwork - a visual display that truly surpasses the 'ballet expectation'. Duo Maile Leonard and Francisco Serrano lead many of the later scenes, unraveling the tale of a love affair between a Spanish immigrant and Irish native, who against all odds, find common ground in their passion for dance.