A Must-Do in Macau: The World’s Largest Aquatic Show "The House of Dancing Water"

 

I had thought it might just be a romantic love drama, but the moment I stepped into the theater of The House of Dancing Water, I realized it was “not that simple.”

In the center of the 270-degree rotating theater is a hydraulic stage equipped with 258 fountains. As the plot unfolds, the stage can quickly descend to form a deep pool suitable for kayaking and high diving, or instantly transform into a stable surface for ballet, street dance, or high-altitude motorcycle stunts.

 

Taking the elevator down to the basement, "The House of Dancing Water" PR representative Florence showed us the pool beneath the hydraulic stage. This performance pool, which always houses 32 divers during shows, is 8 meters deep (about four stories high), holds a total of 3.7 million gallons of water (equivalent to five Olympic-sized swimming pools), and is maintained at a constant temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius. “Among the 32 divers, some use ear mics or underwater cameras to transmit images and communicate with supervisors, while another 20 are responsible for supporting all the actors who ‘disappear’ on stage, providing them with enough oxygen so they can smoothly exit from the air into the water,” Florence revealed. She also added that the seemingly flat stage is actually made up of 11 movable panels. “This design allows the water to drain away quickly, in almost less than five seconds.”

 

The ever-changing scenes combined with dreamlike 3D projections give the illusion of floating at any moment. When more than seventy stunt performers swing on steel cables and dance in circular cages high above my head, I almost believed I was floating too.

All performers in the show come from around the world and are all “top-tier professionals.” Florence explained, “Each role in 'The House of Dancing Water' is played by only one actor.” As I looked down from the highest point in the theater—about eight stories high—I was deeply amazed by Florence’s words. Under the safety pressures of high jumps and dives, how do these professional performers deliver flawless performances night after night? Perhaps only Franco Dragone knows the secret.

 

Accompanied by Florence, we cautiously and quietly walked through the eight-story backstage area of "The House of Dancing Water," entering the dressing room filled with luxurious costumes. Picking up a long robe at random, Florence let me feel its “weight” for myself. “Because they use special waterproof materials, the costumes in 'The House of Dancing Water' generally weigh one to two kilograms.” It was hard for me to imagine how anyone could perform light and graceful dances wearing such heavy clothing—until I saw the show with my own eyes.

 

And then came the highlight. Florence led us to a high platform—the place where "The House of Dancing Water" challenges the world. “The previous record for the highest dive was 20 meters, but we’ve surpassed that to 24 meters, even coming close to the current Olympic record of 26 meters!” For most people, the difference between 2 and 4 meters may not seem significant, but the most unforgettable moment of the entire show for me was this dive. The music faded, and a man in white stood on the 24-meter-high diving platform. His face was blurred from a distance—he didn’t wave, and it was unclear whether he was smiling. Within seconds, he suddenly leapt down, sending up a splash of water like a white lotus, which disappeared within moments. The thousands of people sitting around me fell silent, and then, after about two seconds, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

 

 

●  Read More: Traveling with the Stars – A Complete Guide to Michelin Dining in Macau

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