Melco’s House of Dancing Water provides the company a unique opportunity to help develop and nurture local talent while enabling that talent to learn from the world’s best.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s reimagined House of Dancing Water debuted at City of Dreams in early May, bringing one of Macau’s most fabled spectacles back to life following a five-year absence.
But more than simply providing a visual feast for visitors, the spectacular production is also viewed by Melco as an opportunity to cultivate local talent, with around one-third of the 300 cast and crew members – who represent more than 30 countries– hailing from the Greater China region.
In comments to IAG, the company explained that House of Dancing Water offers local talent the “valuable opportunity to be part of a world-class production, collaborating with the globally renowned team and enabling Macau’s new generation of artists to shine on the international stage.”
The performance team includes professional divers and performers, bringing together acrobatics, choreography, stunts and theatrical performances in a thrilling collaboration between local and international talent in Macau.
This collaborative approach also extends to the production team, with Macau local Filipe Ferreira Dos Santos Ferreira – the show’s Physiotherapist and Assistant Head of Department – telling IAG that working on House of Dancing Water is both exciting and overwhelming.
“It is a very new and unique experience and has broadened my horizons in different aspects of the field of physiotherapy within sports and athletics,” said Ferreira, who began work on the show in August last year.
“To be a part of this, you definitely need hard work and dedication [but it opens the door] to seek other exciting opportunities that will allow me to experience other productions and shows. Now that I understand that this avenue is open and available to me in the entertainment industry, I’ll be happy to see Melco produce more shows.”
Another Macau local, Kiki, describes working on House of Dancing Water as being “part of a global spectacle – everyone, from Giuliano (Peparini, Artistic Director of Peparini Studios and director of House of Dancing Water) to the local crew, operates at the highest level.
“Giuliano’s vision demands perfection, and his feedback has pushed me to refine my timing and delivery. The international team brings diverse expertise, while the local colleagues have taught me the show’s unwritten rhythms. Despite language or cultural differences, we communicate through shared dedication. It is inspiring to see how a show this complex unites people across borders.”
Chelsea Duan, Assistant Manager – Automation since November 2023, hails from mainland China and has worked in the theater and entertainment industry for more than a decade.
However, “nowhere else is like House of Dancing Water,” she said. “This is such a high-standard show which gathered talents and well-known expertise from around world. I feel so lucky to work with these people to get the show created. I feel this is also an affirmation of all my past efforts. Besides, it is also quite an exciting journey to me because I can feel that everyone here is not only aiming to make the show happen, but also to make it the best and a real legend in the industry.
“Most importantly, I feel that my development here has been extremely rapid. I still remember that we were just a small team and still in re-construction period at the time I joined. I’ve been through the most challenging equipment refurbishment and system upgrading process, which is a rare and precious opportunity even for people who have been in the show industry for years.
“I’ve learnt a lot of maintenance and system knowledge that only a few people master, and I’ve also developed the skills for troubleshooting and programming. All of these have helped me to strengthen my technical background and leadership.”
Duan explained that the diverse and collaborative nature of House of Dancing Water makes it stand out from other productions she has worked on throughout her career.
“In my opinion, House of Dancing Water is a place and project full of diversity and possibility,” she continued. “People coming from so many different countries and with much different cultural backgrounds are working closely with each other and helping each other. This requires not only an inclusive and humanistic management environment, but also mutual understanding and respect from all colleagues.”
American artist and flyer Michelle Renee Derstine, who began in September 2024, describes the opportunity to work with Peparini and the rest of the team as “such a unifying experience.
“This project feels like something bigger than all of us, and getting to put our individual mark on it feels really special,” she said. “Giuliano gave us the opportunity to build something together but also encouraged our individuality and passion to be a part of the story.”
With the original The House of Dancing Water show being presented more than 4,000 times since debuting in 2010, the reimagined House of Dancing Water is performed in a 270-degree circular performance theater with a cutting-edge technological pool stage in the center and a water-powered elevator that is utilized in conjunction with a sophisticated lighting and sound system. Artists dive from a 25-meter diving tower into a nine-meter-deep underwater pool, providing an unparallelled spectacle.
Melco previously revealed that the team from Peparini Studios created 300 sets of costumes, 230 pairs of shoes and 80 wigs for the production, with over MOP$350,000 (US$43,780) worth of Swarovski crystals used for the headpieces and props. Most of the actors’ costumes are designed by the production team themselves to meet the needs of each role, further adding to the need for specialized local and international talent.
Melco said House of Dancing Water “contributes to Macau’s development as a ‘City of Performing Arts’ and ‘World Center of Tourism and Leisure’ and supports Melco’s aims of showcasing the city’s unique charm to the world whilst promoting economic diversification.”
