Battle of the Dance

Battle of the Dance was a short-lived dinner-theater and live-entertainment venture in Anaheim, California. The attraction was conceived by Andrés Gelabert, an entertainment entrepreneur associated with the Medieval Times dinner-theater chain and the flamenco-oriented Son Amar review in Mallorca, Spain. Its concept responded to the popularity of televised dance competitions and talent programs, including Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, by presenting a theatrical contest between contrasting dance traditions in a purpose-built venue near Disneyland. The production centered on flamenco and Irish folk dancing. Its story was set in 1588 and began with a dramatization of a Spanish Armada shipwreck on the Irish coast. The encounter between Spanish and Irish characters provided the narrative framework for a series of competitive dance sequences. The show also incorporated live musicians, magicians, comedians, acrobats and other performers, making it broader than a conventional dance recital. More than 40 dancers were involved, with much of the cast recruited locally in Orange County. Choreographers Francisco Javier Valverde Hidalgo and Paloma Aznar Mendez were involved in developing the production and remarked on the region's depth of dance talent. Construction began in 2010 on the site of a former Toys 'R' Us store within walking distance of Disneyland. The project created a dedicated approximately 40,000-square-foot entertainment facility containing a 950-seat theater and restaurant, a lobby designed for interaction with performers, and a merchandise shop selling items such as T-shirts and flamenco dresses. The reported investment backing the venture was $10 million. Adult admission at launch was priced between $60 and $90, and the performance lasted approximately one hour and 45 minutes. The attraction opened on February 1, 2011, amid substantial local publicity and favorable critical commentary. Reviewers praised the quality of the flamenco and Spanish dancers and the choreography. Critical approval, however, did not translate into sustained attendance. The venue struggled to fill seats, and customer criticism included complaints about the food and the theater's decor. Management used discounts, group-sales offers and themed promotions, including a Mother's Day package, in an effort to improve demand. The operators also pursued supplementary uses for the property. The production made an out-of-town appearance at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas near the end of 2011, while the Anaheim theater was rented for other events. A comedy and magic production titled Blink! opened at the venue but ended abruptly amid a contract dispute. Later attempts to host late-night dances, concerts and sexually oriented acts generated noise and nuisance complaints. Anaheim authorities ultimately halted those activities because they were considered inconsistent with the theater's use permit. The business also faced breach-of-contract litigation from performers who were removed from the production during cost-cutting efforts. All remaining performances were canceled in June 2012, roughly 16 months after opening. Ticket holders were directed to seek refunds, and the closure left claims from performers, choreographers, contractors and other creditors. The venue subsequently had other uses: in 2014 it reopened as the Centro del Mariachi dinner theater, and by July 2015 it was being used for private events under the name M3Live Anaheim Event Center. Battle of the Dance itself is therefore a defunct live-entertainment brand rather than an ongoing touring or consumer-products business.

Battle of the Dance originated with Andrés Gelabert, an entertainment entrepreneur who had experience with the dinner-theater model through Medieval Times and with Spanish dance presentation through Son Amar in Mallorca. As dance-focused television programs gained visibility in the United States, Gelabert pursued a live attraction that could convert that interest into a large-scale theatrical experience. Anaheim was selected because of its tourism economy and proximity to Disneyland. The intended proposition was not simply a dance recital: it was a narrative dinner show in which two recognizable dance cultures competed for the audience's attention. Development took place in 2010 on the site of a long-abandoned Toys 'R' Us store. The resulting facility was reported to cover about 40,000 square feet and included a 950-seat theater and restaurant. The venture had reported investor backing of $10 million. Most of the dancers were hired in the local area, while Francisco Javier Valverde Hidalgo and Paloma Aznar Mendez worked as choreographers. Their production combined flamenco and Irish folk dance with musicians, magicians, comedians, acrobats and other specialty performers. The story used the 1588 Spanish Armada as its starting point: a shipwreck on the Irish coast brought the two cultural groups together and created the premise for a succession of competitive performances. The show opened on February 1, 2011. Patrons encountered performers in the lobby, where dancers posed for photographs, and could purchase merchandise ranging from shirts to complete flamenco dresses. Adult tickets were reported at $60 to $90, and the main production ran for approximately 105 minutes. Early critical reaction was positive, especially toward the Spanish and flamenco dancers and the choreography. The attraction also received advance attention as a potential Anaheim highlight alongside established tourist destinations. Its commercial performance was much weaker than its artistic reception. Attendance remained insufficient, while reviews of the food became increasingly negative. The company attempted to support the business through substantial discounts, group-sales websites and seasonal promotions. It also sought revenue from activities beyond the regular production. An out-of-town engagement was arranged at the Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas toward the end of 2011, and the large Anaheim facility was rented to other operators. Those secondary activities introduced new problems. Blink!, a comedy and magic show, opened at the venue but ended abruptly following a contract dispute. Other proposed or scheduled uses included late-night dances, concerts and sexually oriented entertainment. Noise and nuisance complaints followed, and Anaheim officials determined that some of the activities did not comply with the venue's use permit. At a permit hearing, a company representative expressed embarrassment about some of the programming. The business was also involved in two breach-of-contract lawsuits brought by performers who had been cut from the show as management tried to reduce costs. In the final months, promotional pricing and special packages failed to produce reliable crowds, including on weekends. The remaining performances were canceled in June 2012, approximately 16 months after the opening. Ticket holders were told to contact the company about refunds, while unpaid claims reportedly remained for choreographers, performers, contractors and other creditors. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait publicly acknowledged the closure and expressed interest in the property's future redevelopment. The physical site did not remain unused for long. In 2014 it reopened as Centro del Mariachi, a mariachi dinner-theater project featuring Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. By July 2015 the property was operating as M3Live Anaheim Event Center for private functions such as weddings, receptions and meetings. These later uses belong to the venue's subsequent history; the Battle of the Dance brand itself ended in 2012.

• 2015

  Site operates as M3Live Anaheim Event Center

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  By July 2015, the site was being marketed for private events and meetings under the M3Live Anaheim Event Center name.

• 2014

  Venue becomes Centro del Mariachi

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  The former Battle of the Dance theater reopened under a different dinner-theater concept focused on mariachi music.

• 2012

  Performances end

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  The production closed indefinitely in June 2012 after approximately 16 months of operation.

• 2011

  Opening performance

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  Battle of the Dance opened to the public on February 1, 2011, with a 950-seat dinner-theater venue and a cast of more than 40 dancers.

• 2011

  Las Vegas engagement and venue rentals

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  Management pursued an out-of-town engagement at the Flamingo Casino and rented the Anaheim facility for additional events as attendance challenges emerged.

• 2010

  Construction begins in Anaheim

  [1]Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org

  Work began on a dedicated theater and restaurant at the site of a former Toys 'R' Us store near Disneyland.

A large-scale destination dinner theater presenting a dramatic competition between Spanish flamenco and Irish folk dance, positioned as a live counterpart to the popularity of televised dance shows and as an Anaheim tourist attraction.

• Dinner theater production · 2011

  Battle of the Dance

  The principal offering was a roughly 105-minute theatrical production built around a fictional meeting and competition between Spanish flamenco dancers and Irish folk dancers after a Spanish Armada shipwreck. The program expanded the dance contest format with musicians, magicians, comedians, acrobats and other performers, and was presented with an in-venue restaurant experience.

• Branded merchandise · 2011

  Battle of the Dance merchandise

  The venue included a gift shop offering show-related merchandise. Reported products included T-shirts and full flamenco dresses, supporting the attraction's identity as both a dance performance and a themed tourist experience.

• 2012

  Disputed secondary programming and permit violations

  Attempts to supplement revenue through late-night dances, concerts and sexually oriented acts led to noise and nuisance complaints. Anaheim authorities halted the activities after finding them inconsistent with the theater's use permit.

  Source

• 2012

  Contract disputes with performers

  The company faced two breach-of-contract lawsuits from performers who were removed from the show during efforts to reduce operating costs.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Discount and group-sales promotion

  Anaheim, California, United States

  Management used coupons, group-sales websites and special offers, including a Mother's Day package, to address weak attendance during the final months of the production.

  Outcome. The promotions did not generate sufficient attendance to keep the regular performances operating.

  Source

• 2012

  Cancel all remaining performancesOther

  Background

  Discounts and special promotions failed to fill the theater consistently, while the business faced legal disputes and unpaid claims.

  Action taken

  All remaining Battle of the Dance performances were canceled and the show closed indefinitely.

  Aftermath

  Ticket holders were directed to seek refunds, and the venue later reopened under different operators and brands.

  Source

• 2011

  Expand beyond the core Anaheim performancesStrategy

  Background

  Weak attendance and the availability of a large dedicated venue encouraged management to seek additional revenue sources.

  Action taken

  The company arranged a Las Vegas engagement and rented the Anaheim facility for other productions and events.

  Aftermath

  The supplementary strategy produced further contractual and regulatory difficulties, including the abrupt end of Blink! and city intervention over certain events.

  Source

• 2010

  Build a destination dance dinner theater near DisneylandStrategy

  Background

  Gelabert sought to apply the dinner-theater model to the rising popularity of televised dance competitions and chose Anaheim as a major tourism market.

  Action taken

  The company developed a purpose-built, 40,000-square-foot venue with a 950-seat theater and restaurant.

  Aftermath

  The production received favorable critical notices but did not attract enough visitors for a sustainable run.

  Reported investor capital. $10 million (Project development and opening period, reported in 2011)

  Source

1. 1Battle of the Danceen.wikipedia.org