A dinner show is slated to bring battling hoofers and about 180 jobs to Anaheim in coming months.
Battle of the Dance plans to hire cast members, technical specialists and kitchen help and dining room servers. The action is expected after renovations are completed on a 40,000-square-foot building on Harbor Boulevard just north of Chapman Avenue.
The show will pit Latin, flamenco, Celtic and hip-hop dancers against each other while diners look on. Dancers in the various categories will vie to win a nightly challenge.
“We’ll have a tremendous amount of performers—both locally and from abroad—come to entertain guests,” said Andres Cibotti, who serves as vice president of marketing for Battle of the Dance and holds the same title for Spanish parent company Son Amar.
The dinner show hopes to catch some momentum from the ongoing popularity of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Both TV shows pit teams of celebrities and professional dancers against one another in a formula that has brought strong ratings.
“With the popularity of dance shows on TV, I think families and everyone in general has been waiting to see the concept live,” Cibotti said. “The main reason we created the concept was to bring it to the U.S.”
Battle of the Dance will be operated by Harbor Showcase Ltd. It will be based on the dinner show Son Amar in Mallorca, Spain. The show has operated there for nearly 35 years, with dancers, magicians and other performers entertaining dinner guests.
“We’ve had millions of people come to see the show,” Cibotti said.
Cibotti said he hopes the Anaheim restaurant will be the first in an international chain.
The restaurant will be set up like an auditorium, with the stage at the front.
“Everyone will be facing the show,” Cibotti said. “At the end of the night, guests will applaud, and we’ll know who the winners are.”
Battle of the Dance will compete with a couple of nearby dinner shows. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, part of Mexico’s Excellence Group Luxury Resorts, is a few miles away in Buena Park. Another Buena Park attraction called Pirates Dinner Adventure, part of Spain’s Odien Inc., also is nearby.
Upscale Hopes
Cibotti said Battle of the Dance will aim for the higher end of the market.
“We are a completely different dinner show concept from the others,” he said. “We have an upscale menu and fantastic worldwide performers.”
Cibotti said he expects Battle of the Dance to benefit from its location, drawing visitors in town visiting the Disneyland Resort or conventioneers.
“We are already working with the Anaheim Convention Center to make our venue appealing to visiting companies and trade groups,” Cibotti said.
The company also plans to rent the space out for business meetings and other events during off hours.
“We have a nightly show planned, but we’re looking at hosting events throughout the day for businesses and other groups,” Cibotti said.
Battle of the Dance began looking for locations for its debut in the U.S. about two years ago, according to Cibotti.
Several cities were considered as sites for the dinner show before the company settled on Anaheim.
Anaheim as Showcase
“We searched for a long time for the location,” Cibotti said. “Anaheim is the perfect place to showcase a world-class experience.”
The company plans to hire up to 50 dancers to compete on the stage. It recently held auditions at the Anaheim Ballet and Dance Arts Academy in Los Angeles.
A majority of the dancers were hired locally, but several are being flown in from Mallorca.
“We’re working on filing visas right now for some of our lead dancers,” Cibotti said.
Initially the company planned on flying the 50-plus performers to train with choreographers and other dancers in Mallorca. Due to timing and cost, key performers and chorographers instead will come to OC to train the new hires.
“We have to bring them here, to the Anaheim area, and we’re in discussions right now with dance studios to do much of the training here,” Cibotti said.
The restaurant is set to include a lobby with nightclub ambience, two full service kitchens and room for 950 diners, Cibotti said.
Platinum Program
Tickets to the dinner show will range from $60 to $90 for adults and $30 to $45 for children.
The more expensive tickets will get visitors the “platinum experience,” with extra menu choices offered in a VIP lounge and a chance to meet dancers after the show.
“We (have) a high-end, upscale menu with executive chefs to make the dinner as good as the show,” Cibotti said.
The restaurant was slated to open this December, but construction delays have pushed the opening date to early 2011.
“We don’t have a specific date yet, but it will be in the first quarter,” Cibotti said.
The company plans to advertise the show through TV, radio and print media.
“We will go straight to the consumer market through traditional media,” Cibotti said.
