JabbaWocKeez "Mus.i.C" in Vegas

May 7 marks the opening night for the JabbaWocKeez's Las Vegas show, "Mus.i.C" at the Hollywood Theater in the MGM Grand. There's a lot of excitement among industry insiders and the hip hop dance community who are attending tonight. This show is a significant step since it's a high profile hip hop crew marketing themselves on the same level as other big-name Vegas entertainers. Vegas is known for entertainment spectacle, ranging from Broadway musicals to magic shows to cabarets. It's a milestone for the JabbaWocKeeZ to take this stage, especially after these past two years since they won America's Best Dance Crew season one. So now, we'll see if the mainstream public is willing to pay top dollar for a show from one of the most recognizable dance crews in recent years.

You can find ticket information for the show at:

http://www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/hollywood-theater.aspx

Chances are that this opening weekend will be packed. Friends, family, and dance enthusiasts will probably flock to the show during the next few days. The big test will be towards the middle and end of the show's run. Will people who've never heard of the JabbaWocKeeZ be willing to pay for tickets to this show? If so, then this could be the beginning of more hip hop theatrical shows at major entertainment venues. More performance opportunities. And a wider perception that dancers themselves can be the focus of a storyline or show.

Will this bring us back to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals when Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were top entertainers of their time? Probably not, but we could be moving into a new era when dancers are able to carve their own specific niche of entertainment. If Cirque Du Soleil can unite the circus arts into a marketable form of public entertainment, then it will take a unique group of minds to bring hip hop dance to that level or beyond. We might be starting that journey right now.