Two high-octane, exotic dance productions are high-stepping it to Shanghai. One combines Irish dance with flamenco and salsa, the other is out of the "Arabian Nights," belly dancers and all, writes Michelle Qiao.

As amateur dancing classes are mush-rooming in the city, two exotic dance shows are making their way to Shanghai to satisfy the increasing number of dance fans.

"Night of the Sultans" will present an exotic performance to Shanghai audiences next month, with authentic belly dancers.

Inspired by the brilliant Irish dance show "River Dance," the creator of "Spirit of the Dance" wanted to take things a step further.

The heart-pounding Irish dance combines the sensual Latin rhythms of flamenco and red-hot salsa in a thrilling production of strength and passion.

Formed in 1997, the ensemble composed of top Irish dancers aged from 18 to 25 is famous for their frenetic skill, military precision and a kind of raw, explosive energy.

In addition, it's a spectacular show with brilliant lighting and 500 dazzling costumes, which has won Golden Globe Awards for Best Choreography and Best International Production.

Another exotic dance, "Night of the Sultans," will showcase how the Occident once viewed the Orient, a world full of belly dancing women, sword-fighting men, glittering clothing and seductive rhythms.

The large dance theater production will offer a mixture of modern dance, ballet, Oriental folklore and acrobatics for one and a half hours. The dance troop is mostly Turkish, but its members also come from Russia, Ossetia, Ingushetia and other regions of east Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The show subtitled "Pandora's Legend" presents a new version of the saga of Prometheus.

After Prometheus creates humans and gives them fire, in spite of a divine ban, Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworking, creates the beautiful Pandora and sends her to Earth with her box of evil. There she seduces Prometheus and evil emerges. Prometheus, a son of the gods, is placed in chains until the humans rebel and release him.

However, instead of having Prometheus being chained to the cliff in the Caucasus for thousands of years, with an eagle feeding on his liver, this show has a happy ending in Hollywood style: a wedding in white and a magnificent finale, including fireworks.

It's an entertaining show with rapid changes between sensual solos by the male and female leads and the superb group performances, jazzed up with athletic extras such as somersaults, split leaps and energetic spins. A broad mixture of styles, from Eastern flute and sitar melodies to Western pop tunes, accompany the dancers.

The highlight is the extraordinary leading belly dancers - not just any belly dancer but the mother of all belly dancers - who shakes her hip and bends and contorts like a snake.

Maybe the two dance shows will inspire more people to put on their dancing shoes and dance, dance, dance.

"Spirit of the Dance"
Date: September 30-October 1, 7:30pm
Venue: Majestic Theater, 66 Jiangning Rd
Tickets: 180-880 yuan
Tel: 021-62172426

"Night of the Sultans"
Date: October 20-22, 7:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Grand Stage, 1111 Caoxi Rd N.
Tickets: 100-980 yuan
Tel: 021-63529268/62720455