Dancing with the stars at sea in Asia

The production team on Celebrity Millennium is first class in every way  (Cristian Silasi)

SOUTH CHINA SEA — You have to go a long way to top the quality and production values of the entertainment offered by Celebrity Cruises.

Shipboard musicians are first-rate providing varied and superb accompaniment for a highly talented array of outside performers as well as the line's own singers and dancers.

Gymnastics on the dance floor
(Cristian Silasi)

All cruise lines offer shipboard productions but frequently they are a blend of colorful costumes and second tier talent...lots of sizzle without the steak. Not with Celebrity. From the moment Celebrity's exuberant youthful artists step on the stage you know you are in for something unique. This is major league stuff that goes beyond traditional onboard entertainment.

Enthusiasm, talent and first-rate choreography define Millennium's dancers  (Cristian Silasi)

The key is the obvious enthusiasm and joy each performer brings to their shows twice each night. They are dedicated to their craft and they demonstrate it with precision movements, graceful leaps and outstanding showmanship.

For the dance team on Celebrity Millennium, it began in March of this year when they gathered in Florida for two months of intensive rehearsals before heading to sea.

Bob Fosse would be proud of the Millennium dancers
(Cristian Silasi)

Now sailing through Asia the performers have been entertaining passengers ever since leaving cruisers electrified with the rhythms of fast-paced music and intricate choreography that brings audiences to their feet after each performance.

Celebrity features 18 productions which have been exclusively created for their onboard shows. Obviously, all of the presentations are not performed on any single cruise, but depending upon the length of the itinerary, passengers will experience at least three or more of them.

Leaps and bounds
(Cristian Silasi)

Thanks to the popularity of the television reality show "Dancing with the Stars", in one production the dance team swings into a rousing extravaganza of classic ballroom dances ranging from the passionate tango to rhythms of the rhumba in a blitz of the old razzle-dazzle and more than its share of energy.

Each show is less than an hour but each is filled with enough pure entertainment that every evening presents a new adventure.

Another show designed especially for Celebrity  Millennium features Boogie Woogie music adapted from the hit West End musical of the 70s. The story follows disco hits throughout the decade that somehow lost its way in a world of psychedelic fashion.

"Phantom of the Opera" is a highlight of "iBroadway"
(Cristian Silasi)

Watching the "iBroadway" show leaves audiences breathlessly wondering how the performers can keep up the pace twice in a night. Incorporating music from the most popular Broadway shows and presenting them in a fast-paced slick contemporary production pays tribute to the best of the theatrical stages in London and New York.

Duties also include dance instruction for passengers  (Taylor)

Beyond their shows however, the cast also instructs  passengers in ballroom dance classes including Meringue, Swing and other favorites.

Night owls typically head for one of the lounges following dinner and, often, the singers and dancers are on hand again to rev up nocturnal passengers, especially when the next day is at sea and "sleeping in" is on the agenda.

Millennium's singers and band are equally superb
(Cristian Silasi)

Though it may appear glamorous on the surface, shipboard life can be a grind. The hours are long and frequently erratic. The crew from wait staff to housekeeping to lounge musicians to the entertainers always appreciate an acknowledgement of their efforts to offer their passengers the best possible cruise experience.

Stars in every way
(Cristian Silasi)

Currently Millennium's show team is in rehearsal for a new production. When combined with their other regular duties, free time is of the essence as the work load increases.

In the end however, it is the passengers who benefit with yet another first-rate world class show.

Celebrity Millennium in port in Asia  (wikipedia)

After each performance cast members greet passengers for congratulations and pictures, but, for the entertainers the story runs far deeper. For this is about the love of music and dance and the joy of theater.

Cruising is great value for the travel dollar, but with the Celebrity singers, dancers and bands you get unsurpassed bang for your buck.