Dancing in the Stars

All deities to the dance floor, please. ... All deities to the dance floor.

Time to shake-shake-shake, shake-shake-shake, shake that Almighty Booty.

(We won't giggle, gods. No one wants a lightning bolt where you made sure the sun won't shine.)

"We're banished to Earth after we're voted off 'Dancing with the Gods,' " says Michael Kessler, in his offstage mortal coil. "We have one week to inspire two mortals, or we'll be permanently banished from immortality."

"Dancing with the Gods": Taped at Mount Olympus Studios and sponsored by Greek mythology.

So goes the premise that propels "Dancin' Feet," the extrava-dance-za that swirls, twirls, taps and tangos into the South Point for a one-show-only engagement Sunday, starring the fleet-footed "Feet" team of Kessler and his wife, Melinda Jackson, a pair of showbiz vets who cut a Broadway rug in Tommy Tune's "Grand Hotel."

"They realize in attempting to inspire all these mortals as they travel through time that they have become the mortals," Jackson says. "Then Zeus reappears to them."

Gutsy, only giving Zeus a supporting gig.

Created and choreographed by Kessler and Jackson -- who bill themselves and their 12-member cast as M&M American Dance Theatre -- "Dancin' Feet" succeeds the couple's previous South Point production, "Let's Dance," last November. Performed to prerecorded orchestral tracks, the "Dancin' Feet" numbers celebrate what's commonly called the Great American Songbook, featuring such classics as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Night and Day" and "Mona Lisa," with jazzy, updated arrangements by Keith Thompson (musical director of "Jersey Boys") and Broadway stalwart Peter Howard ("Chicago").

"Those are great lyrics and melodies that can stand up to all kinds of interesting arrangements," Kessler says. "They're classic tunes, but the way we've treated them is extremely contemporary."

Kessler and Jackson portray Dancinmannio and Twinkletoenia (no giggling, unless you're prepared for that uncomfortably placed lightning bolt), a pair of dancin' demigods. Long fascinated by Greek mythology, Kessler constructed the story around "two themes that are very important to us: inspiration and love. The moral is that you have to inspire yourself to inspire others, and part of it is our personal love affair that's always reflected in the work we do, because we've been together a long time."

Along the way, Dancinmannio and Twinkletoenia (OK, you can giggle a little) encounter such figures as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, their story expressed largely through their "Dancin' Feet" -- hot tangos, cool jazz, sweeping ballroom, graceful ballet, even Bob Fosse-style steps.

"It's far more dance-heavy than your average musical, a unique style of acrobatic, romantic and elegant musical theater," says Kessler, who with Jackson has built an eclectic resume, including starring in "The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular" that had an extended run at the Flamingo Las Vegas, performing in opera houses and playing "the blind countess" and "the gigolo" in "Grand Hotel."

"We have a history of telling stories through dance," Jackson says. "With 'Dancing with the Stars' and the emphasis of dance on television, it's very hot right now. But dance used as a vehicle to tell a story is still not used out here as much." Ex-New Yorkers now based in Las Vegas, Jackson and Kessler have designs on developing "Dancin' Feet" into a permanent, Strip-worthy production.

"We raised all the money ourselves, and it's a work of love," Jackson says. "We're certainly looking for a regular home here in Vegas."

Without outside backing, "Dancin' Feet" lacks opulent production values, but Kessler maintains that necessity is the mother of cost-saving creativity. "We use choreography and lighting to create time and place, as opposed to relying on a painted backdrop or hard sets," he says.

"When we did 'Grand Hotel,' the set was extremely minimal. Pretty much everything was done with chairs, the way Tommy Tune created this grand Berlin Hotel just by the way the chairs were moved around. It's utilizing the space and the human factor, and sometimes that can be even more compelling than fantastic sets -- although I'd love to have fantastic sets."

With Zeus looking out for them -- assuming he's not ticked getting second-banana billing -- perhaps such instantly identifiable Vegas teams as Siegfried & Roy and Penn & Teller will soon be joined by Dancinmannio & Twinkletoenia.

Fine. Go ahead and guffaw. ... Guess where Big Z is aiming that lightning bolt.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.