Splash! is the experience of a story brought to life in a way audiences have never seen before - a dynamic live art experience combining art, music and choreography. Each Splash! show begins in a flurry of excited, choreographed motions and flying paint, and ends with an amazing work of art. Splash! shows has traveled the world and amazed millions. This award-winning worldwide success has inspired an entirely new generation of fans.
The story begins in the middle of summer, 2006, when we were asked to develop a show for the nighttime entertainment at the World Famous San Diego Zoo. In response, we created a show featuring choreographed live art performances of endangered animals on huge canvases to high energy music. The show also included a volunteer interaction where children were pulled from the audience and quizzed about the animal that was just performed. A conservation message was included in both the introduction and closing of each show in order to highlight the plight of endangered animals.
On October 6, 2006 the first Splash! Animals show was born. The first show was actually an audition. It was mid morning, and as yet unnamed, show began. The very first audience was made up of early going zoo guests, employees and zoo executives and their response was overwhelming.
Performances officially began at the World Famous San Diego Zoo on June 26, 2007.
Today, Splash! Shows are performed across the US and internationally from California to Florida, Maryland, Mexico and at venues such as our birthplace, the World Famous San Diego Zoo, Downtown Disney, National Geographic Headquarters, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. In addition, Splash! brings their unique live art experience to schools and children’s venues nationally. The Splash! Animals show has raised funds and donated services and paintings to conservation partners such as the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, National Geographic, and The World Famous San Diego Zoo.
Splash! Animals is growing in popularity because the message resonates in today’s world. The introduction of every show begins: We must Share the Earth and learn to survive together, in our ever-changing world. Splash! Animals was the first show to incorporate the art of speed painting with animals and a strong message. There is simply no other show that combines live art performances and our message of Share the Earth™. Splash! Animals is truly a one-of-a-kind original.
Splash! has launched a major expansion of its entertainment offerings beginning with Splash! Movies in August, 2011.
The Splash! style of paintings is derived from the paintings of Denny Dent, the father of the performance art called speed painting.
Denny Dent is considered the world's only "rock and roll painter". He was the first to combine frenetic performance, and live portrait painting of famous icons of the era, most notably musicians in 1980. With three brushes in each hand, Dent would bring portraits to life on six-foot canvases in the time it would take to play a few carefully selected pieces of music. Dent called his performance a “Two-Fisted Art Attack.”
Dent’s unique portraits combined bright colors on a black background allowing him to use the negative space to create unique and dynamic images. His favorite subjects were musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, and John Lennon, but he also performed many other iconic figures such as Einstein and Martin Luther King, Jr. during his career.
Since then, many artists have endeavored to recreate the style and energy of Dent’s unique brand of art and performance, but there remains only one Denny Dent, the true originator of speed painting.
"It's not what you do, it's the way you do it that makes you an artist. Whatever you do... do it with all your heart. Be what you are... Be creative!" - Denny Dent
