Shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" have been such big hits on TV for so long that it's actually kind of surprising that it took until now for a permanent dance-centric show to come to the Las Vegas Strip. For fans of the art form, it was worth the wait.

JabbaWockeeZ got their big break on another televised dance competition, "America's Best Dance Crew" on MTV. Their gimmick was what set them apart - all of the dancers are covered from head to toe, including masks - but it was their talent in the hip-hop style that allowed them to take the title.

After a series of sold-out short-stint runs at MGM Grand, JabbaWockeeZ got the full-time gig at Monte Carlo in October of 2010.

The show is basically a series of hip-hop style dance routines wrapped up in a sort of ethereal, "let's try to make this deeper and more meaningful than it really is" aesthetic. They really shouldn't be trying that hard to turn it into some sort of artistic statement - it's the precision dance work that is drawing the audience.

Having said that, their masked shtick is fun and often funny. The crew's blank-expression face coverings evokes a dancing version of the Blue Man Group especially when they are doing audience participation skits or their versions of classic Las Vegas entertainment (everything from showgirls to Elvis).

But it is the dancing that captivates. The crew of eight guys (are they guys? who knows?) specializes in hip-hop movement but they throw in a mix of other styles from pop and lock to B-boy to even some modern, almost lyrical movement. If you don't know what any of that means, this may not be the show for you although you could find yourself surprised even if all you know is ballroom.

It's also worth noting that most of it is not the high-energy hip hop that you might see on music videos or even in segments on SYTYCD. It's slower and more exacting as the group moves in waves of motion, interacting with one another in ingenious and exciting ways.

Every now and then they will kick it up a few notches and at times the show approaches something like brilliance. The do their version of dance's greatest hits starting with a hip-hop homage to Gene Kelly in "Singing in the Rain" and blasting through James Brown and '70s funk, and 80's rap styles. It's a genius moment with a soundtrack that should be made available in the gift shop out front.

The show is not perfect -- it could use some tightening here and there as some of the numbers go on too long and others are a bit repetitive. And again, I could also do with a little less of the dance as a metaphor for the mysteries of life trappings.

But quibbles aside, this is really a must-see for fans of the hip-hop dance genre and for fans of dance in general. It's fresh, innovative, and a complete change of pace for a major hotel showroom. Welcome to Las Vegas JabbaWockeeZ - we've been waiting for something like you.