diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/animation/animation_compiler.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/animation/animation_compiler.ts
index a16b256865726f..349c5596063e8a 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/animation/animation_compiler.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/animation/animation_compiler.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export class AnimationCompiler {
         groupedErrors.push(errorMessage);
       }
 
-      var factoryName = `${component.type.name}_${entry.name}_${index}`;
+      var factoryName = `${component.type.name}_${entry.name}`;
       index++;
 
       var visitor = new _AnimationBuilder(entry.name, factoryName);
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/compile_metadata.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/compile_metadata.ts
index 2c124390843407..45a8ee829ff0eb 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/compile_metadata.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/compile_metadata.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ import {getUrlScheme} from './url_resolver';
 import {sanitizeIdentifier, splitAtColon} from './util';
 
 
-
+// group 0: "[prop] or (event) or @trigger"
+// group 1: "prop" from "[prop]"
 // group 2: "event" from "(event)"
-var HOST_REG_EXP = /^(?:(?:\[([^\]]+)\])|(?:\(([^\)]+)\)))$/g;
+// group 3: "@trigger" from "@trigger"
+var HOST_REG_EXP = /^(?:(?:\[([^\]]+)\])|(?:\(([^\)]+)\)))|(\@[-\w]+)$/g;
 
 export abstract class CompileMetadataWithIdentifier {
   abstract toJson(): {[key: string]: any};
@@ -741,6 +743,8 @@ export class CompileDirectiveMetadata implements CompileMetadataWithType {
           hostProperties[matches[1]] = value;
         } else if (isPresent(matches[2])) {
           hostListeners[matches[2]] = value;
+        } else if (isPresent(matches[3])) {
+          hostProperties[matches[3]] = value;
         }
       });
     }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/template_parser.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/template_parser.ts
index fcc4c16a241a56..e506e0aafb141c 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/template_parser.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/template_parser.ts
@@ -774,13 +774,20 @@ class TemplateParseVisitor implements HtmlAstVisitor {
     const parts = name.split(PROPERTY_PARTS_SEPARATOR);
     let securityContext: SecurityContext;
     if (parts.length === 1) {
-      boundPropertyName = this._schemaRegistry.getMappedPropName(parts[0]);
-      securityContext = this._schemaRegistry.securityContext(elementName, boundPropertyName);
-      bindingType = PropertyBindingType.Property;
-      if (!this._schemaRegistry.hasProperty(elementName, boundPropertyName)) {
-        this._reportError(
-            `Can't bind to '${boundPropertyName}' since it isn't a known native property`,
-            sourceSpan);
+      var partValue = parts[0];
+      if (partValue[0] == '@') {
+        boundPropertyName = partValue.substr(1);
+        bindingType = PropertyBindingType.Animation;
+        securityContext = SecurityContext.NONE;
+      } else {
+        boundPropertyName = this._schemaRegistry.getMappedPropName(partValue);
+        securityContext = this._schemaRegistry.securityContext(elementName, boundPropertyName);
+        bindingType = PropertyBindingType.Property;
+        if (!this._schemaRegistry.hasProperty(elementName, boundPropertyName)) {
+          this._reportError(
+              `Can't bind to '${boundPropertyName}' since it isn't a known native property`,
+              sourceSpan);
+        }
       }
     } else {
       if (parts[0] == ATTRIBUTE_PREFIX) {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/compile_view.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/compile_view.ts
index d5b68ec857224c..1220360fa37304 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/compile_view.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/compile_view.ts
@@ -65,16 +65,14 @@ export class CompileView implements NameResolver {
   public literalArrayCount = 0;
   public literalMapCount = 0;
   public pipeCount = 0;
-  public animations = new Map<string, CompiledAnimation>();
 
   public componentContext: o.Expression;
 
   constructor(
       public component: CompileDirectiveMetadata, public genConfig: CompilerConfig,
       public pipeMetas: CompilePipeMetadata[], public styles: o.Expression,
-      animations: CompiledAnimation[], public viewIndex: number,
+      public animations: CompiledAnimation[], public viewIndex: number,
       public declarationElement: CompileElement, public templateVariableBindings: string[][]) {
-    animations.forEach(entry => this.animations.set(entry.name, entry));
     this.createMethod = new CompileMethod(this);
     this.injectorGetMethod = new CompileMethod(this);
     this.updateContentQueriesMethod = new CompileMethod(this);
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/property_binder.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/property_binder.ts
index 2d59a2e2d77bee..8fdc7f3f39e922 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/property_binder.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/property_binder.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import {CompileView} from './compile_view';
 import {DetectChangesVars, ViewProperties} from './constants';
 import {convertCdExpressionToIr} from './expression_converter';
 
-
 function createBindFieldExpr(exprIndex: number): o.ReadPropExpr {
   return o.THIS_EXPR.prop(`_expr_${exprIndex}`);
 }
@@ -85,7 +84,8 @@ export function bindRenderText(
 }
 
 function bindAndWriteToRenderer(
-    boundProps: BoundElementPropertyAst[], context: o.Expression, compileElement: CompileElement) {
+    boundProps: BoundElementPropertyAst[], context: o.Expression, compileElement: CompileElement,
+    isHostProp: boolean) {
   var view = compileElement.view;
   var renderNode = compileElement.renderNode;
   boundProps.forEach((boundProp) => {
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ function bindAndWriteToRenderer(
         if (isPresent(boundProp.unit)) {
           strValue = strValue.plus(o.literal(boundProp.unit));
         }
+
         renderValue = renderValue.isBlank().conditional(o.NULL_EXPR, strValue);
         updateStmts.push(
             o.THIS_EXPR.prop('renderer')
@@ -137,7 +138,13 @@ function bindAndWriteToRenderer(
         break;
       case PropertyBindingType.Animation:
         var animationName = boundProp.name;
-        var animation = view.componentView.animations.get(animationName);
+        var targetViewExpr: o.Expression = o.THIS_EXPR;
+        if (isHostProp) {
+          targetViewExpr = compileElement.appElement.prop('componentView');
+        }
+
+        var animationFnExpr =
+            targetViewExpr.prop('componentType').prop('animations').key(o.literal(animationName));
 
         // it's important to normalize the void value as `void` explicitly
         // so that the styles data can be obtained from the stringmap
@@ -158,11 +165,10 @@ function bindAndWriteToRenderer(
             [newRenderVar.set(emptyStateValue).toStmt()]));
 
         updateStmts.push(
-            animation.fnVariable.callFn([o.THIS_EXPR, renderNode, oldRenderVar, newRenderVar])
-                .toStmt());
+            animationFnExpr.callFn([o.THIS_EXPR, renderNode, oldRenderVar, newRenderVar]).toStmt());
 
         view.detachMethod.addStmt(
-            animation.fnVariable.callFn([o.THIS_EXPR, renderNode, oldRenderValue, emptyStateValue])
+            animationFnExpr.callFn([o.THIS_EXPR, renderNode, oldRenderValue, emptyStateValue])
                 .toStmt());
 
         if (!_animationViewCheckedFlagMap.get(view)) {
@@ -212,13 +218,13 @@ function sanitizedValue(
 
 export function bindRenderInputs(
     boundProps: BoundElementPropertyAst[], compileElement: CompileElement): void {
-  bindAndWriteToRenderer(boundProps, compileElement.view.componentContext, compileElement);
+  bindAndWriteToRenderer(boundProps, compileElement.view.componentContext, compileElement, false);
 }
 
 export function bindDirectiveHostProps(
     directiveAst: DirectiveAst, directiveInstance: o.Expression,
     compileElement: CompileElement): void {
-  bindAndWriteToRenderer(directiveAst.hostProperties, directiveInstance, compileElement);
+  bindAndWriteToRenderer(directiveAst.hostProperties, directiveInstance, compileElement, true);
 }
 
 export function bindDirectiveInputs(
diff --git a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
index 0990c225a79de2..183fdd5f888b81 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/compiler/src/view_compiler/view_builder.ts
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ function createViewFactory(
     templateUrlInfo = view.component.template.templateUrl;
   }
   if (view.viewIndex === 0) {
+    var animationsExpr = o.literalMap(view.animations.map(entry => [entry.name, entry.fnVariable]));
     initRenderCompTypeStmts = [new o.IfStmt(renderCompTypeVar.identical(o.NULL_EXPR), [
       renderCompTypeVar
           .set(ViewConstructorVars.viewUtils.callMethod(
@@ -507,7 +508,8 @@ function createViewFactory(
               [
                 o.literal(templateUrlInfo),
                 o.literal(view.component.template.ngContentSelectors.length),
-                ViewEncapsulationEnum.fromValue(view.component.template.encapsulation), view.styles
+                ViewEncapsulationEnum.fromValue(view.component.template.encapsulation), view.styles,
+                animationsExpr
               ]))
           .toStmt()
     ])];
diff --git a/modules/@angular/core/src/linker/view_utils.ts b/modules/@angular/core/src/linker/view_utils.ts
index 299108f51a4477..c198695ac4d231 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/core/src/linker/view_utils.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/core/src/linker/view_utils.ts
@@ -34,11 +34,13 @@ export class ViewUtils {
   /**
    * Used by the generated code
    */
+  // TODO (matsko): add typing for the animation function
   createRenderComponentType(
       templateUrl: string, slotCount: number, encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation,
-      styles: Array<string|any[]>): RenderComponentType {
+      styles: Array<string|any[]>, animations: {[key: string]: Function}): RenderComponentType {
     return new RenderComponentType(
-        `${this._appId}-${this._nextCompTypeId++}`, templateUrl, slotCount, encapsulation, styles);
+        `${this._appId}-${this._nextCompTypeId++}`, templateUrl, slotCount, encapsulation, styles,
+        animations);
   }
 
   /** @internal */
diff --git a/modules/@angular/core/src/render/api.ts b/modules/@angular/core/src/render/api.ts
index b26cd8e0107a74..8c581055b9a690 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/core/src/render/api.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/core/src/render/api.ts
@@ -13,14 +13,15 @@ import {Injector} from '../di/injector';
 import {unimplemented} from '../facade/exceptions';
 import {ViewEncapsulation} from '../metadata/view';
 
-
 /**
  * @experimental
  */
+// TODO (matsko): add typing for the animation function
 export class RenderComponentType {
   constructor(
       public id: string, public templateUrl: string, public slotCount: number,
-      public encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation, public styles: Array<string|any[]>) {}
+      public encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation, public styles: Array<string|any[]>,
+      public animations: {[key: string]: Function}) {}
 }
 
 export abstract class RenderDebugInfo {
diff --git a/modules/@angular/core/test/animation/animation_integration_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/core/test/animation/animation_integration_spec.ts
index 74b669124cd85e..f6622638aa5d97 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/core/test/animation/animation_integration_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/core/test/animation/animation_integration_spec.ts
@@ -894,6 +894,27 @@ function declareTests({useJit}: {useJit: boolean}) {
                    });
              })));
 
+      it('should be permitted to be registered on the host element',
+         inject(
+             [TestComponentBuilder, AnimationDriver],
+             fakeAsync((tcb: TestComponentBuilder, driver: MockAnimationDriver) => {
+               tcb = tcb.overrideAnimations(DummyLoadingCmp, [trigger('loading', [
+                                              state('final', style({'background': 'grey'})),
+                                              transition('* => final', [animate(1000)])
+                                            ])]);
+               tcb.createAsync(DummyLoadingCmp).then(fixture => {
+                 var cmp = fixture.debugElement.componentInstance;
+                 cmp.exp = 'final';
+                 fixture.detectChanges();
+                 flushMicrotasks();
+
+                 var animation = driver.log.pop();
+                 var keyframes = animation['keyframeLookup'];
+                 expect(keyframes[1]).toEqual([1, {'background': 'grey'}]);
+               });
+               tick();
+             })));
+
       it('should retain the destination animation state styles once the animation is complete',
          inject(
              [TestComponentBuilder, AnimationDriver],
@@ -1183,18 +1204,6 @@ function declareTests({useJit}: {useJit: boolean}) {
   });
 }
 
-@Component({
-  selector: 'if-cmp',
-  directives: [NgIf],
-  template: `
-    <div *ngIf="exp" [@myAnimation]="exp"></div>
-  `
-})
-class DummyIfCmp {
-  exp = false;
-  exp2 = false;
-}
-
 class InnerContentTrackingAnimationDriver extends MockAnimationDriver {
   animate(
       element: any, startingStyles: AnimationStyles, keyframes: AnimationKeyframe[],
@@ -1208,12 +1217,39 @@ class InnerContentTrackingAnimationDriver extends MockAnimationDriver {
 
 class InnerContentTrackingAnimationPlayer extends MockAnimationPlayer {
   constructor(public element: any) { super(); }
+
   public computedHeight: number;
   public capturedInnerText: string;
   public playAttempts = 0;
+
   init() { this.computedHeight = getDOM().getComputedStyle(this.element)['height']; }
+
   play() {
     this.playAttempts++;
     this.capturedInnerText = this.element.querySelector('.inner').innerText;
   }
 }
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'if-cmp',
+  directives: [NgIf],
+  template: `
+    <div *ngIf="exp" [@myAnimation]="exp"></div>
+  `
+})
+class DummyIfCmp {
+  exp = false;
+  exp2 = false;
+}
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'if-cmp',
+  host: {'@loading': 'exp'},
+  directives: [NgIf],
+  template: `
+    <div>loading...</div>
+  `
+})
+class DummyLoadingCmp {
+  exp = false;
+}
diff --git a/modules/@angular/platform-browser/src/web_workers/shared/serializer.ts b/modules/@angular/platform-browser/src/web_workers/shared/serializer.ts
index a1a76e0c35d868..fcb44e30d8e66f 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/platform-browser/src/web_workers/shared/serializer.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/platform-browser/src/web_workers/shared/serializer.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ export class Serializer {
     return new RenderComponentType(
         map['id'], map['templateUrl'], map['slotCount'],
         this.deserialize(map['encapsulation'], ViewEncapsulation),
-        this.deserialize(map['styles'], PRIMITIVE));
+        this.deserialize(map['styles'], PRIMITIVE), {});
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/playground/src/animate/app/animate-app.ts b/modules/playground/src/animate/app/animate-app.ts
index 36391cf0defd1d..636f2abdda5e76 100644
--- a/modules/playground/src/animate/app/animate-app.ts
+++ b/modules/playground/src/animate/app/animate-app.ts
@@ -19,22 +19,23 @@ import {
 } from '@angular/core';
 
 @Component({
+  host: {
+    '[@backgroundAnimation]': "bgStatus"
+  },
   selector: 'animate-app',
   styleUrls: ['css/animate-app.css'],
   template: `
-    <div [@backgroundAnimation]="bgStatus">
-      <button (click)="state='start'">Start State</button>
-      <button (click)="state='active'">Active State</button>
-      |
-      <button (click)="state='void'">Void State</button>
-      <button (click)="state='default'">Unhandled (default) State</button>
-      <button style="float:right" (click)="bgStatus='blur'">Blur Page</button>
-      <hr />
-      <div *ngFor="let item of items" class="box" [@boxAnimation]="state">
-        {{ item }}
-        <div *ngIf="true">
-          something inside 
-        </div>
+    <button (click)="state='start'">Start State</button>
+    <button (click)="state='active'">Active State</button>
+    |
+    <button (click)="state='void'">Void State</button>
+    <button (click)="state='default'">Unhandled (default) State</button>
+    <button style="float:right" (click)="bgStatus='blur'">Blur Page (Host)</button>
+    <hr />
+    <div *ngFor="let item of items" class="box" [@boxAnimation]="state">
+      {{ item }}
+      <div *ngIf="true">
+        something inside 
       </div>
     </div>
   `,
diff --git a/modules/playground/src/animate/index.html b/modules/playground/src/animate/index.html
index 7e0d0b1467c0ef..acaaacef316115 100644
--- a/modules/playground/src/animate/index.html
+++ b/modules/playground/src/animate/index.html
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@
 <html>
   <title>Animation Example</title>
   <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./css/app.css" />
+  <style>
+    animate-app {
+      display:block;
+      position:fixed;
+      top:0;
+      left:0;
+      right:0;
+      bottom:0;
+      padding:50px;
+    }
+  </style>
 <body>
   <animate-app>Loading...</animate-app>
   <script src="../bootstrap.js"></script>
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/core/index.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/core/index.d.ts
index 156dba1692699a..f268271c86b9a5 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/core/index.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/core/index.d.ts
@@ -1200,12 +1200,17 @@ export declare class ReflectiveKey {
 
 /** @experimental */
 export declare class RenderComponentType {
+    animations: {
+        [key: string]: Function;
+    };
     encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation;
     id: string;
     slotCount: number;
     styles: Array<string | any[]>;
     templateUrl: string;
-    constructor(id: string, templateUrl: string, slotCount: number, encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation, styles: Array<string | any[]>);
+    constructor(id: string, templateUrl: string, slotCount: number, encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation, styles: Array<string | any[]>, animations: {
+        [key: string]: Function;
+    });
 }
 
 /** @experimental */