6/1/14: Cirque du Soleil Amaluna

We love taking the kids to unique shows.  I think it is great to expose them to all types including theatre, ice shows, circuses and more.  I had not taken them to Cirque du Soleil yet but I knew they would love it.  Cirque du Soleil is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month!  Did you know that they started with 20 street performers in Quebec in 1984?  Since then they have entertained more than 150 million spectators in more than 300 different cities in over 40 countries on six continents.  The show goes until July 6th so there is still time to buy tickets.  I highly suggest taking the whole family.  My 7 and 9 year olds loved it.

 The site of the Big Top takes 8 days to completely set up and 3 days to tear down. This includes the installation of the Big Top, the VIP Rouge tent, entrance and artistic tents, box office, administrative offices, and a kitchen and dining area for cast and crew.  A total of 65 trucks transport close to 2,000 tons of equipment for Amaluna and the Big Top stands 19 meters high, is 51 meters in diameter and is supported by 4 masts, each 25 meters tall.  The Big Top seats around 2,600 people and requires a team of approximately 85 people to raise it.

We have seen a variety of Cirque du Soleil shows over the years and loved them all.  I was very happy that they were coming to Boston with their new show Amaluna.  The name Amaluna is a fusion of the words ama, which refers to “mother” in many languages, and luna, which means “moon,” a symbol of femininity that evokes both the mother-daughter relationship and the idea of goddess and protector of the planet.  Amaluna is also the name of the mysterious island where the story unfolds.  For the first time in Cirque du Soleil’s history, Amaluna features a cast that comprises 70% women, with a 100% female band. “Amaluna is a tribute to the work and voice of women”, explains Director of Creation Fernand Rainville. What I love about their shows is that you never know what is coming next.  Every act is so impressive plus with a theatre in the round you are never far from the action.

The first half had some amazing acts that were so visually stunning.  There were acrobats twirling glowing watermeteors.  Watching them flip and toss the watermeteors was awesome.

Then there was handbalancing over a water bowl where she also dove in.  The flexibility was unbelievable and she was mesmerizing to watch.  My husband and I both thought this was the most amazing hand balancing we had seen.  This was my favorite part of the show and the kids too.  The waterbowl weighs 6,000lbs and takes 1,500 liters of water, with four hours to fill it! The water is always heated to 98 degrees farenheit.

 There was uneven bars which Lauren especially liked with all the gymnastics she takes.  This is the first time they have ever used the uneven bars in a Cirque du Soleil show.

There were amazing guys that did teeterboard.  The height and skill they had made the kids oh and ah.

There was a balance goddess.  She balanced palm leaf ribs.  As amazing as this was I think this is the only part of the show that dragged a little as you waited for her to place each one.

There was pole work where you knew there was so much strength involved to do what the performer was doing.

There was some funny parts to the show too.  The kids got a kick out of these two.  They play the parts of the clowns during the show.

There was also aerial strap work, dancing and juggling.  Amaluna currently has 114 employees, including 47 artists, from 17 different countries.  In each city, they employ 50 ‘cirquadors’ (local staff) in customer service roles.

Close to 15 million people saw a Cirque du Soleil show in 2013 and you should go too!  Their next stop after Boston is Washington, DC.
Go HERE to save $10 per ticket.

I highly suggest taking the whole family.  I am sure your kids will love it and I know you will too.

Here is a preview of the show:

Find them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CirqueduSoleil
Twitter: @cirque

Disclosure:  I was provided with 4 tickets for my family to attend the show and 4 tickets to giveaway.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.