Coming Full Cirque

Not all Cirque du Soleil shows are the same. Senior artistic director Alison Crawford promises that even if you've seen the impressive acrobatics and fabulous costumes the Canadian entertainment empire is known for, the latest incarnation of Dralion is sure to be something new. The performance premiered in 1999 with the idea of melding Eastern and Western circus traditions, symbolized by the dragon and lion, respectively. Put them together and you get Dralion. The show, Crawford says, has evolved since its inception to include even more stunning acrobatics and fresh acts.

"In the concept of it, [director] Guy Caron really wanted to have some of the really old, ancient acrobatics of the Chinese, which we don't see much," explains Crawford. "Of course, it's updated in the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil."

The concept personifies the four elements as differently color-coded dancers, but what audiences come back to see are the dazzling stunts: performers diving through bamboo hoops, balancing at dangerous heights, and contorting their bodies in ways that would send a normal person to the emergency room.

"It's a high-energy show, so people will go out feeling exhilarated," promises Crawford.