Cirque du Soleil returning to Birmingham NIA

World famous entertainment troupe Cirque du Soleil will debut its critically-acclaimed production Alegría in UK arenas for the very first time next year, visiting Birmingham's NIA in April 2012.

Alegría is a classic Cirque du Soleil production that has received international acclaim and wowed over 10 million people worldwide since it premiered in 1994 in Montreal. Alegría is a Spanish word that means happiness, joy and jubilation and features an international cast of 55 performers and musicians from 17 countries and showcases breathtaking acrobatics.

Phil Bowdery, President of Touring for Live Nation said: "Cirque du Soleil is a global phenomenon and Alegría is regarded as a jewel in the crown. It's the ultimate in live entertainment and we're thrilled to have it tour in UK arenas."

The spectacular two-and-a-half hour production showcases gravity-defying acrobatics. Fans will hold their breath as the skill and poise of the world-renowned performers are put to the test with dramatic acrobatics such as the intense and high-energy Aerial High Bars in which daring aerialists fly to catchers swinging more than 40 feet above the stage.

In the rhythmic and dangerous Fire-Knife Dance, artists manipulate flaming knives around their bodies, while Power Track showcases a brilliant display of synchronized choreography and tumbling on a trampoline system magically concealed under the stage floor. In Russian Bars, artists fly through the air and perform spectacular somersaults and mid-air turns, landing on bars perched on the sturdy shoulders of catchers.

Cirque du Soleil has dazzled and amazed almost 100 million people in 300 cities across five continents since its humble beginnings in Quebec in 1984, and its return to the UK in 2012 is set to be one of the entertainment highlights of the year. Cirque du Soleil has visited Birmingham previously with Delirium in 2007/08, Quidam in 2009 and Saltimbanco in 2010.

Alegría comes to Birmingham's NIA from April 18-22, 2012. Tickets are priced at £50 (plus booking and transaction fees) and go on-sale at 9am on Thursday, June 30, 2011, from The Ticket Factory www.theticketfactory.com or 0844 338 8000.