::Cirque Du Soleil:: #amaluna

::Momma Disclosure:: {This is a compensated post in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. All opinions and statements expressed below are my own and true and honest. All professional photography provided by Cirque du Soleil PR. }

Houston is a wonderful city filled with so many things to do! I love the fact that shows that are presented in New York or Vegas and even over seas are brought here to our city. One of my favorites is Cirque Du Soleil, as I stated before, from the first time we went to Cirque we fell in love. The artistry and talents displayed are so unique. Amaluna was no different; it was a nail biting and mystical show, I loved it. 

::After the show we had the awesome opportunity to learn more about the myterious BIG TOP::

Cirque du Soleil has a resident show which is in Las Vegas and  a traveling show which is called the "Big Top". The Big Top travels to various cities and even over seas. It displays flags across the top of the main tent which represent the different nationalities of the shows artists. I thought this was a great way to honor the artist. The Amaluna tent has 17 flags. The Big Top to me is all about the ambiance and a more intimate setting which I love. Amaluna is the 33rd production and there are 36 shows in all. 

Amaluna to represents the beauty and strength of Women. The shows producers made a conscious effort to cast more female roles and a 100% female band.  The shows feminism gives off of sense of woman power and definitely inspired me. It's so whimsical and interprets such a great love story. According to the shows PR director the gymnastics were incorporated to help display a variety of talents, so uneven bars  were included. Cirque showcases acrobatics and theatrical acts with live singing and acting. Amaluna has only been out for 3 years and on the 27th of February they will celebrate their 1,000 show. The show takes 8 days to setup, 3 days to take down and runs for about 4 weeks. Cirque travels with 65 full truck loads. This show includes a water-ball, the acts based around it are phenomenal.  

Amaluna can be very family friendly but some of the comedy is for adults. I recommend it more for a date night or girls night out. I would bring my kids but my 4 year old daughter loves visiting bathrooms everywhere we and is a busy body, so I am sure we would miss something. My son I know would be very amused. There is a lot of research and development that goes into every show . It's a very intense process that it takes about 4 years to develop one show. The show then goes to what they call the "the lions dens" where it is decided if the show makes the cut or not. The shows are are live and therefore every night can be modified and  might not ever be the same. Live shows can be very grueling the artist take Monday off. They travel with physical therapist and have a full gym on site. 

The moment of shock came when during the Q&A my Hubby who is not part of the media or a blogger asked about a specific balancing act and its uniqueness!! It was a great question and the PR director loved that he asked about it. And it was a very unique act only one man in Switzerland can do it and  it is unique to the couple of people which he trained; on of which is his very own daughter! Her and another young lady now trade off in the show to perform it.

Over all the show displays female empowerment  and attempt to break all gender stereotypes which still very much exist in 2015! But, this show  breaks those barriers through their acts and performers. Every cast member has a special  talent and strict discipline and  Cirque Du Soleil definitely allows them to showcase it. Scouting  for the show includes watching YouTube videos and visiting various cities to watch live auditions. The average age for the performers is 25/26 with the youngest being 17 now,she was 15 when cast.

If you have not purchased your tickets do it now before the show ends on March 22nd! 

For more information: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/amaluna/default.aspx

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Twitter:  #amaluna

B + J ::On the Run::

Where to begin. I won tickets to go see Beyonce and Jay-Z, yes I know still totally in shock!!! I signed up by participating in the Woman to Woman Conference Luncheon, you can join us at the conference  ::click here:: for more information! 

First off, I don’t listen to a whole lot of new music only what my Pandora stations at work feed me and what I can catch on the radio on my short commute to and from daycare and work everyday. With that said. I knew 1, yes 1 Jay-Z song, here is where all the true fans will probably start to hate me, sorry. And, I know Beyonce and a lot of her old stuff but since she had her baby I don’t think I had real listened to any of her music. I was stuck on Single Ladies and Halo! Yes, I am lame I know. But, going to see her was the refresher I needed.

::What I thought::

I totally get what she is doing her show is edgy, current and very sexy and sensual. She is a grown married woman, free to express herself in ways that many may not be able to! As a Momma the feeling of not only real world relevance and knowing that we can still be sexy, is important to me. I struggle with it every day! 

Should I be the everyday Suburban Soccer Momma that people expect me to be with 2 toddlers or can I show people that I too can be a hottie and that my Husband loves me just the same?! I related on so many levels with a lot of her “new” songs. Trying to be Mrs. Perfect but being reminded that we are human we have flaws, we make mistakes. The show was at times retro catching the heart and soul of who Beyonce is and very burlesque catching the essence of her style and who she wants to be! I loved it, as a Woman, a Momma and from a marketing perspective; being yourself and true to who you are sells. 

Beyonce= Be yourself!

With that said I think that while her marriage is a perfect Hollywood, super star marriage and that maybe they are making millions off of being the power couple that they are and they may or may not be happy and “real”. To me they seemed genuine and in love, despite the mistakes, flaws and fights in elevators…Just sayin!

They inspire me to want to create that power couple image and make it work not just because it sells but because it can happen and it can be real! The impact I am sure is huge on those around you and the inspiration and motivation to do and be more is infinite! Sure it can just be really good marketing for their business but at the same time, there has to be some love for one another and a true desire to be with eachtoher, if not I feel it would shine through in their performances. You can only hide so long. 

::The Message::

Feminist. Feminism. Equality. Teaching our children to be versatile and ever changing.  

As a young girl I had the same dream that most girls had, finding my Prince Charming and getting married, have children and live happily ever after. Kind of. Not really. I knew it could maybe be real but I never expected it to happen to me.  

What I knew was that I had to go to school, get a good job and help my family financially. Getting married and having kids was on the back burner. I had always been independent and had never relied on others to do for me or help me, not because I was disrespectful but because I am me. I like to take care of myself.

Then I met my Husband. It didn’t stop me from getting an education, being independent and working hard for everything that I want and really everything that was needed to survive. These days I am married, and my Prince Charming is a real man that eats, works, sleeps and yes, even burps and farts! Let's be real. #realtalk

He is my Hubby and he is an amazing provider for our family and a great support and hard worker! Together we make it work. Are we perfect? Nope. But, we work hard together. He allows me to be me. Not because he “owns” me but because he really wants me to be my own person and even though it’s frustrating he likes that I argue about it all, that I have my own voice and speak up and that I don’t take any bull--- from him or anyone else! 

I am sure that he loves the fact that I want to get up every day and help him provide for our family and that although he could do it on his own, I try not to place all the burden on him. In the same way he tries to help me around the house, he cooks more than I do and has changed diapers and help feed the kids when they were babies, he bathes them and starts story time without me asking him to. Yes a lot of the household duties fall on me but he gets the bills paid on time something that I suck at and we’d probably have no light or water if I took care of it. In all we do have traditional roles but sometimes they flip! It’s all about mutual support and really wanting the other person to succeed not just for the better of your family but for that person as an individual!

::The Hiccups::

The Parking; parking was $50++, thankfully my Momma lives 5 minutes away, she dropped us off and picked us up! People still paid, would I have paid, not more than $20, maybe..... Would it have been worth it, absolutely for someone like me who doesn’t do this kind of event often it’s ok every once in a while.

The Entrance; not sure what the wait was about but my Hubby doesn’t wait for anyone…..he found a fast moving VIP line got us in it and in the venue within 20 minutes or so of having arrived. We searched, we asked, we got in and we conquered! 

The Audio; I don’t know about sound but I am sure that at the beginning of the show the audio was off. The music was too loud, I couldn’t hear what Beyonce was saying and it just didn’t sound good,  not sure if it was fixed or I just got used to it but it got better!  I still sang and fell further in love with Beyonce!

::My Favorite Moment::

Their show was like watching a short movie and it followed a script and every scene went on without a  glitch. But, when they switched over to real life…they started a home video reel and their reality is a baby…a family and a love that right now, no one can touch. Family comes first and for Beyonce and Jay-Z that amazingly beautiful little girl is all that matters and the reason why they work so hard. Can I relate? Abso-freaking-lutley!

Did you go see Beyonce? What did you think of it?