Enchanting music and the breathtaking abilities of performers who soar in the air and contort their bodies with effortless grace will leave you in awe, assistant artistic director Sheryl-Lynne Valensky said.

“Alegria comes from the Spanish word for jubilation and joy — the show is about the celebration of life and how we resolve conflict,” Valensky said.

“Alegria” appears to be a mashup of traditional circus and theater revealing a wide range of talents showcasing
abilities of the human body, Valensky said.

“People can do truly amazing things, and we don’t feel we need animals,” Valensky said.

There are 155 artists from 17 different countries, all from different backgrounds. Many of the performers are world-class athletes.

“We want to celebrate what we can do and what the human body can do and focus on artists — it’s all about showcasing what’s possible and we hope the audience goes back inspired,” Valensky said.

The unifying source is music created from scratch by a composer for each act, Valensky said.

“Our music sets us apart and our clowns are very different,” Valensky said. “Clowns follow the journey in life and love and redemption; they have their own style of acting and a certain style of performance.”

The clowns in “Alegria” are well-developed characters who tell a story, provide laugh-out-loud humor. They also showcase courageous strength unbeknownst to the common man, clown Jesse Buck said.

Buck has been a clown for 12 years and performs with a fellow clown he has known for 15 years. The duo hand-select audience members for improvisational comedy acts and showcase dramatic scenes with other clowns, Buck said.

“We bring something more to the clown that the audience can relate to. We make it more theatrical and even follow an emotional art that is justified and real by the audience,” Buck said. “We know the kind of stereotype people have of clowns like the ‘oopity-doo’ humor, and we actively seek to challenge that.”

Whether or not you have seen the well-known circus, the show is meant for all ages and has been performed on five continents.

“Even though this was the second time (seeing Cirque du Soleil), I was still in awe watching some of that stuff,” Perry, Mich., resident Samantha Kingsley said. “Both times, I was really nervous when they were flying in the air; it just scares me. The best part for me is how they have all the acrobatics combined with the dancing and the clowns being funny.”

The 96 performers of “Alegria” travel with 17 trucks of equipment and do eight shows each week, Valensky said.

“These folks are very disciplined and are masters at their craft — they all want to provide family entertainment that we really consider your 6-year-old and grandmother would both enjoy,” Valensky said.

Student tickets are $25, and all other tickets range in prices and can be purchased online at the Breslin Center’s Web site at www.breslincenter.com or by calling the ticket office at (517) 432-5000.

Jeremy Warnemuende contributed to this report.