Calling All Goddesses

5 reasons why Cirque du Soleil's newest show is unlike any you've seen before

For more than 30 years, Cirque du Soleil has been wowing audiences all over the world with its dazzling live shows. Featuring amazing performers who defy gravity with their acrobatic acts and musicians who play the original scores live, the experience is unlike any other form of entertainment.

The latest Cirque du Soleil show, Amaluna, is bringing its blue-and-yellow-striped Big Top to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie beginning January 23, 2019.

The audience is invited to a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Their queen, Prospera, directs her daughter's coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honors femininity, renewal, rebirth, and balance. In the wake of a storm caused by Prospera, a group of young men lands on the island, triggering an epic, emotional love story between Prospera's daughter Miranda and a brave young suitor named Romeo. But the couple must face numerous trials and overcome daunting setbacks before they can achieve harmony.

Even if you've been lucky enough to witness a Cirque show before, here are five reasons why Amaluna is unlike anything you've ever seen before.

1. The women are the stars
Not only is Amaluna's storyline focused on females, the cast is comprised mostly of women. "I didn't want to build a 'women's agenda' show. I wanted to create a show with women at the center of it, something that had a hidden story that featured women as the heroines," says director Diane Paulus.

2. They're in charge offstage too
Amaluna is the first Cirque du Soleil show to be directed by a woman. Diane Paulus, the Tony-winning theater and opera director, drew from a series of classical influences when creating the concept of the show, including tales from Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Shakespeare's The Tempest.

3. Women also run the music
Cirque du Soleil shows are known for their incredible scores and live musicians, and Amaluna is the first time the company has employed an all-female band.

4. The show's title has a hidden meaning
"Amaluna" is a fusion of the words "ama," which refers to "mother" in many languages, and "luna," which means "moon," a symbol of femininity. Together, the word 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 show's story unfolds.

5. There are two brand-new acts
Jaw-dropping feats of physicality are what make Cirque shows so unique, and this one is no exception. Amaluna boasts not one, but two, new acts: the Waterbowl and the Balance Goddess.

The Waterbowl is a pool that's more than 7 feet in diameter and weighs 5,500 pounds when filled. It's where Miranda and Romeo tentatively kiss for the first time, after Romeo watches Miranda perform a challenging hand-balancing routine before diving through the water.

The Balance Goddess is shown creating a world in equilibrium with a mobile made of 13 palm leaf ribs. An ode to balance, her movements are slow, deliberate, and almost meditative as she concentrates all her attention on this literally breathtaking structure. And then she removes the smallest piece, everything disintegrates and the young couple's trials begin.

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Take advantage of 15 percent off select tickets, categories 1-2-3 for all weekday and Friday 4:30 pm shows.

Amaluna comes to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie beginning January 23, 2019.

Photo by Markus Moellenberg

Amaluna comes to Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie beginning January 23, 2019.

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setting the bar high

Playful Dallas neighbor tops America's best parks list for 2026

Plano Parks and Recreation/Facebook

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Plano and its stellar parks have set a new record in 2026 as the 13th best park system in the country — and the No. 1 best in Texas, according to the just-released ParkScore Index.

Every year, land conservation nonprofit Trust for Public Land rates the park systems in the 100 largest American cities with regard to their accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Plano's No. 13 ParkScore ranking is a new all-time high for the Dallas suburb; it appeared 17th nationally in 2025, ranked 16th for the two years before that, and was 15th in 2021 and 2022.

The majority of Plano residents (85 percent) live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared to the 76 percent national median. About 10.5 percent of land within the city limits is dedicated to parks. The city also spends far more to maintain its park system — about $228 per resident — than the national median $198 per resident.

Plano Park - Arbor HIlls Nature Preserve Dallas suburb sets new record for best parks in the U.S. Plano Parks and Recreation/Facebook

The city's hard work is paying off: in March, Plano Parks and Recreation reopened Glen Meadows Park after extensive renovations, which included a new pavilion, updated playground, more seating, and new trails.

Another Dallas-area neighbor that deserves high praise is Irving, which Trust for Public Land said was the nation's biggest gainer this year. Irving's park system jumped 28 places, from No. 99 last year to No. 71.

"Irving’s rise was driven by increased investment from the 'Let’s Play Irving' initiative, which funded several important projects scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027," a release said.

Dallas proper ranked 38th this year after previously ranking 34th in 2025.

"Over the past 10 years, Dallas has connected an impressive 330,000 residents to a park, trail or greenspace within a 10-minute walk of their home, and the city is poised to make further progress next month, when it opens the Bushmills Neighborhood Green as part of the Dallas Greening Initiative," the report said.

Elsewhere across the Metroplex, Frisco jumped seven spots and now ranks 30th, and Arlington moved up one spot as No. 45. Garland ranked 64th (up from No. 67) and Fort Worth soared to No. 58 (up form from No. 72).

Molly Morgan, the Texas State Director and Associate Vice President of Trust for Public Land, said in the release that Texas' high-scoring performance in the annual index has proved that it is making park accessibility a statewide priority.

"Cities across the Lone Star State are making serious investments, opening new parks, partnering with school
districts, and closing gaps that have existed for decades," Morgan said. "They’re showing what’s possible when
Texas gets serious about parks."

Morgan added that there's still more work to be done to increase park accessibility to the 9 million Texans that don't have a park within a 10-minute walk of their homes.

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