Gravity defying acrobats with Cirque Du Soleil are heading back to Birmingham shortly with Alegría, a show regarded as one of its jewels in the crown.

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.

The 2½ hour production sees world-renowned performers being 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 display of synchronized choreography and tumbling on a trampoline system magically concealed under the stage floor.

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.

The show will be staged at the NIA from April 18-22.