This weekend my family was invited to see Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's newest show DRAGONS at the Jacksonville Veteran's Memorial Arena! I haven't been to a Ringling Bros show since I was a little girl, so I was excited to go and introduce my kids to The Greatest Show on Earth. And it didn't disappoint! The show celebrates the Year of the Dragon:Dragon tribes from the far reaches of the earth are brought together in a single performance, displaying their breathtaking skills in a circus tournament of champions. Each tribe must prove that they have virtues of Courage, Strength, Wisdom and Heart to arouse dragons which appear right before your very eyes!Before the show we were given a Behind the Scenes tour with some other Jacksonville area bloggers. I wasn't sure what to expect from this tour, but I was super excited when we rounded a corner and I realized we were no joke backstage! We passed by dressing rooms, with performers in sparkly costumes or comfy robes. We passed a makeshift sewing station set up in the middle of a hallway, with a woman doing some serious last minute sewing. And of course, we passed by some incredible props.
Then we were taken to the animal's area behind the arena. First we met some horses, goats, and other small animals.
My daughter was really excited about the horses; I don't think she's ever seen one up close before!
We were able to view the tigers and lions as they caught a pre-show cat nap.
And finally, we got to meet the elephants, my favorites!
We met the Assistant elephant trainer, who told us all about each elephant and how they train them and care for them. I had such a great time watching the elephants; they were so social and kept sticking their trunks out towards us. And the three year old, Barrack, kept bouncing up and down like an excited toddler. They were just too cute.
We made it back indoors and onto the main stage, where the FREE pre-show was just getting started. Every ticket holder is welcome to the pre-show, which begins about an hour before show time. You can meet and greet with various circus celebs and see some of the animals up close. You can even watch an elephant paint. Yes! For real!
They have dress up stations for the kids...
free temporary tattoos...
and a bounce house...
And then, right on time, the show began! And folks, it was truly something to see. My husband and I have been talking about it the entire weekend! Amazing acrobats, impressive animal acts, hilarious clowns, jaw-dropping martial arts, and a hold-your-breath-exciting motocross performance in the Globe of Steel. And at the end......the dragon!
You can see all the photos I took in my Facebook album!My husband and I agree that this is a DON'T MISS show. The acts are absolutely amazing, the props and costumes are gorgeous, the music is fresh and modern and catchy...it's truly one of the best shows I've seen in my entire life.
Visit the Ringling Brothers webpage to learn more about the show and check the touring schedule. If DRAGONS is coming to a town near you, GO! You absolutely will not regret it! You can also keep up with Ringling Brothers on Facebook and Twitter.
Keeping it real: My family received complementary tickets to DRAGONS. All opinions are my own.
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