Open your eyes and jump inside the vast and enthralling world of Pandora.

To the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s latest show, Toruk—The First Flight, it’s not just a performance, it’s an experience. The production, inspired by director James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, will bring the breathtaking world of Pandora to life with a four-night residency at Bridgestone Arena in August.

Using extraordinary visuals, puppetry and stagecraft paired with a cinematic score, Cirque du Soleil performers are introducing new characters from the world of Pandora, a planet-like moon in Avatar, to arenas across the nation. The show, which takes place 3,000 years before the events in the movie Avatar, features several Na’vi characters, a humanoid species with an illuminating blue skin tone.

We spoke with NCAA champion acrobat Stacey Magiera ahead of Toruk—The First Flight’s Nashville performances, set for Aug. 24–28. Magiera, whose main role is the chief of the Anurai Clan, discussed how she landed a job with Cirque du Soleil, the training involved with an intense performance schedule and how Toruk is different from other Cirque productions.

Murfreesboro Pulse: Before we get into Toruk—The First Flight, do you mind telling me about your background and how several years of gymnastics led to a spot with Cirque du Soleil?
I did gymnastics for around 15 years and then competed four years of division one college gymnastics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I then auditioned for a show called Cirque du la Mer in San Diego, California, where I started off with flying trapeze and Chinese pools. I really enjoyed it, so I decided to make a demo video to send to Cirque du Soleil.

In addition to Toruk — The First Flight, you’ve been involved with a couple other Cirque du Soleil productions, is that right?
Yes, I’ve was in two other shows while in Las Vegas. The first show was called Viva Elvis at the Aria Resort & Casino and the second show was called KA at MGM Grand Las Vegas.

I read that in this particular production you portray three different characters in the world of Pandora. Could you tell me a little about the roles?
Yes, I’m the chief of the Anurai Clan, which is an older, more noble clan, and we do a balancing act during that part. I’m also a part of the Tipani clan, which is a warrior clan that comes from the forest, and we do a pole act during the scene. Finally, the third character is part of the Omaticaya Clan which is actually from the film Avatar. I do aerial rope in that particular act.

I’ve never been to a Cirque du Soleil production, but just from seeing clips and reading about it, it’s easy to see that so much time and energy goes into making the show. What kind of training is involved while traveling to different cities with a production of this magnitude?
Well, the creation of the show was quite intense. Now that the show has been open for awhile and we’re out on the road, we have training for each act just about every day, which is a workout in itself. And, on top of that, we do workouts such as injury preventative exercises to keep our bodies healthy and further training to learn more advanced skills on the apparatuses.

So before Toruk officially opened last fall, what was the time span from when you began working on show to the soft opening?
We started working on the show in July 2015 and the soft opening of the show was just four months later in November. It’s actually quite short for a Cirque du Soleil show.

Toruk is a little different from the typical Cirque show in the sense that it’s narrated and that the show is very story-driven. What do you all hope the audience takes away from the experience with the altered format?
Most of all, I hope they are pulled into the world of Pandora. Our show is exactly that—a story told through narration, acrobatics, projections, life-sized puppets and more. It also takes you through different terrain like the forest, mountain and desert. With all of that, I hope they feel like they’re actually a part of the world.

The costumes are beautiful.
Oh yes, the costumes are amazing. There are so many intricate details that go into making the costumes. They’re really beautiful. And the same goes for the makeup. The makeup is very detailed, but we actually do our own makeup for each show.

Do you have any particular moments in the show you look forward to each night?
My favorite moment is definitely during the Anurai act, the one where I’m a chief.

By the time the show arrives in Nashville this August you all will have been on the road for several months. What has your experience been like working on Toruk as opposed to your other two residency shows?
It’s been so much fun traveling, and it really is a dream come true for me. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a touring show. I think it’s so much fun to go to so many different cities and experience what each one has to offer.

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Toruk—The First Flight is intended for all ages, and, as Magiera points out, it’s not necessary to see the film before going to the show. For more information on how to purchase tickets, visit cirquedusoleil.com.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the Aug. 24 show here: