Now that her contract with American Idol is scheduled to expire at the end of this season, Paula Abdul is tapping into her roots as a former Los Angles Lakers cheerleader and noted choreographer to develop a Cirque du Soleli-inspired cheerleader-themed show on the Las Vegas strip.

The Idol judge is currently in discussions with several Vegas casinos interested in hosting the show that would open in late 2009, Sin City snitches tell The National Enquirer.

“She’s secretly putting together an exit strategy…No one knows whether Paula will be back for another season of Idol after this one, but she’s preparing for the future-and she sees her future in Las Vegas!”

“It will be very state-of-the-art with a number of stage props, such as water, lighting, and pyrotechnics,” an insider explains of the show, described as a “fast-paced cheerleading performance integrated into a dance show.”