Cavalia

Ever since I first saw the commercial for a show called Cavalia I've been dying to go see it. It's kind of a mix cirque du soleil and horses. Actually it was one of the creators of Cirque that came up with the concept of mixing the two. Finally, after much begging and pleading, DH took me to see the show this past Saturday! I am having trouble coming up with a way to describe it, amazing, breathtaking, exciting are just a few of the words that come to mind!

The show takes place in what it boasts as the largest tent in North America. It seats about 2000 people and houses about 50 horses and 40 performers. After a slight mix up with the policeman who was directing traffic pointing us the wrong way (resulting in a detour through the busiest part of the city) we managed to find a free parking lot and walked the 1/2 mile to the giant white tent. We made it to our seats with about 5 minutes to spare before the show started.

It opened with a video of a horse in a pasture giving birth to a newborn foal, the new life of one of god's greatest gifts to man, the horse. Suddenly the curtains open on the side and out runs two yearlings onto center stage! They were free to run around and be horses as the live band began to play and a lady sang a beautiful song (it was in french so I'm not sure what it was about) and one by one the performers took the stage. When her song was over everyone retreated, including the yearlings. And the main curtain rose showing a pond in the middle of the stage, again the side curtains open and out comes a beautiful black Arabian stallion and a woman danced her way out behind him. He ran, she danced, they played in the pond all to the beautiful sounds of the band and the french lady singing. It was to symbolize the relationship between man and horse.

The next act called "the ball" showcased the amazing balance and agility of one of the guy performers who moved around the stage atop a giant ball! He not only could maneuver in any given direction but he also managed two back flips without loosing his position. The act was completed when a beautiful buckskin Quarter horse came out to greet him and say "hello".

Also showcasing extreme balance and control the next group of performers came out with a couple of huge Belgian draft horses and performed a series of stunts, jumps and flips on the horses broad backs. There were many different performers and two horses included in this part of the show. I couldn't help but laughing at those Olympians who think they are so hot doing things on a stationary pommel horse, these guys were doing the same thing on a real horse, that was moving!

There were a few acts that followed that included the typical cirque elements of performers flying high above the audience on wires, performing beautiful flips, spins and turns. At one point the flying actors interacted with a couple of guys who were riding around the stage on horseback. It was a very beautiful comparison of the flowing movements of the horses on the ground along side the women flying beside and above them.

One of the most elegant acts was called "Mirror" and it featured two women on two of the most beautiful white horses. They performed different maneuvers and gates while staying exactly opposite each other as if looking in a mirror. It was amazing the timing and control that they had in order to make that look so perfect and so effortless.

The most exciting acts were the Roman Riding and the Trick Riding. The Roman Riding began when three pairs of horses flew out of the side curtains each pair with one person standing on their backs. They thundered around the stage while a few acrobats performed some flips, jumps and what I call "strong man"moves. At one point they brought out a jump and each pair of horses flew over the jump with the rider still standing on their backs. Amazingly enough one woman even stood on the backs of her two horses, while taking control of both other pairs of horses (without their riders). They looked as if they were hitched up to pull a stage coach, but without the stage coach and with a petite redhead standing on the last two, the audience gasped as she headed them for the jump, how were those horses possibly going to make that jump with her controlling all 6!? Sure enough one pair at a time she took them all over that jump! The trick riding included the standard flipping off and on the horses backs, hanging along side them, standing on top of them, all while they ran at full gallop across the stage. Very high energy and very fun to watch.

The highlight of the show was an act called "Liberty". One by one nine beautiful horses in varying shades of gray and white were released onto the stage, followed by a pretty blond woman. This woman commanded the respect and attention of every single horse, with only the slightest gesture, or words she had those horses moving in any and every which direction. As she stood in the center she would have four circling her to the right and the other five circling to the left around them, she would walk around and send them thundering around stage only to stop on a dime and change direction with a simple motion of her hand. They would line up and move side to side as one, and then once again take off around her in a circle moving fast at first and then slower and slower as she motioned for them to stop. Except for an occasional loving pat there was no physical contact between woman and horse, the horses were totally bare, no saddles or bridles of any kind. The absolute and total control that one single woman had over those nine horses was beyond amazing. Everyone was so moved by what they were witnessing she received a standing ovation from the crowd.

All in all it was an amazing show, a once in a lifetime experience that I will never ever forget!