Horses and humans deliver a dazzling spectacle

Nonetheless, I finally got my chance to see it this past Tuesday and, though I may have entered the White Big Top a doubting Thomas, I exited a believer. Cavalia is a true visual triumph on all accounts and a show unlike anything I have ever seen.

Humans and horses have shared the earth for so many centuries, we sometimes forget that the Equus ferus caballus has been domesticated since 4000 BC. Look at cave drawings and you’ll see them there. Horses in all their splendour and beauty adorn ancient Greek and Roman vases. The Trojan Horse led to the ruin of Troy. King Richard III exclaimed “MY kingdom for a horse!” At work, in battle, in companionship, horses have been ever-present in human history. Even today, when science and machinery have overtaken everything, we still insist on measuring mechanical strength in… horsepower.

While horses may indeed be ever-present in human history, to a city gal like me, they are animals I rarely come across. Which means that it’s very easy to forget how stunningly beautiful these animals are and how they move and gallop with the kind of grace that can simply take your breath away.

Comprising 62 horses representing 13 different breeds, like the Arabian, the Lusitano, and the Apaloosa, to name but a few, as well as 42 artists, acrobats, dancers, riders and a complete seven-member live band, Cavalia is a lavish and grandiose show of dazzling proportions. This is a production, after all, where 150 people and 12 days of work are required just to erect the tents and prepare the site. No one can accuse artistic director Normand Latourelle (a pioneer with Cirque du Soleil from 1985 to 1990) of thinking small. This is a huge production meant to wow, but its unique success stems from the simple fact that the production’s grandeur does not manage to take away from the production’s heart.

Yes, it has a multitude of technical elements, ranging from a 70 metre-wide screen serving as a backdrop to the countless special effects and multiple dream-like sets, but at the core of the production is the unique relationship between horses and humans.

There’s a Bedouin saying that “Allah took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it, and created the horse.” It is a beautiful – and accurate- description of a creature so agile, noble and soulful.

Cavalia is lavish, pitch-perfect, haunting and enchanting in ways I cannot explain verbally. This is a visual show unlike any visual show I have seen before. The stage, the lighting, the mood, the music, everything conspires to bring tears to your eyes, for few things in life can match the grace and beauty of a horse running free.

Sure, there are moments when the “tricks” run long, but it’s no wonder that the show has been dubbed an “equine ballet” and has been referred to as “Pure Poetry” by Paris Match and “The Stuff of Dreams” by The Globe & Mail.

Thanks to the stunning acrobatic feats of aerialists and tumblers and artists attached to bungee cords, simultaneously descending from the ceiling, spectators are treated to a multi-faceted show that rivals the horses in finesse, reminding us that a fit human body is also capable of supreme beauty and grace.

Humans and horses mix and mingle and meld on the stage collaborating to produce a show that dazzles the senses and touches the soul. It’s no surprise then that, due to an enthusiastic response from the public, Cavalia has already been held over in Montreal until June 1. So, giddy up, people, this is an equestrian odyssey definitely worth taking.

For ticket information and a complete schedule, you can go to www.cavalianet or call 1-866-999-8111.