“When I was at Cirque du Soleil, I observed that people were all looking at the horses. The horses captured everyone’s attention. That’s when I knew that I had to create a show around horses. I wanted to do something different, something that had never been done before, something that brought together the horses and the whole display of performing arts,” said Normand Latourelle, Founder and Artistic Director of Cavalia and one of the co-founders of the famed Cirque du Soleil.
Fifty horses have flown first class into Singapore on a chartered 747 aircraft for Cavalia’s Asian Premiere. They are the stars of the equestrian theatrical spectacularCavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Man and Horse, which first premiered in Canada in 2003 and has travelled across 64 cities. The innovative multimedia and multi-disciplinary production runs from 12 August to 14 September under the 35-metre-tall White Theatre Tent at Bayfront Avenue, next to Marina Bay Sands. Cavalia is presented in Singapore by Mediacorp Vizpro International and BASE Entertainment Asia.
Comprising 11 breeds and hailing from Canada, Europe, Australia and the USA, the 50 horses will share the stage with 42 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians from all over the world.Cavalia, a harmonious celebration of beauty and nature, encompasses imagery that whisks the spectator’s imagination around the earth over land and sea by displaying a vast array of equestrian and performing arts.
The horses cavort with the artists in front of a constantly changing digital background projected onto a 60 metre-wide screen. They take turns to be the stars of the show, performing for about 12 minutes each.
Horses gallop in at full speed at 35 kilometres per hour, right across the 50-wide stage, and at times running completely free, under a 2,440 square metre big top that is the largest touring tent in the world with its unique four masts grid.
At the Cavalia Village, the horses are settled in their own hay-filled, air-conditioned 1,500 square-metre tent, which has been re-created in the same way in every city, so that each of them are next to their same familiar neighbours.
The herd includes breeds like the Arabian, Spanish Purebred, Percheron, Lusitano, Warm Blood and Quarter Horse.
After a relaxing five-week holiday at a farm in Brussels, Belgium, the four-legged stars are back in the game, getting more pampering daily, including showers, grooming, massages and workshops with their riders and outings to the paddocks.
The 20-person stables team that has accompanied the horses throughout the journey include trainers, veterinarian, health technicians, grooms and farrier.
“Cavalia” is a fabricated word inspired by the Spanish and French words for horse (caballo and cheval) and the English word cavalry. The production makes history by galloping into Singapore for its Asian Premiere in this auspicious year of the horse and perhaps one day, as Normand hopes, he will open a dictionary and find “Cavalia” defining his multimedia production about the historical relationship between man and horses.
Details
Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Man and Horse
Premieres 12 August 2014
Matinee and evening performances scheduled through 14 September 2014
For all ages
Where: Under the White Theatre Tent, at Bayfront Avenue beside Marina Bay Sands
Tickets: Available at www.cavalia.sg or by calling +65 3158 6735
Or at every SISTIC outlet, online at www.sistic.com.sg or by calling +65 6688 8826
S$58 to S$188 + applicable fees
For guests who desire an extraordinary outing, the show can be customised for an extended experience from S$208 to S$288, including a Horse Lovers Package that lets patrons tour Cavalia’s stables after the show, and the VIP Rendez-Vous Package that includes a post-show tour of the stables, a cocktail/dinner reception and much more.
