Cavalia Comes to Arizona

Combining equestrian beauty, performing arts and multimedia, Cavalia is unlike any other production brought to the stage. Arizonans with a love for horses now have the chance to experience this spectacular performance as they bring their unique talents to Scottsdale under White Big Top at the end of February. With opening night set for Valentine’s Day, tickets to the show will definitely make for a creative and unforgettable night.

Cavalia blends dramatic visual effects, live music, dance and acrobatics with the extraordinary presence of thirty magnificent horses, including the Lusitanian stallions. “Homage to the poignant history and fascinating bond between human beings and horses, Cavalia is a poem written in the language of sound, image and extraordinary performance.”

Based in Montreal, Canada, Cavalia is presented under the largest touring big top in North America, a totally white structure rising some 100 feet above the ground. The seats are arranged theatre-style, facing an enormous 160 foot-wide stage, which allows the horses enough space to gallop and play with the artists. Cavalia’s creators have used cutting-edge technology to create a larger-than-life fairytale. The dancers and artists perform in front of a constantly changing background created by large panoramic projections and visual effects, originating a dream-like setting.

Dates:
1:30 p.m. March 1; 2 p.m. Feb. 15 and 22, 3 p.m. Feb. 21 and 28; 5:30 p.m. March 1 and 8 p.m. Feb. 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 27 and 28.

Location:
White Big Top. Scottsdale, 85255

Cost: $35 – $185 : $35-$185
Contact: 866.999.8111, www.cavalia.net

About the Horses:

Training: “There is a real bond and communication between the trainers and the horses. Talking, using finger and body gestures, and clucking their tongues, the trainers make a game out of the routines. This approach takes more time than other methods, but gives better results.”

Learning the Parts: “To train a horse for Cavalia, it can take from six months to ten years depending on the discipline practiced. For Trick Riding, if the horse is not too apprehensive at the start, the training can be done in a few months. For a horse in Haute École dressage or dressage at liberty, the work can take several years. For example, Frédéric Pigon has been working with Fasto for 14 years.”

Horse Breeds: The Lusitano Horse, The Pure Spanish-Bred, The Quarter Horse, The Paint Horse, The Appaloosa Horse, The Canadian Horse, The Criollo, The Belgian Horse, The Comtois and The Oldenberg.

Opens on April 21, 2009 under the White Big Top at Metropolitain and Décarie in Montréal, Canada.