Not To Be Missed: Cavalia comes to Singapore
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:52
The world-renowned equestrian theatrical spectacle comes to town for seven weeks. Here’s why you shouldn’t miss it!
If you ask us, there in no single suitable adjective to give justice to the extravaganza that is Cavalia. Brought to town by one of the co-founders of the highly respected Cirque du Soleil, Normand Latourelle, this equestrian theatrical spectacle from Montreal is easily the most stupendous show that has come to Singapore in a while. Featuring skillful horsemanship and effortless acrobatic prowess, show-goers will find themselves wowed at every turn. For the next seven weeks, as you gaze upon a 50-metre wide stage under a large 2440 square metre and 35 metre high big top tent at Bayfront Avenue, Marina Bay Sands – you can expect a marvellous affair of fifty horses, cavorting with forty artists – aerialists, acrobats and horse riders/performers – in front of several constantly-changing digital landscapes that will transport to you a new place, with each new scene.
According to co-founder Normand Latourelle, the forty artists, representing Canada, France, Belgium, the United States, Morocco, Australia, Moldavia, Spain, South African, Sweden and Guinea Bissau, are “the best performers in the world”. This fact is hard to debate, especially once you have witnessed some of the seemingly gravity-defying acts the artists showcase. From riding bareback, to standing, dancing, flipping and running on stallions, to running on a giant ball while holding a lit torch, to some spectacular lassoing skills, and sprite-like lithe aerial artists performing death-defying acrobatics – the show is a combination of constant amazement and adrenaline rush. There is entertainment at every turn. The colourful, regal-looking Lord of The Rings-esque costumes are another great part about the show that make it so captivating and to fit the theme, the aerialists have the ends of their mane-like ponytails tinted ombre.
The fifty stunning horses, representing eleven different breeds, are equal, if not more, stars of the show. Possibly the cleverest, most magnificent animals to watch in a performance, these horses will keep you in awe from start to finish. Handsome and utterly confident, these animals perform with such grace, it is hard for a show-goer not to fall in love with them, horse-lover or not. The horses don’t need a lot of prompting, are unharnessed and react mainly to soft verbal cues and despite their own, wild nature, rarely ever act out on stage or misbehave and instead, are professional performers through and through.
One of the main performers, Yoann Levesque, 22, who is a rider who performs roman riding, trick riding and dressage, says he has only been riding for three years and fell in love with the show, when he worked as an usher at it. He admits that the gruelling fourteen-hour daily training sessions are unnatural for the horses, but that they try to make them enjoy what they’re doing. “Every time I go on stage, I am really worried about how my horses are reacting. If they are reacting badly, there’s something going on. My performance is always in respect to make it an enjoyable process for the horses.” The horses are the main concern of the performers, which reflects highly on Cavalia’s ethical practices and priorities. Montreal has a reputation for having a united animal-rights front, so it is just another reason to love the show.
Despite the magnitude of the production, their superbly talented band only consists of six members. What sets this band apart from most orchestras who play in big productions is the fact that the members are perched four metres high, behind the giant digital scene-changing screen. Each member of the band is in their own respective ‘box’, with the band leader giving more than three hundred verbal cues to the band. It is meant to be an especially tough task, because the unpredictability of the horses can mean that the leader gives over three hundred cues to the band members. 36-year-old band leader Sylvain Gagnon, who has eleven years of experience says, “Often the horses do their own thing. Sometimes they’re supposed to go off the stage or do just one turn around the stage but they do three instead. In jazz music, you can improvise around the idea of the melody and change it, but in Cavalia we listen to the ‘stop and go’ cues from everywhere and take it from there.” He has a monitor in front of him and accordingly gives the cues.
The entire production is a wonder in itself and it is especially heartening to witness the rapport between the horses and the artists. One can immediately tell that these horses are brought up with affection, respect and the utmost care.
Needless to say, the arduous effort put in by every single party involved, from the organizers, to the artists, to the horses, to the caretakers and touring team, would be for naught if we didn’t encourage that simply everyone in Singapore, buy themselves a ticket or two.
It is just too good to be missed!
For more information and ticket prices, please visit: www.cavalia.net/singapore or www.cavalia.sg
Diya-Maya Tsering Bhalla
