Magical relationship between human and horse to gallop into Downtown

Dave Schwab | Downtown News
Part equestrian show, part theater production and part circus act, “Cavalia” is all entertainment.

The multi-media show showcasing 50 majestic horses and 42 international riders – including aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians – prances into San Diego premiering Nov. 13 in the parking lot adjacent to Petco Park in Downtown San Diego.

The dreamlike show is visionary, promised Cavalia President and Artistic Director Normand Latourelle, who co-founded the famed Cirque du Soleil.

“It’s very difficult to describe what it is – it’s another world,” said Latourelle, referring to what takes place on stage and on screen under the 110-foot-high, 26,263-square-foot, 5,000-pound white Big Top that takes 100 trucks to transport and 50 people to set up, seating 2,000.

“It’s a full integration of equestrian and performing arts,” he said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind show. You can’t see anything similar to it anywhere in the world.”

Billed as “a magical encounter between human and horse,” Cavalia explores the 5,000-year-old relationship humans have with equines in a modern, poetic and moving way.

“People cry, they laugh, they go through all sort of emotions: It’s a show that touches the heart,” Latourelle said. “It’s a feel-good show.”

Latourelle said you don’t have to be a “horse person” to enjoy Cavalia. He wasn’t. At least not at first.

“The theme we created … We didn’t know anything about horses,” he admitted. “The horse was a pretext to do the show.”

When he left Cirque du Soleil in 1990, Latourelle wanted to do something different.

“And animals for a show was a challenge,” he said, adding he didn’t realize, until after working with horses, that they were “real artists.”

“They are a very gentle animal, very playful,” he said. “If you deal gently with them – they will give you as much as they have.”

Horses are given free reign during Cavalia.

“Half of the show the horses are free on stage,” Latourelle said. “No bits, no rope – nothing. They just run and they play. The other half they are ridden. I really tried to integrate all the riding techniques – bareback, Roman, dressage, vaulting – into the show.”

It’s the second time around for Cavalia, which first visited San Diego in 2004.

“Whether you are or aren’t a horseman, it’s impossible not to enjoy these mystical creatures,” Latourelle said. “With such a large equestrian community throughout San Diego, we are thrilled to be back.”

The multimedia show has evolved over the last eight years, he said, noting that all the horses and all but one of the artists, have changed. The show has also transformed over the years along with technology, allowing a virtual set which projects accentuating images onto a 210-foot-wide screen.

Cavalia has already traveled across both North America and Europe and after San Diego is headed on to Australia. Enjoyed by some 3.5 million people, Cavalia is a lavish production with horses cavorting with the many artists in front of a constantly changing digital background drawing spectators into dream-like virtual environments.

“Cavalia is the biggest touring show in the world, setup under a Big Top which is the biggest touring tent in the world,” Latourelle said. “I created the stage which is the playground for the horses. We created the tent to fit the stage. It’s like a castle.”

The show’s presentation is unique in other ways, noted Latourelle.

“It’s a real auditorium facing the stage which is very different than any other touring show, even Cirque du Soleil,” he said.

Unlike other horse shows, Cavalia’s audience faces a single, 160-foot-wide stage which allows the horses space to gallop at full speed, at times running completely free, unfettered by bridles or halters.

Latourelle said the show’s equine theme was inspired in part by French-Canadian folk tales. Combining those tales with horses guided by performing artists allowed him to “reinvent the performing arts by integrating equestrian arts.”

Latourelle wants audience members to leave Cavalia with a specific overall impression.

“This show is about happiness, a good feeling,” he said. “It’s about nature. We forget, because we don’t live with horses (as much), that horses are important in our life. Horses are part of our blood. We’ve shared the same space with them for 5,000 years.”

Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Cavalia Inc. operates two separate touring shows, “Cavalia” and “Odysseo,” both of which marry the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects, at never-before-seen levels. Odysseo, which premiered in autumn 2011, takes the next step, leading viewers on a journey through some of the breathtaking landscapes horses have helped humans discover around the globe.

Tickets for Cavalia are $39.50 to $154.50 plus applicable taxes and fees with special pricing and packages available for children, juniors and seniors and are available at cavalia.net, or by calling 866-999-8111. Those interested can also follow Cavalia’s latest developments on Twitter (@Cavalia) or on Facebook.

Dave Schwab is a Midwestern transplant who came to San Diego 30 years ago after graduating with a communication arts and journalism degree from Michigan State University. He has worked for numerous dailies and weeklies including the San Diego Business Journal, La Jolla Light and the former Daily Californian. Now a freelancer for a variety of regional publications, he also covers the police and fire beat for City News Service. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, sports, and spending time with friends.