Creature Feature: Horses Are the Real Stars of 'Cavalia'

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REGAL WHITE HORSES dance before your eyes, as desert oases become emerald forests, which morph into exquisite white winters. An epic story is told, but who is front and center? The four-legged stars.

"Cavalia" is the latest imaginative triumph of Normand Latourelle, one of the powers behind Cirque du Soleil, and other innovative visual events, such as the sound and light show in Ottawa on Parliament Hill.

"'Cavalia' is a total invention; it simply didn't exist anywhere in the world before we started it," says Latourelle. He notes that, although the production — billed as an "equestrian odyssey" — has some aspects that are the same as Cirque du Soleil, "it's not a circus, because it has elements of real theater and dance; it has special effects and new media elements as well."

The visuals take the audience on a journey through time. They show a caveman draw a horse on a rock wall, then move to Rome and eventually to modern times. Latourelle says that the show is a tribute to everything horses have done for us.

"From the beginning of humanity, whenever we saw a man, we also saw a horse behind him. We owe so much to those animals; they have done everything for us for 3,000 years. This show is a tribute to everything these creatures have done for humanity," he said.

The show is ultimately kid-friendly, yet Latourelle says he had no intention of creating a kid's show. Yet the larger-than-life quality of Latourelle's imaginative latest will undoubtedly delight the youngsters.

The show features 100 horses, acrobats, aerialists and dancers, as well as arena-scale multi-media effects. "Cavalia" has set up shop in Pentagon City, under North America's largest touring tent, with a stage as wide as a regulation NFL football field.

The show appeals to everyone from horse whisperers to those of us whose eyes glaze over at the first mention of the word "equestrian."

"You do not have to be a horse person to love the show. Most of us were not horse people to begin with, but fell in love with horses after working with 'Cavalia'," he said.

Miss this show, and miss out. In Latourelle's words: "It's unlike anything you've ever seen. When you sit in the show, you enter a dream. After you leave, the dream stays with you."

» Pentagon City Metro Station, 1250 South Hayes St., Arlington; through Sept. 27, $40.50-$200.50; 866-999-8111.

Written by Express contributor Rue Khalsa
Photos by Jewel Samad/Getty Images