Catch the Spectacle that is 'Cavalia' at Chaoyang Park, Apr 28-May 22

In the summer of 2003, Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of famed Cirque du Soleil conceived his next show: Cavalia, a fresh mix of equestrianism and performing arts. Since its founding 13 years ago, "The Horse Show" as it is simply referred to by its fans, has travelled to 70 cities around the world and has been seen by more than 6 million people. Now, the show comes to Beijing for the first time, playing at Chaoyang Park from April 28 to May 22 (RMB 120-1,880).

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"We have nearly a hundred performers," said Latourelle, the founder and art director of Cavalia. "There are 40 with two legs and 40 of them with four legs." Cavalia includes 40 top-class horses, represented by 11 different breeds, such as Appaloosa, Arabian, Comtois, Lusitano, Paint Horse, Selle Francais, Quarter Horse, and Spanish Purebred. Audiences will be led by performers and horses to understand the relationship that humans have developed with horses, a bond that can be traced back nearly 5,000 years, a message to help build bridges between cultures through kindness, patience, and love.

With 2,440 square meters of tent space, 60 meters of multimedia projection, a vast system of 120,000 liters of circulating water, 2,500 tons of sand, are all used to create sets from ancient caves to grasslands, deserts to forests, the ancient Orient to dream Europa, and other magical scenes.

However, these are just the foundation of Cavalia's success, the real beauty of the show is the love and care between human and horse on the stage. Cavalia performers had this to say about their stage partners: "the horse is the real protagonist on the stage, they are our family, [because] we have the same blood." Promoter Jean Héon confirmed that “they [the horses] have arrived and are currently in rehearsals for the opening night on Thursday.”

The audience will face a single 50-meter-wide stage which allows the horses and performers to present their "horseback trapeze" and the “10,000 steeds gallop” at full speed, conveying messages about the harmony of the universe, our place in nature, and what is possible through imagination and love.

Read more about ticket information and the show in the event listing here.

More stories by this author here.

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Photos Courtesy of Cavalia, startribune