This past weekend for V-day the hubby and I went to go see Cavalia, a horse and acrobatic show created by Normand Latourelle, who co-created Cirque du Soleil. It was absolutely STUNNING.  The show definitely had the Cirque feel with lots of acrobatic elements, a new age soundtrack, elaborate costumes and sensual undertones to the performance.  The set was multi-layered and gorgeous and included dimensional accents such as water, snow and falling leaves.  The seating was very intimate - not a bad seat in the house.  Cavalia comes to town with its own white big top, and features a rectangular stage with stadium seating going across in front, there are no side seats.  We were 6th row and no more than 25 foot from the stage.

The show features 47 horses, 23 of which are stallions.  There was trick riding with several themes, including Spanish, Roman, Asian and Old West.  The tempo swung from upbeat and exciting to ethereal and beautifully calm. At several intervals the main horse trainer was on the ground with multiple stallions controlling their movements with nothing but voice (French) and body language.

My favorite special effect was image projection on a wall of water.  They had a rain wall (tube going across the stage with holes at short intervals, pump water through it and the rain comes down in a single sheet) and they projected flowy white images on the water, creating this hologram effect, it was incredible.

As for the horses, while if you are a horsey person like me, you will definitely enjoy the show, you don't have to be to have a good time.  The show appeals to kids and adults alike, and horse people and non horse people alike. I would recommend it for anyone.

Their next stop is Dallas, Texas.

Some more info...

Cavalia Site
Cavalia, an Unbridled Affair
Equine Excellence
Cavalia offers a Cirque du Soleil-style equine extravaganza