(Photo courtesy of Cavalia)
When he was still a child, Normand Latourelle’s idol was Walt Disney.
“Every time there was a Disney movie on TV, I had to watch it,” the French-Canadian recalls. This magical feeling of entering a whole new universe was something Latourelle wanted to recreate on stage later in life. He did so as co-founder of the famous Cirque du Soleil, and is now enchanting audiences anew by creating the spectacular Cavalia and Odysseo, two shows that emphasize the relationship between horses and humans.
“After moving on from Cirque du Soleil, I did a couple of other shows, and one of them required one horse as an extra,” Latourelle says when asked how Cavalia first came into being. “Every time the horse was coming on stage, it was stealing the focus from the performers. That really got my attention. This show — this was back in Canada — went down for many years, and I started to have more horses. I also called some of my friends who were acrobats and said, ‘let’s see what we can do with horses,’ and the idea for Cavalia slowly grew.”
But even though Latourelle already had a vision, it took him quite some time to finally make the decision of putting on a show with animals. The last thing he wanted was for audiences to encounter a circus-like feeling.
“I am still against using wild animals in a show, but I realized throughout the years that horses are like dogs; they are domesticated animals, and they like to be with humans if you treat them well,” he explains. “I wasn’t a horse person to begin with, but the more and more I learned about them, the more I was inspired by the history of horses [and the connection to humans].
“I didn’t want to do a circus, because I understand that horses need space,” he goes on. “I didn’t want to have a small ring where the horses only go around in circles.”
To guarantee that the horses have enough room to move freely, Latourelle created the stage first — 50 meters in length, allowing the horses to run, roll in the sand, and simply enjoy themselves. The sheer size, however, created a new problem.
“With a stage that big, I couldn’t find a tent that would fit that stage plus 2000 seats,” Latourelle says, laughing. “So I had to create a tent as well.”
The Cavalia “village” consists of nine different tents, with the White Big Top housing the stage; according to Latourelle it is the biggest touring tent in the world. It peaks at 35 meters — the height is needed for the acrobats who swing and fly through the air.
“I wanted the audience to feel that they are going into a dream world when they see these tents,” Latourelle says. “I don’t like to create just a show, but a world of new experiences.
“It’s a very sophisticated theater. Cavalia is a touring show, but I wanted to reach the quality of a permanent show, like in Macau or Las Vegas,” he adds. “So we have pushed the limits of what a touring show can do, including the water effects.”
In Cavalia, which later spawned the second production Odysseo and will come to Singapore in August after a stint in Brussels, more than 40 performers — riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians — interact with dozens of stunning horses, telling the story of a relationship that has lasted for centuries. In front of a digital background, which is projected onto a 60-meter screen and constantly changes throughout the show, the performance is spectacular and enchanting at the same time.
“The story tells the history of the relationship between humans and horses — it’s a story without words, so everybody can make up their own [version],” Latourelle explains.
Since its 2003 debut, the show has attracted more than four million spectators and undergone significant changes. According to Latourelle, 80 percent of the original show has been modified or completely changed.
“To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cavalia, I wanted to integrate some landscape. So it’s like a journey through many continents, and the landscape images reflect the places we have visited in the past,” he says.
Cavalia features 11 different horse breeds from all over the world with each having their own characteristics; the pure Spanish breeds make up the largest group among them.
“I like white horses, because they are very shiny on stage,” Latourelle says. “[The pure Spanish breeds] do dressage and they are very agile, and look beautiful with their long manes.”
There are also quite a few American quarter horses, which are extremely fast and can go up to 35 kilometers per hour, whereas the Arabian horses tend to be very joyful and like to play.
“For half of the show, the horses roam around freely. There is a lot of improvisation; sometimes we don’t really know what the horses are going to do, so we just have to follow them,” Latourelle says. “In any other show, like Cirque du Soleil for example, or a musical, it’s a clock that runs the show. Here, everything is run by the stage manager who gives all the cues manually because we are following the horses. That’s also why the timing of the show varies.”
It is extremely important to Latourelle that the animals are treated well.
“We have decided to let the horses be horses — we don’t want them to feel that they have to do something, but instead, when they come on stage, we try to make it into their playground,” he says.
The length of training for the horses depends on what they are doing in the show: the main task for the quarter horses is to run fast during the trick riding sequence, so that’s relatively easy to do, whereas horses that do dressage need years of training.
“We have a place in the south of France where we train our horses, and we also do some training at our farm in Canada,” Latourelle says. “They get basic training before they come on tour, and then we complete the training here. They not only have to know how to perform and interact with the riders and the trainers, but they also have to deal with the lights, the sounds, the applause — so they have to be in an environment that is not natural to them. We have to adapt them slowly. Sometimes it doesn’t work out because the horses are too nervous — they are, after all, animals with a strong instinct. We don’t ask the horses to be human in this show. It may not be perfect — but I like it this way.”
Latourelle also makes sure that the horses get plenty of rest between shows, Since the show moves five times a year, it is important for the animals to go out to pasture at the farm in Canada, to have a good time, graze in peace and meet old friends from Cavalia, the horses that have already retired from the show.
“The company owns around 200 horses, and 65 retired horses are at the farm in Canada which has been bought for this purpose,” Latourelle says.
Traveling with so many horses isn’t always easy, he admits, but can be done.
“We charter a Boeing 747 when we move, and all the horses go into one plane,” Latourelle says. “The horses tend to be calmer in an airplane compared to a truck or a trailer because a plane around moves a lot less. They can get a little bit nervous during take off and landing, but other than that, they take it very well. They always travel with grooms, technicians and a veterinarian. Once in a while we need to sedate the horses that are too excited, but that happens very rarely.”
Looking ahead to August, when Cavalia will come to Singapore, Latourelle says he is excited about exploring the Southeast Asian market — and the timing seems better than ever.
“We have been touring for 10 years, and for me, coming to Asia was a must,” he says. “Opening in Singapore and getting there during the Year of the Horse, that’s fantastic.”
Latourelle says that looking back at the last decade, he is still amazed at what Cavalia has achieved.
“I never envisioned owning a horse — now I have 200,” he says. “It changed my life totally. I really fell in love with horses.”
By Katrin Figge on 01:58 pm Jun 13, 2014
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