Cavalia’s Odysseo~ Dallas TX,USA!

I thought that you all might like to see and read about Cavalia’s Odysseo! I went and saw Cavalia a few years ago and thought it was amazing.

Odysseo is the world’s largest live performance under the Big Top-it’s 125 feet tall, covers an area of 393 feet long by 311 feet wide and spans more than 120,000 square feet!

Here is a little bit about Cavalia’s Odysseo from their website:

A Dream Voyage~

Site: http://www.cavalia.net

This production is a celebration of the beauty and harmony of the meeting of two worlds: those of horse and human. As friends, partners and inseparable performers, they will lead you on a journey to another world – a world of dreams.

The door to your dream opens as soon as you enter the Big Top – the largest one of its kind in the world. Before the show even begins, you will be drawn into the mystery of an enchanted three-dimensional forest, which gradually comes alive under a sky of moving clouds. This is your invitation to marvel at nature’s greatest wonders, without ever leaving your seat.

Shrouded in a blue mist rising from the earth, you will find yourself amid a herd of grazing horses, admiring the splendour of the setting sun. Lying on a bed of green, you can contemplate what the stars dream about, what horses dream about. Follow the northern lights as they dance across the heavens. Revel in the birth of spring.

Suddenly, the flat surface of the stage will start to swell and curve. From behind an expanse of rolling hills and a distant desert emerges a herd of horses, seeking an oasis where they can quench their thirst.

Through a symphony of colours and emotions, a series of wonders will unfold. In this intimate yet grandiose setting, humans and horses live in harmony. Surrounded by awe-inspiring images and accompanied by live music, horses and artists – acrobats, dancers, musicians and riders – will take you on a journey to a world where dreams and reality intertwine.

Set under a 38-meter tall White Big Top, audiences will be transported around the world as more than 60 horses and an international cast play and demonstrate their intimate bond. The 1,393 square meter stage features a real carousel and a magically appearing 302,000-litre lake in front of a stunning video backdrop the size of three IMAX screens. Odysseo is a two-hour dream that will move the heart and touch the soul.

What do horses dream about? The same thing we do: Freedom.

Odysseo’s 20 person stable team includes veterinarians, health technicians, trainers, riders, grooming team, and a traveling farrier. The barn team works from 6:00 am to midnight every day and some employees live onsite so horses can be monitored around the clock.

Here are some facts about the horses of Odysseo:

The horses’ manes are braided each night to ensure they stay silky and shiny for the next day’s performance
Most of the horses are not shod
8 meals are served each day- 5 servings of hay and 3 servings of grain
15,000 bales of Timothy hay and 70,400 lbs of Purina grain are consumed each year
Horses get special treats on Sunday like carrots, bananas, apples, and pears
Horses enjoy daily trips to outdoor paddocks to play and relax in between performances
There are 8 wash racks in the stables
Each year, 73,000 bags of wood chips are used and shavings are changed daily
A day in the life of an Odysseo horse includes baths, grooming, massages, workshops, paddock time, and training
3 health technicians work full time at the show to ensure the horse’s safety and care
Cavalia’s horse training is based upon a philosophy of understanding the needs, the preferences, and the emotions of the four-legged stars. The tone of the show, embraced by the company, is one of mutual respect, kindness, patience, and trust.

The horses have arrived on the red carpet!

63 equine stars of the $30 million dollar theatrical production arrived at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark and walked on the red carpet. The event, which has been touted as the largest touring show on earth, required 110 semi-trailers to move from Mexico City to its location in Frisco, Texas.

The premiere of the show took place January 24th, It took 10,000 tons of stone, earth, and sand to create the open space that was converted into the event site.

The size and grandeur of the main stage is quite impressive, but it’s the behind-the-scenes aspect of the equine production that’s turning heads. A total of five tents have been erected including the 17,225 square-foot stable tent for the horses.

The life-size carousel~

“Founder Normand Latourelle wanted the stage to be completely free of masts and obstructions, giving its creative team the freedom to design any scenes we could imagine for our two and four-legged performers,” says Odysseo’s Resident Artistic Director Darren Charles. “Overhanging the colossal stage is a technical grid that can support 80 tons of equipment, including a full-sized merry-go-round. This defies everything that has ever been done under a tent to date in the world.”