Cavalia Gallops Down Under For the First Time In 2013

Grand-scale multi-media show featuring 50 horses and 42 artists from around the world to play under the gleaming White Big Top in the parking lot adjacent to DFO at Brisbane Airport

Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse, an innovative multi-media and multi-disciplinary production created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of famed Cirque du Soleil, announces its debut tour of Australia. With Brisbane hosting the premiere season next year, Cavalia opens March 6, 2013, under its signature White Big Top, in the parking lot adjacent to DFO at Brisbane Airport. Tickets for Cavalia, one of the world's most critically acclaimed shows, will go on sale tomorrow, October 31 online at www.cavalia.com.au or by calling 1800-765-955. “We are thrilled to announce our first ever Australian tour and it is an honor to bring this show, an idea that started in Canada, on the other side of the world, to a country which has such a great affinity with both the performing arts and the horse,” said Normand Latourelle, Founder and Artistic Director of Cavalia. “Having travelled half the globe, the art of Cavalia is truly a universal language and we can't wait for Australians to experience its magic.” Enjoyed by some 3.5 million people across North American and Europe, Cavalia is a lavish production involving 50 magnificent horses and featuring 42 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians from all over the world. A show unlike any other, Cavalia celebrates the relationship between humans and horses, virtually reinventing the equestrian arts. In Cavalia, horses cavort with the many artists in front of a constantly changing digital background projected onto a 60 metre-wide screen, drawing spectators into dream-like virtual environments. Unlike traditional horse shows, Cavalia’s audience faces a single 50 metre-wide stage which allows the horses space to gallop at full speed, at times running completely free, unfettered by bridles or halters. Cavalia takes place under a white, 2,440-square-metre big top, rising some 35 metres high that gives the horses an ample playground to perform with their trainers and artists. Cavalia’s gleaming White Big Top is the second-largest touring tent in the world – surpassed only by the one housing Cavalia’s sister production, Odysseo. Delightful, thrilling and poignant, Cavalia explores humankind’s longstanding relationship with the horse. Juxtaposed with the vibrancy of the production is a subtle thematic line that takes audiences through the evolution of horses and human’s interaction with them. Cavalia’s horse training is based upon a philosophy of understanding horses, rather than making horses understand the humans around them. The tone of the show, embraced by the entire company, is one of mutual respect, kindness, patience, and trust. Audiences have found Cavalia exhilarating in scope, yet touching in the compassion shown by both horse and human. Cavalia has received critical acclaim from around the world, including The New York Times, which noted that the theme of Cavalia is “Celebrating horses, humans and their bond”, while The Toronto Star mentioned “A new fairy tale-like show from the imagination of a Cirque du Soleil founder”. Paris Match described the show as “Pure poetry”, Bild in Berlin called it “A wonderland full of mystery and poetry” and Telecinco in Madrid raved “One of the most beautiful shows in the world”. TICKETS – For its exclusive season in Brisbane, Cavalia will be presented under its signature White Big Top in the parking lot adjacent to DFO at Brisbane Airport. Tickets are priced from $39.00 to $155.00 + applicable taxes and fees. For guests who desire an extraordinary outing, the show can be customized for an extended experience from $134.00 to $315.00, including a Horse Lovers Package that lets patrons tour Cavalia’s stables after the show, and the VIP Rendez-Vous Package that includes a post-show tour of the stables, a cocktail/dinner reception and much more. Special pricing is also available for children (2-12), juniors (13-17), senior citizens (65+) and for groups. Dates for Sydney (May 2013) and Melbourne (August 2013) will be announced soon. Watch the website for details. ABOUT CAVALIA INC. – Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Cavalia Inc. operates two separate touring shows, Cavalia and Odysseo, both of which marry the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects at never-before-seen levels. Cavalia, seen by some 3.5 million people across North America and Europe since its 2003 debut, celebrates the relationship between humans and horses by loosely recounting the evolution of this bond. Odysseo, which premiered in autumn 2011, takes the next step, leading viewers on a journey through some of the breathtaking landscapes horses have helped humans discover around the globe. Follow Cavalia Inc.’s latest developments at www.twitter.com/cavalia or www.facebook.com/cavalia.