Cavalia’s Odysseo is a lot of things. It is grand, majestic, inspiring, and impressive. It’s definitely a spectacle that prominently features the trusting relationship between humans and horses. Odysseo pulls out all of the stops for this show, including:
70 horses and 49 artists
a 1,626 square meter stage
10,000 tons of rock, earth and sand trucked in
18 Imax quality projectors
It’s all kind of mind bending. And that grandeur is present throughout the show. The show opens to horses milling about on stage with singer Anna-Laura Edmiston leading us through the performance. Some amazing stilters and acrobats are featured in the next section, their flips and jumps jaw dropping. The scene that stands out amongst all of the gloss in the first act is the rotating carrousel sequence. A full size merry-go-round drops down in the centre of the stage and acrobats perform some awe inspiring moves on the poles as they rotate around while Edmiston lends her vocals to the scene again. It’s a beautiful scene and features the power of the human body.
The second half features the equestrian direction and choreography of Benjamin Aillaud prominently. Horses move within simple choreography without reins, following their artists almost effortlessly. This act also has a great, high energy performance from African acrobats, complete with drums and a breathtaking desert projected backdrop. The tricks that the equestrians perform on galloping horses are also impressive. The final scene of Oddyseo has the entire front half of the stage flood, illuminated by light to look like a beach while a pair of horses performs a choreographed dance, splashing through the water. It’s not something you will see anywhere else.
Cavalia’s Oddyseo is beautiful and impressive. If you have an affinity for horses, or you just like grand theatrical shows, it is highly recommended. More information is available online.
Photo Credit: Francois Bergeron