Cavalia

The big-​top tents have folded up, the acrobatic human and equine performers have moved on to stun and bewilder audiences to the North. All that’s left from the Portland shows are the scattered billboard advertisements and of course, for those of us fortunate enough to have seen them in action, a «Sacre Bleu» still echoing in our souls. Did not our hearts burn within us, from these majestically crafted and channeled interludes, between Creator, and creation?
For those familiar w/​Cirque Du Soleil, there will be no mistaking their calling cards ingrained in the very marrow of the framework of the Cavalia performances. How different life must seem, from the eyes of these incredibly strong, limber, and agile artists! One may rightly sorrow at the loss to the rest of us, that they earn their bread in a circus display case, instead living piecemeal, whilst assuming pseudonyms and capes and masks as real-​life super-​heroes, naturally manifested by fighting crime and principalities, and larger powers of darkness in the world. We mere mortals could surely use an infusion of their super human assistance!
The playful interaction between live band, live crowds, and human and horsey athletes made for a sublime experience. Enchante’, is no exaggeration. Several weeks after the fact, It is still difficult to arise above stupefaction and mono-​syllabic utterances to convey the sense of wonder evoked by these shows. Among the many inexplicable wonders remaining after taking in some Cavalia shows, one is that of base arithmetic: in the «pop-​quiz» shown at the beginning of their show, it is revealed that 45 horses are used in the show, of which a mind-​boggling 18 are stallions. No mares are in the shows, but 26 geldings are. Although I was and remain gob-​smacked that they were able to harness the sheer power and willfulness of so many stallions for these shows, I am left wondering: what about the 45^th horse? To my feeble, terrestrial brain, 18+26 = 44, not 45. Was this a typo by the otherwise other-​worldly talents at Cavalia, or perhaps a deliberate gimmick to see how many of us were paying attention?
[Note: the afore-​mentioned quiz concerned only the horse performers, not the humans. There was obviously a well-​distributed mix of incredibly talented men and women in Cavalia… no word on how many of the fellas might have been eunuchs…]
As ever, I am left in wonderment, with far more questions, than answers fluttering within easy grasp… although along with these questions, is a supreme gratitude and astonishment. Merci beaucoup, Cavalia, for arousing all these splendid things! You are all the witness we’ll ever need, for proof for the old Oscar Wilde quote:
«We’re all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars…»