Parents — this one’s for you.The organizers for the "world famous" Lipizzaner Stallions want to share something of a secret with you. But first, please send the little ones out of the room because this concerns them.
Saturday’s show at Birmingham’s Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena will feature the horses performing an array of choreographed leaps and tricks that can best be described as an equestrian ballet.
But aside from the sheer spectacle, it will also be … shhhhh … educational.
"We don’t like to say that one too loudly because it’ll turn kids off," says Tony Tinker, master of ceremonies for the Lipizzaner Stallions. "Because of the breed’s history, its military background and the classical music used during the performance, there’s so much that children will learn without really knowing it.
"And parents will also enjoy the chance to pull their kids out from in front of the television for night of entertainment unlike anything they’ve ever seen before."
This current tour, which will last approximately 11 months, represents the 34th anniversary season of the Lipizzaner Stallions. All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated into the show, and there also is major emphasis placed on the historical background and foundation of the breed and its use as a horse of war to a horse of nobility.
"You can’t separate the Lipizzaner from their heritage," Tinker says from a tour stop in Gainesville, Ga. "A lot of people know these horses were used in battle, but in reality there’s so much more to their story."
The Lipizzaner was originally developed by the royal family of Austria 428 years ago in an effort to create the perfect dressage horse, dressage being the art of perfecting the natural gait, including the perfect walk, the precise trot and the even canter. In modern terms, Tinker explains, "dressage can be thought of as equestrian ballet with the horse and rider working together in near-perfect harmony."
"Most people don’t realize that everything they do in the show, these horses do naturally without any training. The challenge is getting them to perform on cue. Learning to do that can take six to nine years of training."
Dressage itself is centuries old. Xenophon, noted Greek historian and military leader, invented the art in Greece in 400 BC. But it was a dying art form until the Austrian royal family revived it by bringing together three breeds in order to create the Lipizzaner. But the end result was actually more than they bargained for.
"Surprise, surprise," Tinker says, "they not only got the perfect dressage horse, but also a horse with a center of gravity that can perform amazing jumping tricks."
This unexpected outcome would prove to be a military benefit, highlighted in the show’s "Airs Above the Ground" segment. These are the leaps and maneuvers once used by riders in the saddle to protect and defend themselves on the battlefield.
The conclusion of the stallions’ performance is the traditional Grand Quadrille, featuring six to eight horses with riders performing an intricate ballet, exhibiting maneuvers through the highest level of dressage. The horses prance, march and weave their way across the floor to the sound of classical music.
"Everyone will take away something different," Tinker says. "This show hearkens back to a simpler time while also bringing this tradition into the 21st century. It’s all about the beauty and magnificence of these horses."
Lipizzaner Stallions
When: Sat. 2 & 7:30 p.m.Where: Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., Downtown.
How much: $19.50, $24.50
Contact: (205) 458-8400 or www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on the Lipizzaner Stallions, visit www.lipizzaner.com.
