Our best moments from the Cavalia show at Qasr al Hosn.
Updated: February 23, 2014, 12:00 AM
In pictures: Cavalia wows at Qasr al Hosn
The show usually lasts for about two and a half hours when performed in other countries, but this version is only an hour long, just the right amount of time to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
The desert features next, and though you’re anticipating horses (this being Cavalia), the first sighting of a massive stallion cantering on to the stage, a rider loosely holding the reins, comes as a shock. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
The production was customised to reflect Emirati culture and tradition. Sammy Dallal / The National
In a forest lit with the soft tones of dusk, majestic white horses form a circle around a man, and as though instinctively knowing what to do, they dance in time with the music, six horses as one. Christopher Pike / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
In daredevil stunts, men and women perform seemingly impossible maneuvers . Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi ---
For the finale, the backdrop is mountains, and, amazingly, water suddenly fills the stage. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi attends the opening performance of Cavalia. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
Eight horses step elegantly into the shallow pool for a precisely choreographed equine ballet, and create quite a splash — enough to drench members of the audience in the front row, who seek towels afterwards. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
In the end, Cavalia, with its overlying theme of the bond between man and horse, leaves the audience with a deep appreciation — and maybe even a better understanding — of Emirati tradition and heritage. Silvia Razgova / The National