Horse Ballet

Thu., June 18, 1998

By Winda Benedetti windab@spokesman.com

Sure, pirouettes are the kind of moves you would expect from a ballerina. But from a creature that weighs in the range of a small car?

Of course, we’re talking about the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions here. And these beautiful white behemoths not only twirl on their hind legs, they perform ballet-like moves with fancy names such as capriole, courbette and piaffe.

If you don’t know what those are, suffice it to say that centuries of careful breeding and a life of intense training have taught these equestrian wonders how to leap, balance and dance with the agility of a prima ballerina in a tutu.

Sound like a physics impossibility? Head over to Beasley Coliseum in Pullman on Friday or the Spokane Arena on Saturday and see for yourself. The Wonderful World of Horses, starring the Lipizzaner Stallions, offers a chance to see these beasts in motion.

The shows are part of The Wonderful World of Horses’ 29th anniversary tour. All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated into a show entitled “A Symphony in White.”

The show pays tribute to the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria. Lipizzaner Stallions were first bred in Austria in the late 1500s. They became the property of nobility and the military aristocracy, and were trained for battle. Their leaps and aerial maneuvers were particularly useful in fighting foot soldiers.

Although the Lippizans are the stars of the show, this weekend’s performances include Arabians and the ancestral forefathers of the Lippizan - the Spanish Andalusian.

The Royal Lipizzaner Stallions will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Pullman and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Spokane Arena. The Beasley Coliseum show tickets are $17 and $15 for adults (children 12 and under and seniors 60-plus save $2). Arena tickets are $28, $18 and $15 for adults (children and seniors save $2 on the two cheaper prices). All tickets are available at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.

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