A short introduction to equestrian theater

Le Regard Libre N° 53 - Ivan Garcia

From August 29 to August 1^er Last September, the Théâtre de Vidy offered its audiences a revival of the show Hate to inaugurate the new theatre season. In so doing, Le Regard Libre invites you to take a behind-the-scenes look at this creation, with a double interview with Laetitia Dosch, actress and director, and Judith Zagury, equestrian coach at the «Shanju» school, to discover how this show came to be, and the fascinating world of equestrian theater.

The history of Western theater has always been linked, in one way or another, to the presence of animals on stage. The most emblematic case is that of Greek tragedy, which, as its name suggests, includes the goat (trago in Greek) - or the goat, depending on the interpretation. Indeed, in ancient Greece, the opening of the theater festival known as «Les Grandes Dionysies» required the sacrifice of either a goat or a billy goat to kick off the festivities. Other «theatrical» practices - so to speak - such as taurocatapsis emphasized this relationship with the animal. In the case of the latter sport, practised by the Minoan civilization, the athlete had to jump over a bull, which was perceived as a kind of religious ritual aimed at worshipping a taurine figure.

In the Middle Ages, bestiary also found its place on stage and in literature. The animal, supreme symbol of otherness, became a kind of allegory for man's principal vices and virtues. Take, for example, the Roman de Renart where the protagonist - a «goupil» (old word for fox) - is called Renart and uses his cunning to get out of any situation. Animals were quickly appropriated by the Church and the clergy as allegories for the various sins that could corrupt Christians. As medieval historian Michel Pastoureau demonstrates in his book The bear: story of a fallen king how the former king of animals, the bear, was supplanted by the lion, considered more noble and less bestial by the Church.

Nowadays, the figure of the animal is making a comeback on our contemporary stages, whether through costumes or, more specifically, through real animals treading the boards. However, unlike in other eras, it would seem that these animals no longer question our humanity as mere mirrors, but are endowed with genuine human capacities, particularly in terms of relationships. With the rise of ideologies such as antispeciesism and veganism, ethical and social questions are invading the stage, asking us about our alleged superiority to another species or our own behavior towards them. Within the category of equestrian theater, these questions are well and truly present, and allow works such as Hate, attempted duet with a horse come to life on the set.

Equestrian theater

By equestrian show, we mean a show that uses horses for its performance. It developed mainly in the XVIIIth century^th It originated in the military academies of England in the 19th century. Created for aristocrats, it featured riders performing various acrobatics on their mounts. However, it would be inaccurate to reduce the equestrian spectacle to a series of figures performed on a horse's back. This type of performance attracts interest not least because of its sheer diversity, and the many possible combinations of music, dance, mounts, song, acrobatics and military parades - and the list of possibilities goes on and on.

From its beginnings among the English aristocracy, the equestrian show arrived in the early 19th century.^th The first circus in France in the 19th century attracted a wealthy clientele, and was eventually democratized, becoming the star attraction of the first circuses. From then on, the circus ceased to arouse any real enthusiasm - at least in France - until the second half of the twentieth century.^th century. Indeed, from the 1970s onwards, this type of show underwent a profound renewal, notably under the influence of the Zingaro equestrian theater led by horseman and director Bartabas.
Since 1989, at the Fort d'Aubervilliers, Bartabas has directed the Zingaro equestrian theater, a place where horses and humans collaborate to create equestrian shows, and where respect and pedagogy between humans and horses is de rigueur. The creator of what is now known as the «Théâtre Equestre», Bartabas has created a kind of utopia, as he says of his theater:

«Its caravans, music and horses give it the appearance of a circus, but here the show is a ritual, the music a vocation and the love of horses a religion. It's the work of a tribe of artists down to their fingernails and hooves. All these marvelous beings make the Zingaro myth an insolent reality.»

Hate and its recovery

The result of an actress sensitive to the animal question and a coach a former pupil of Bartabas, whose equestrian pedagogy is particularly interesting, Hate is a kind of in-between, proposing a different approach to the relationship between horses and humans. Laetitia Dosch's show features a human named Laetitia and her companion, the horse Corazón. Together on stage, these two beings digress about our times and experience a few adventures together. Facing the audience, the horse remains free, although he has learned a few movements in advance. This creation leaves plenty of room for freedom and improvisation, both for the animal and the actress.
For the new theater season, the show is back, but this time in a different setting. Transposed to Gimel, in the «Shanju» school-workshop, close to nature, the performance promises to be completely different from the one seen in the theater last season.

Read also: Laetitia Dosch: «My job is to put people in a place where they have something to think about».»

However, dear readers, to fully understand and penetrate this universe, we went to Gimel to meet Laetitia Dosch and Judith Zagury to find out about their vision of things, their artistic and practical habits, and their relationship with animals and the world of theater. In addition to this brief introduction, you'll find a first interview with Laetitia Dosch, which focuses on the subject of the show, her motivations and her relationship with Corazón, and takes you behind the scenes of the creation process. Then, a second interview, this time with Judith Zagury, will tell you more about how horses learn at the «Shanju» school-workshop, and how she worked with the horse and Laetitia to bring this beautiful creation to fruition. We hope you enjoy reading!

Write to the author: ivan.garcia@leregardlibre.com

Photo credits: © Indra Crittin for Le Regard Libre