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Lipizzaner Stallions Present Equine Ballet
By Doug Radunich
Staff Writer
Celebrating their 36th anniversary this year, The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallion Show will perform for one night only tonight at the Dixie Center.
According to its Web site, this family-oriented arena attraction was started in 1970 by Gary Lashinsky and has since included horses and riders from all over Europe. During its extensive run, the show has appeared for audiences throughout North and South America, Europe, Great Britain and Australia.
“The World Famous Lipizzaner Show is the third longest-running coliseum show next to Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey and the Harlem Globetrotters,” said Lipizzaner Show Master of Ceremonies Troy Tinker. “It’s really an educational show that’s fun for the whole family, and everyone should come out and see it.”
This year’s show emphasizes the historical background of the Lipizzaner Stallions, which includes their past as horses of war, nobility, aristocracy and equestrian activity. The show will take the audience back to a time when these horses, who are now known as equestrian works of art, were considered to be great symbols of grace and majesty.
“Every maneuver these horses do is natural for them, and we are just there to cue them and teach them when to do each maneuver,” Tinker said. “Anyone who watches a horse for its first four years will see that the horse maneuvers in the show are what they do out on the field while playing, and it translates well into a classical style of equine ballet. In fact, Mozart actually used to write music for these horses over 200 years ago.”
Fourteen stallions in the tour will perform segments with music and choreographed equine ballet routines. Highlighted segments include titles like “Airs Above the Ground,” a performance consisting of leaps and maneuvers once used by riders to protect and defend themselves on the battlefield.
“The horses do their traditional drills with two to four men on the field, and there are solo performers as well,” Tinker said. “One of my favorite maneuvers is called the ‘Capriole,’ which is when the horse does a leap into the air with a tuck under, and then a mid-air snap-kick with the back legs. It was actually a move used in battle when the horse was surrounded by an enemy.”
Tinker said that as long as the show is continuously introduced from generation to generation, it will be a long-term success throughout its entire run. 
“After the show, people come up to me and say they saw the show as a kid and wanted to bring their own kids to it, and I think the show will continue to grow as long as that keeps happening,” he said. “We’ll be able to keep adding new markets all over the world and attracting new audiences wherever we go.”

The show starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Dixie Center. Adult tickets are $19.50, and tickets for children under 12 and seniors over 60 are $17.50 each. A limited number of Gold Circle seats are also available for $22.50 each. Tickets may be bought at Lin’s Market or online at www.tickets.com. For event information or to pay for tickets by phone, call 1-800-882-8258. More information can also be found by calling the Dixie Center at 628-7003 or visiting the Web site at www.lipizzaner.com.

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