Cavalia

From the very first time I saw the advertisement for Cavalia on television, I knew I wanted to bring the kids to watch it.

I love horses! Always have! They are such beautiful, strong, yet gentle creatures. It’s my dream to learn how to ride a horse and to go for a horse trek in the big wide somewhere (I hear Wales is great for such things). I’ve only done one lesson that I bought from Groupon and had such a high after that! I’d definitely continue if I had the chance.

Anyway, Jon decided to give a big treat for my birthday and we all went! Yippie!

Asher’s idea to do the horse hands :)

One of the white tents

The tent felt so much larger on the inside than it looked from the outside. It was also warmer than expected, but I guess it’s a temporary structure and we watched it at noon. Still, the warmth did not diminish our enjoyment of the show.

I loved seeing the horses running free (I use this term to mean they were running without a rider to guide them) around the performance area. The stage, if you would call it that, was large enough for the horses to gallop at high speed around it. Beautiful landscape scenes were projected onto the wide backdrop, transporting you to another location. Gorgeous, gorgeous horses with flowing manes took to the stage. There were also acrobats who performed in between the segments featuring the horses.

Picture taken from the Cavalia SISTIC website

It was amazing how the trainers were able to persuade the horses to move in certain ways just by talking to them, or with small gestures. What a contrast to the typical circus where you imagine the ring master cracking his whip to make animals perform. And really, it didn’t feel so much like the horses were performing as they were agreeing to be led. You can see the performers have a great respect for them.

 

This part was very Lord of the Rings (Picture taken from the Cavalia website)

There were some bits of humour thrown in and the boys particularly loved the surprise appearance of a miniature stallion!

It was especially beautiful when they flooded the performance area and the front portion became a pond. It was amazing how it was done and such a visual treat! The splashes, the grace of the horses, the scenery and the costumes all came together beautifully. Though I did wonder how they would get all the costumes dry and the sand dry in time for the next performance, which was just 2 hours after ours ended.

Splashing through the water (Picture taken from the Cavalia website)

In all, it’s a family friendly show with a Wow factor, though quite pricey I’ll admit. If you feel like a splurge, it’s worthwhile to go for it.

Cavalia, brought in by BASE Entertainment Asia, runs until 28 Sep and tickets can be bought from SISTIC.

 

 

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Rasa Sentosa Staycation – Part II

More on our staycation!

Flying Trapeze

The most exciting thing for me was probably the flying trapeze. Kids above 5 years can try, but Asher was more interested in playing with the sand, and it’s not Jon’s type of activity, so I did all three complimentary swings myself. And just as well. I only succeeded on the third swing! I took an introductory course in aerial circus arts last year and had learnt some simple tricks on the trapeze. Even though I expected the flying trapeze to be challenging for me since I haven’t exercised in a long time, I didn’t realise just how challenging it would be.

A moving trapeze is vastly different from a stationary one. And hooking your knees onto a trapeze hung at eye-level is totally different from hooking them onto one that is the height of your outstretched arms. At the pre-swing practice I needed the help of the assistant to lift my legs up to the trapeze; at circus class I can do it myself.

Struggling to get on the high bar

And that was just the start of the challenges. Even climbing up to the platform high above was tiring! Gosh. And then when I swung for the first time I realised how much my grip has weakened from when I was doing circus every week. I could barely hang on when swinging with the centrifugal forces I was experiencing. And with a moving trapeze it’s all about timing. I almost got my feet to touch the trapeze when I started to swing backwards and then couldn’t lift them anymore.

But it got better. I think my body was remembering what it felt like to exercise again. Second time, the climb up was less tiring, my grip felt stronger, and one foot had a good hold of the trapeze before I swung backwards losing the hold.

Third time was the winner. Swing! Legs up! Feet on! Knees! YAY!

Wheeeeeeeeee

I thought it was good for the boys to see me persevering, and eventually succeeding at it.

Food

We were there on Father’s Day, so all fathers received a free glass of beer. That instantly made Jon’s day :)

Cheers for Fathers!

For dinner and breakfast we ate at the Silver Shell Cafe.  I liked that there was a children’s buffet table set at their height with kid-friendly food. They happily ate up their tortilla chips, pasta, chicken wings, and other such food.  Asher ate so much he said his belly was so full he could hardly contemplate dessert. Of course dessert won in the end.  He planted himself at the chocolate fondue station and helped himself to stick after stick of marshmallows, eating them straightaway after dipping them in the chocolate fountain.  So much for being too full :) Ellery, having less of a sweet tooth, was happy to take a few bites of some cake.

Kids buffet table

Frozen cake spotted!

Jon and I had our fill too.  I was glad to eat medium rare beef for the first time in months, and loved their salad bar so much I chomped through two large servings of salad.

Definitely a fun and  yummy buffet for all of us!

Room

The third-floor room we had was very spacious. It could fit a king sized bed, the queen sized sofa bed, a cot, and still had a lot of space for the kids to run around. Perfect for our needs. I also thought it was very thoughtful of the hotel staff to provide a care pack for the kids.  They loved it!

Very spacious room. This picture doesn’t show where the sofa bed is cos I’m standing there.

So many beds, but all piled together for an afternoon nap

Care pack for the kids

Slippers, toothbrushes in kids size, and even a sponge because they know we have a baby with us!

Playing on their sofa bed at night :)

Sleeping in

If you get a good deal, Rasa Sentosa is really a great place for a staycation!

Rasa Sentosa

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Le Noir – The Intimate Side of Cirque

Back in Singapore after a successful run in 2013, this run of Le Noir brings with it several new acts, including one of the most complex circus stunts in the world – The Wheel of Death.

Le Noir promises an evening of intimate cirque-style entertainment with a cast of world-class acrobats, musicians, specialty acts, and comedians, many of whom were formerly from Cirque du Soleil.  And it really will be an intimate affair.  Le Noir has seats for audience members right next to the stage – near enough to touch.  It doesn’t get more intimate than that.  The audience will also be ‘enclosed’ within a canopy of curtains designed from LED lights, adding to the atmosphere.

The cast*

The Wheel of Dealth is an amazing circus act, guaranteed to make your jaw will drop. Colombians Angelo Lyerzkysky Rodriguez and Carlos Mayorga perform their act on a pair of spinning wheels.  Described as “certifiably crazy”, they leap and do tricks in the wheels as they spin.  And as if that weren’t crazy enough, Carlos climbs onto the outside of the wheel and performs a series of daredevils acts like skipping with a rope and doing a triple under. You’ll gasp, you’ll hold your breathe, you’ll love it. You have to see it for yourself.

Wheel of Death*

With no safety harness or crash mats, the possibility of a serious accident is very real. Angelo stressed that when they perform, nothing else goes through their minds.  “We need to be completely focused on what we are doing.  We pray, focus, and take care of each other,” he says.  Still, when asked why he does this he said the speed of the spinning wheels is what attracts him.  And it is clear from their expressions the passion they have for their art.

Angelo (left) & Carlos (right)*

 

The aerial lyra act performed by Thomas Worrell is another highlight to look out for. It is breathtakingly beautiful. A perfect juxtaposition of grace and strength.  His movements are as graceful and fluid as a ballet dancer’s.  And as it turns out, he started his career as a dancer before pursuing circus arts.  

Thomas shared that he choreographed the act himself and that it took only about two-and-a-half weeks to put together.  He added that this was possible because of the repertoire of moves he has mastered in his eight years of training.  Still, it wasn’t always easy for him.  At the climax of his performance, Thomas does an endless series of extremely fast, tight spins.  “When I first started I used to feel sick all day, but not anymore,” he shared. Thomas makes the aerial lyra look like child’s play.  His expression remains serene throughout, and you get no sense that he is under any physical strain or exertion.

Aerial Lyra*

An extremely flexible Thomas on the lyra

 

These are just two of the many thrilling acts featured in Le Noir.  Others include a hand balance act by American Two-time World Champion in Acrobatic Gymnastics, Shenea Booth, who also appeared on the historic first season of America’s Got Talent; and the duo trapeze act by identical twins Sarah and Karine Steben who were highlighted as the principal act in the celebrated Cirque du Soleil “O” at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Le Noir promises to be a spell-binding theatrical experience that engages every sense and has been designed to be enjoyed by audiences young and old.  Expect to be enthralled!

Le Noir runs at the Mastercard Theatre at the Marina Bay Sands from 7 June.  Tickets are available through SISTIC.

*All photographs courtesy of BASE Entertainment.

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