ARTANIA RUSSIAN CIRCUS

My husband loves all things Russian so when we heard about the Russian circus being in town, we couldn't wait to go. The show was spectacular. The costumes were beautiful and the agility of the performers was a sight to behold.

For the first time in America, Artania, a big-top performance by the Kantemirov Family of Cossack Riders, will thrill audiences with a musical mystery show featuring 55 aerial artists, musicians, acrobats and a stable of rare Russian horses.

“Artania hit Houston March 14 for a four-week run at SHRP. The family-friendly event is billed as a celebration of life and man’s love for horses. And what horses. Akhal-Teke Thoroughbreds, Tersks, Ukrainians and Orloff Trotters.

The Akhal-Teke is the most ancient and one of the rarest breeds in the world and one of show’s mounts is an albino Akhal-Teke with a bloodline dating back to the time of Alexander the Great.The animals perform a mix of classical dressage — a form of horse ballet — and daredevil gallops as riders stand, leap and contort on top of them.

The show combines the theatrical stylings of the popular Cirque du Soleil performances with lights, music and costumes but does it on the hoof, so to speak.Artania comes from a long history of Cossack horsemanship. Alibek Kantimerov, founder of the Kantemirov horse-riding dynasty from North Ossetia, Russia, began his career as a circus rider and was the first in the history of Russian circuses to create a riding troupe. Known as Alibek, they performed traditional Ossetian stunts on horseback. In 1947 Alibek and his three sons, Khasanbek, Irbek and Mukhtarbek, created a system of acrobatic horse riding stunts for the Soviet cinema, which later became a classic art form for Russian films.

The stunts and horse dressage of the Kantemirovs have been featured in more than 50 films in Russia.“We are thrilled to present the debut of Artania in Houston, Texas,” said Mairbek Kantimerov, creative director of Artania. “The city consists of a large international community and has a respected arts community along with a long-standing tradition of horsemanship, making this an ideal location for our show.”