Equilibre is one of the most interesting performance events in Britain. It originated in 1993 from an idea by Jane Lloyd Francis, artistic and administrative director of the company, who was inspired by the relationship between rider Georges Dewez and his Lippizaner mare, Capriole. Jane and Georges regard Equilibre as a natural progression from their training work with horses and provides an opportunity to make a public expression of classical riding as an art form in its own right.

The work of the company is devised and its ideas and inspirations are a collaboration of all involved.

Equilibre is a complex weave of many art forms, with the horse at its centre. Equilibre has termed itself both horse opera and horse theatre, but the artists involved resist definition and categorisation of a unique event, where mythical and ritual resonances combine with real presence of horses and the theatrical spirit of adventure and emotion.

Georges Dewez
Georges trained at the National Stud in Lipica, Slovenia with riders trained at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. In 1998, confirmed in classical riding, he was accepted as a pupil of the great maestro Nuno Oliveira. It is Nuno Oliveira who has inspired all our work and training methodology at Carreg Dressage.

Jane Lloyd Francis
Jane, Georges' partner, has been a pupil of his for the last 10 years. Jane has also trained in Portugal. Jane is the artistic and administrative director of Equilibre

 
Cast of 2003
Director Jane Lloyd-Francis
Assistant Director Sarah Barnfather
Assistant Event Organiser Gwen Bouvier
Music Nadine Burri, Jez Danks
Performers Chrysogone Diangouaya, Ian Morgan,
Zoe Crowder, Sara Hernandez,
Javier Cura
Riders Georges Dewez, Jane Lloyd-Francis, Janine Pendlebury, Kirsty Munn
Horses Heroi, Braico, Efeito, Neptuno, Capriole, Cajarim, Florence, Harley
Horse care Julie Dunkey, Leonie Prior, Kirsty Munn, Bobby Roberts
Design Meri Wells
Costume Meri Wells, Hannah Jones
Lighting Emma Kelly
Stage management Jess Byne Daniel, Nick Shorney, Alan Templeton
Production management and Front of House Auriel Martin, Steve Sustad
Fire Poi Becky, Sonja
Fire Lanterns Natasha Duggan
Artist in Residence Dick Renshaw
Photographer in Residence Martin Avery
Video Claire Butterworth

Ian Morgan
is a theatre practitioner based in London and Wales, specialising in performing, actor training and as a collaborator / leader in devised work.

He studied at Hull University (UK), gaining a degree in theatre studies in 1990, then went to train at Monika Pagneux and Phillipe Gaulier's school in Paris (1991) and worked as a member of the performance team led by Thomas Richards for three years - participating in the active research: Art as vehicle - at the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski in Italy (1992-95).

Since leaving Italy, Ian has combined performance with the training and directing of theatre students in several institutions throughout the UK and continental Europe. He is now working as a freelance theatre practitioner, while leading pyscho-physical training programmes at East 15 Drama School and teaching practical approaches to performance at Brunel University and Aberystwyth University, Wales. As a performer Ian currently collaborates in the live art collective MKULTRA (dir: Peader Kirk) and with the Wales based visual theatre company U- Man Zoo.


Elspeth Bryce-Gill
with Sunbeam Fantasia


Chrysogone Diangouaya
is coming over from Paris especially to perform in Equilibre this year.

Chrysogone has a formidable list of credits to his name including choreographing the national ballet of the Congo and extensive touring with Le Coq Est Mort. Chrysagone has danced, choreographed and led workshops all over Europe. Africa and the USA, it will be a privilege to have him work with Equilibre here in Wales.


Nadine Burri


Sarah Fernandez

Jez Danks
is a much underestimated musician capable of composing extraordinary and moving musical themes which underscore all of Equilibre's work. Active in many fields as a performer, composer, teacher and musical director, Jez has a special interest in Eastern European and Middle Eastern music and since 1990 he has led the popular instrumental group, Kolomeyka, which regularly performs in these and other traditions.

The music is generally performed at several different levels: a small group of musicians provides the main body of music, frequently augmented by hand-held percussion used by some or all of the performers; this may further be supplemented by non-standard items such as oil drums, steel pipes, etc. either to reinforce rhythms or create special effects; vocal work, either solo or ensemble.

This approach has enabled a very wide range of people to take part in the musical side of the performance, from professional musicians to people with little or no previous musical experience. Equilibre has also collaborated very successfully with persons with specific disabilities.

Music is specially composed for each production; the style of music thus follows the chosen theme. By working closely with all the musicians and performers, the composer is able to be sympathetic to individual abilities and strengths.

Many differing styles may appear in a particular production: scored ensemble pieces in ‘classical’ style, improvised tunes in the Gipsy and Yiddish traditions, settings of religious texts, chants, jazz tunes and spontaneous drumming have all been featured