The Dancing Horses

THE DANCING HORSES

  

SINCE MY ICONIC PRESENTATION OF male exotic entertainment at the Sugar Shack, I’ve continued to grow professionally. The Sugar Legacy Arabian Farm eventually evolved into my family-friendly petting zoo, Animal Gardens, followed by the launch of my latest creative venture, a Las Vegas style equestrian spectacle, The Dancing Horses.

 

I’ve been in love with horses since childhood. I was five the day I was put on one at a pony ride. The pony ring was an attraction down by the Lake Como shore in the summer. After my first ride I was hooked. What an amazing feeling!

My family spent much of the summer at our cottage in Lake Como so I ended up hanging out all day at the ride. The owner let me walk the ponies and do other chores. I spent hours helping out and every once in awhile she’d reward me with a ride.

A few years later I was in my teens and dating a sweet boy named, Johnny, who bought a horse and said I could ride it, which I did every time I came to Lake Como. Again, some years later when I was a successful Bunny at the Chicago Playboy Club I bought Cass, my first horse, an Arabian stallion. I kept him at a farm and rode him whenever I could. Next came the Sugar Shack and in 1979.

When what we were doing went national, I had the funds to first buy the property, then develop the Sugar Legacy Arabian Farm where I showed and bred horses. It was there that the flash of inspiration came for The Dancing Horses—a way to present my love of horses to the world.

A trainer named Laura Amadis joined the staff at the farm. She’d worked with horses in the circus. She decided to surprise me on my birthday by training my favorite Arabian stallion, Baskin-Robbins, to do a circus routine to music!

After saying she had a special present for me, we went down to the round indoor arena which was 60’ x 60’ and ornately enclosed in beautiful large stained glass windows. The music started, Baskin came out and performed a liberty dance, reared up on his hind legs, spun and twirled, and all to the moving melodies playing in the background.

I cried . . .

FOR SOME REASON ALL ANIMALS, but horses in particular, have been able to reach into deep places in my heart—places few people have gone. After being so moved by Baskin’s performance, and wanting to share this experience with others, I asked Laura if she could train other horses to do similar things. She said yes and I outlined my dream to put a show together for that purpose—one where what they see and the theme of the show will reach into the hearts of the audience and stir their emotions.

My original plan was to develop the show and present it to the public at the Sugar Legacy Arabian Farm, but fate intervened. Around 2004 I moved the operation to the location of a horseback riding stables where I developed Animal Gardens, a family-friendly petting zoo, and built the arena for The Dancing Horses with the public shows beginning a year later.

The Dancing Horses was created from my vision and my infinite lifelong love for horses. Our current show, The Power of a Dream, has been crafted to evoke memories that many of us have from childhood, in particular promoting the theme; Where Will Your Dreams Take You? This vision has been beautifully choreographed, specific to our unique venue by a talented team of artistic and technical professionals and performers.

My prize stallion, Baskin-Robbins, passed before I opened The Dancing Horses, but all his sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters are featured in the show.

Since Laura left, I’ve used several trainers. Some worked with the horses off-site and brought them to the arena, while most trained them right at the Animal Gardens location. Our collaboration typically involved them teaching the horses to do certain routines and I’d pick the music and weave them into the overall theme.

The full Las Vegas style production evolved over time to what it is today with concert-quality sound, stunning lighting, and thematic projections onto a large screen, all woven together to immerse the audience into a dreamlike fantasy focusing on theme of realizing your dreams.

MOST PERFORMANCES MAY APPEAR spontaneous to the audience, but few understand what goes on behind the scenes to both create and maintain such a spectacle with horses as the central performers.

For example, in July of 2013 I leased a horse. With Baskin-Robbins gone, it proved difficult to continually build up our equestrian family without a breeding stallion on the premises. We’d had several years with no foals. The climax of the show always generated a surge of upwelling emotions, the “piece de resistance” when the mothers, our mares, come into the arena with their babies, our foals.

My new stallion arrived at night after being transported all day from Texas.

He got there at nine o’clock. Driving to the barn there was huge burnt-orange harvest moon slung low in the rural Lake Como sky as day slowly slipped into night. The setting was just too spectacular not to have some special symbolic meaning. My gorgeous stallion walked down the ramp of his trailer and we sat in the barn together.

He was so pretty with his long black mane hanging down nearly to his knees. Sitting on the hay, gazing at the magnificent creature, with all the other horses around, I slipped into their serene world and felt so at peace and complete.

This is all I’ve ever wanted out of life and it’s sad that my days are usually so hectic I seldom get to experience these quiet times with my horses—something I crave more than I might any drug. The horses bring a contentment to my soul that nothing else can. That’s the main ingredient I inject into The Dancing Horses Show—passing that remarkable joy on to the audience.

Constantly updating the performance, in 2013 I decided to end the show with a red-white-and-blue military theme to honor our servicemen; currently serving or veterans. Inevitably emotions well up in the audience, but often with different kinds of responses.

Seniors will invariably stand up when the flag comes out while for the younger audience members, that just wasn’t a tradition they were brought up with—to stand in honor of the American Flag, so they will remain seated. That’s not to say they don’t respect the flag and love America. One recent group of city kids started yelling “USA . . . USA . . . USA,” when the flag appeared in the arena!

Even now, after so many performances of The Dancing Horses, I still get so much pleasure from the emotional journey the show takes you on. I know many in the audience feel the same way because I’ll hear them say how they intend to bring other friends and family to have The Dancing Horses experience!

Keeping the show going is definitely a labor of love. The many expenses fiscally often outpace our ticket revenue, but thanks to our many interns and my ability to shuffle funds around to pay the bills, hopefully The Dancing Horses will continue to thrill audiences for years to come.

I’m always hopeful, though, that one day The Dancing Horses will have a “Phil Donohue” media moment and propel the show’s status, like it did the Sugar Shack, to a must-see Midwest event.       

MY LIFE HAS COME FULL CIRCLE, from a pony ride in Lake Como as a child, to prancing around as a Bunny at the Chicago Playboy Club, to choreographing the dancing of my male exotic performers at The Sugar Shack, and now, at my Animal Gardens complex arena creating and choreographing the Dancing Horses Show.

Along the way my love of animals, my passion to invest my creative gifts, my courage to take risks, and my persistent determination have resulted in many accomplishments, many of which began as dreams I never thought would ever be fully realized.

Here are a few more technical facts about The Dancing Horses.

The horses featured in the show were the result of a breeding program that took place at my Sugar Legacy Arabian Farm founded in the 1980s. My premier breeding stallion at the time was Baskin-Robbins, a purebred bay Arabian foaled in 1979. Baskin-Robbins had an illustrious show career that spanned 16 years.

He was known as a very versatile horse, having competed in four performance categories at once; English Pleasure, Pleasure Driving, Native Costume, and Ladies English Sidesaddle. He was a winner at the Class A, Regional and National level in competition.

Baskin-Robbins’ offspring have had a major impact across the nation as show horses. Here at Lake Geneva Horse Park we have shown our stock to many in halter, English Pleasure, Western Pleasure, and Hunter Pleasure. Our premier son of Baskin-Robbins, Make Mi Day, foaled in 1992, is a bay half-Arabian gelding that was highly successful in the show ring, and eventually led our Liberty act which consisted of six half-Arabians all sired by Baskin-Robbins. Make Mi Day, the lead horse, was followed by three of his full brothers: Impact, Monarch, and Keeperz.

The last two horses in the act, also sired by Baskin-Robbins, were Samurai and Princess. To our knowledge these are the only half-Arabian/National Show Horse Liberty group in the nation. They are exceptionally beautiful and well matched in color, size, head carriage, and action.

The Sugar Legacy Arabian Farm consisted of 110 acres of lush rolling hills, fenced and cross-fenced, and surrounded by deep woods.

The farm was originally managed by Darcy Gray, an employee of Sugar Legacy since 1992. Darcy had a lifetime of experience with horses beginning in 1975. Originally a breeder and trainer of Morgan Horses, she made a change in 1986 when she became the barn manager and assistant trainer at Aries Arabians.

As the breeding manager for Sugar Legacy Arabians in 2001, she delivered three foals and in 2002 expected to deliver ten. Since 1986 she has had the privilege of working with some of the finest trainers in the world. They included nationally recognized halter trainers Michael Byatt, Jack Crawford, and David Bilgrien, as well as performance trainers Michael Miller and Douglas Wernick. In the world of Liberty training, Darcy has worked for Laura Amandis, Wade Burck, and John Herriott.

Darcy was there for our Liberty horses from the moment they drew their first breath, has seen them through their first horse shows, and led them into their new careers in the Liberty act. In the fall, many of our other lovely Arabians and half-Arabians come into the barns to be readied for saddle training. Some are then sold to prospective buyers as show and pleasure horses. Some were kept to be trained as Liberty horses.

The finest purebreds were kept for future breeding. With Baskin-Robbins now passed, we were working hard to produce a son worthy of replacing him as our breeding stallion. Sure enough a new stallion did showed star qualities and promise. Named Solar Eclipse, he's a very dark bay with an eclipsed star on his forehead. He's double*Bask bred and our future in him looks bright.

Come to see The Dancing Stallions show and you’ll meet Baskin-Robbins’ offspring, and our current managers, who would love to tell you more about their beloved purebred Arabians.

The following is a description of the 2013 rendition of The Dancing Horses show.

Pony Rides

Before the show formally begins, pony rides are available in the arena for the children—my way of making sure that every child who comes to The Dancing Horses can have the same life-changing experience I had as a five-year-old on the shores of Lake Como.

Show Opening

As the arena darkens a spot lights up my daughter, Danette, who proceeds to tell a poignant story about her mom.

"My mother was five years old when she fell in love with horses after her first pony ride on the shores of Lake Como. She spent the rest of the summer helping out the owner just to be near the ponies. As the years passed, her wish every Christmas for a pony went unfulfilled, but now a teenager my mom met a boy who had horses and their relationship blossomed over riding and their mutual love of all things equestrian.

“One fateful day while out riding she happened upon a gorgeous horse, a purebred Arabian named Mint Julep owned by the famed Wrigley family of Chicago, and stabled in the Lake Como area. When Dana expressed an interest in owning such a horse, she was shushed away by the trainer as being unable to ever have such a prized thoroughbred. Proud yet determined, my mom left, but vowed to one day have her own Arabian.

“Years later, now a successful entrepreneur, her dream was realized when my mom fell in love with the most beautiful stallion she had ever seen, Baskin-Robbins, and purchased him. Though the horse was no relation to the ice cream family, my mother ended up naming his many sons and daughters, and grandsons and granddaughters after the flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream! Right now my mom owns 53 Arabians.

“Baskin lived for 24 wonderful years, and my mother rode him every day. On one fateful morning in 2004, entering the stables she saw Baskin quietly lying on the floor of his stall. Unable to get over the loss of her beloved stallion, my mother has not been riding since.

“The show will begin shortly. Desiree Harmann is our trainer. She has grown up with horses, the Lippizzaner Stallions on her father's side, circus show horses on her mother's. If you stay for the backstage show, Desiree will tell you more about how she trains the horses using rewards and not punishment. For example, the whips only give signals and never strike the horses. Also, the Wilson Sisters are responsible for designing and constructing the many costumes featured on the riders and the horses. With that, enjoy the show, my mother, Dana Montana's dream—The Dancing Horses! 

When Danette finishes telling her story, the lights dim, and the projection screen comes alive with the bold letters and amplified spoken words of poetic prose about the magical dreams of a child and how powerful they can be in shaping their future.

Act I

Supporting the theme of following your dreams, under the screen is a stage and a spot lights up a dancer, dressed in white, part faerie, part angel, interpreting the background music, a few minutes later a stunning white horse gallops out into the arena, also interpreting the music, but with no obvious direction from a trainer, all while the screen is projecting mesmerizing scenes of waves rolling up onto a beach.

Act II

With Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York” a trainer, dressed as a circus ringleader, in a cropped white satin jacket with tails and wearing a white top hat, enters the ring on foot followed by the explosive entrance of a magnificent, sturdy white stallion. Using two whips as training tools, without snapping on the steed, she begins to signal the horse to begin prancing and high-stepping before finally rearing up on his hind legs to the delight and screams of the audience! 

Act III

Five matched horses with riders thunder out into the arena evenly spaced. The riders are clad in South American Gaucho garb featuring long, baggy, sleeved shirts. Each rider is holding castanets and spanking them together accents the music playing in the background as the horses and riders go through their choreography of intricate syncopated movements.

Act IV

The projection screen lights up, implanting an enchanting fantasy in the minds of the children in the audience of the possibility of carousel horses coming alive, suggesting that if they only believe it could really happen. Suddenly a white stallion wearing a costume to look like a typical carousel horse, with flared, brightly colored side panels, comes galloping into the arena. Above the horse is model of a carousel that begins to turn and the horse follows, trotting in the same direction and paced with the speed of the revolving carousel. To complete the fantasy, it begins to snow bubbly white flakes as the white stallion, every bit as impressive as the Lone Ranger's Silver, continues to dance and prance.

Act V

Chicago, the musical, based on the 1926 play by the same name, provides the thematic and high-energy musical backdrop for this act. Two riders strut into the arena, horses and riders decked out in flapper outfits featuring thin strings of beads hanging down from clothing and hats. The riders deftly have the horses prance to the music, reminiscent of the dancing from the Roaring Twenties, the highlight being a sustained sidestep move.

Act VI

The arena speakers begin to blare "Born to be Wild," the hard rock song made famous by the band, Steppenwolf, as a trainer struts into view clad in black leather spikes and studs. The audience is seemingly being prepared for some diabolical character to join the trainer when the arena passageway opens and a tiny, miniature black pony launches his diminutive body into the arena spotlight. Also donning a black leather costume bearing stainless steel studs and spikes, the anticlimactic pigmy pony provokes hilarious laughter from the audience. The trainer tries her best, but the rebellious born-to-be-wild pony just won't cooperate. Finally, the pony just squats down and refuses to do the trick so the trainer has to push on his behind which starts him rolling over and over to the delight of the children in the audience. 

Act VI

After a pause to reset the mood of the crowd, the show continues with the main theme as the projection screen displays in bold letters, accompanied by a deep godlike voice, The Power of a Dream. When the dream fantasy is established, a spectacular gray stallion seems to materialize from nothing in the arena with a beautiful ballerina astride, riding bareback. The dancer, clad in a glittering magical pink rhinestones and flat brass studs outfit, using the horse's back as her ballet stage, begins by riding on her knees, then, bends backwards and sideways before balancing on her shoulders as the horse trots smoothly around the arena. Midway into the act a six-foot ring is lowered, she grabs on, hoists herself up, and now suspended in mid air, proceeds to continue her ballet moves. Returning to the horse, the drama builds as inspirational words, "Near, far, wherever you are," from the theme song "My Heart Will Go On" from the film, Titanic, fills the arena with the heartwarming message of hope.

Act VIII

The moods shifts again as the rousing voice of Neil Diamond fills the arena with the song "Desire" providing the musical backdrop for a white mare that bolts into the arena and begins dancing for the crowd, showing off high-stepping and other elaborate moves and kicks.  

Act IX

Returning to the show’s theme, the voice of the projection screen leads the audience on a Dream Quest, insisting that, “Dreams have the Power to Inspire and Make all your Wishes come True.” When the voice quiets, a dancer, clad in a surreal flame costume, complete with flame wings extending six feet on either side, and up, enters the arena and proceeds to interpret the theme through dance. As the screen projects an animation of flames, soon the dancer is joined by a horse clad in a similar costume and the two performers continue to enthrall the audience. 

Act X

In the Illuminated segment of The Dancing Horses, the magical, surreal nature of the show continues as two horses with riders enter the arena, the lights go out, and the special colored neon tube costumes, on both horses and riders, light up with vibrant colors creating a spectacular scene for the mesmerized audience.

Act XI

In a heartrending performance, Cha Ching, a grandson of Baskin-Robbins, materializes in the arena, no saddle, no rider, his body covered in white sparkles, and begins a series of choreographed moves to the one-and-only voice of Barbra Streisand singing, "Somewhere" (There's a Place for Us). Cha Ching's dancing includes walking backwards, rearing up, racing forwards, and ending up on his front knees.

Act XII

Presenting a strong Native American theme, a horse and rider burst into the arena supported by Native American music and screen images, the rider is costumed in the expected leather, feathers, and headdress. The horse and rider proceed to execute a precision set of impressive moves, spins, and turns. 

Act XIII

To honor Baskin-Robbins, the stallion who sired so many of the Arabians in the show, the screen comes alive with images of him. As the audience is fixed on the screen, the arena doors open. Six chestnuts, all sons and daughters of Baskin, lope into the arena, each sporting two red feathered tassels. Once assembled in the arena, they begins a series of impressive synchronized moves—dancing, prancing, twirling, and executing precision patterns, often reversing directions while trotting out inner and outer circles. During the most spectacular move the six horses extend from the center to the outer ring of the arena and each horse has to trot at a different speed to keep the line as they circle the arena! Offering the audience a chance to get up close and personal with the horses, the act ends as the horses assemble on the inner ring ramp, each getting their front hooves on the ramp and proceeding to move along the ramp following the semicircle of arena seating.

Act XIV

The audience is not sure what's going on when unexpectedly the entire floor of the stage begins to lift up from the front. Once in place a water show commences. Now, jets of water do the "dancing" to the moving voice of Neil Diamond singing "America" (Coming to America). Again, unexpectedly one of Baskin's daughters rides proudly into the arena with her foal and they trot around the arena so that everyone can see them as the water jets entertain by moving their streams at angles, side to side, up and down, all while following the music. 

Act XV

In preparation for the final act, 10 banners are lowered and lit with bright bulbs all around the perimeter of the arena, proudly displaying The Dancing Stallions name and logo. This act has a distinctly patriotic theme and is dedicated to our military veterans. The screen proudly presents the message of supporting and honoring our troops. To the tune of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" horses and riders enter the arena decked out proudly in our United States’ colors; red, white, and blue. The horses have side panels featuring the American Flag. The tribute continues to the Lee Greenwood song, "Proud to be an American." Included in the lyrics is the line, "We won't forget the men who died." The show-stopper, however, ending the act and show, happens when the miniature black pony, costumed in flag colors, proudly scampers into the arena dodging in and out among the other, much larger horses to the delight of the audience, many children, which explodes in appreciative cheers. 

With the show formally over, the audience is encouraged to stay and pet the horses and meet the performers. Gratuities are not expected, but are encouraged.

Needless to say, I am immensely proud of The Dancing Horses. Our entertainer roster has included performers who have worked for All the Kings Horses, Arabian Nights, Ringling Bros., Universal Orlando, and Walt Disney World.

Go to: www.thedancinghorses.com for show times and more information, and be sure to visit us if you’re ever in the Lake Geneva/Delavan area.