An exceptional squire and pioneer of an unprecedented expression, combining equestrian art, music, dance and drama, Bartabas invented and staged a new form of live performance: the Equestrian Theatre. In 1984, he founded his company, the Théâtre Équestre Zingaro, and set up in the Fort d'Aubervilliers in France in 1989. His productions Cabaret équestre, Opéra équestre, Chimère, Éclipse, Triptyk, Loungta, Battuta, Darshan, Calacas and On achève bien les anges (Élégies), are events that invariably mark their time and triumph all over, from New York to Tokyo, from Istanbul to Hong Kong, from Moscow to Mexico. In a constant state of exploration, Bartabas regularly presents more intimate works in which he is at once creator and performer, such as Entr'aperçu (2004), Le Centaure et l'Animal (2010), created with Butoh dancer Ko Murobushi, or Golgota (2013), with flamenco dancer Andrés Marin.
"The Théâtre Équestre Zingaro is undoubtedly one of the most significant theatrical adventures in the contemporary world of theater. At once author-actor of this comedy about both the human and the animal worlds, and film director, I wanted to travel through the meanders of this quest, which aims to be an equestrian but also a spiritual achievement, in the form of an extraordinary film project. The shooting that began more than thirty years ago allowed me to collect stolen images from the memory of the spectators who witnessed this incredible artistic adventure." [Bartabas]
