Defying gravity, U.S. Elite Jumping rider Charlie Jacobs meets his match in ballerina Liudmila Khitrova from the Belarus Bolshoi.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
Defying gravity, U.S. Elite Jumping rider Charlie Jacobs meets his match in ballerina Liudmila Khitrova from the Belarus Bolshoi.
Courtesy FEI
Olympic and European Dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin also demonstrated her graceful moves, riding alongside dancer Kanstantsin Geronik, in Lyon, France.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
Olympic and European Dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin also demonstrated her graceful moves, riding alongside dancer Kanstantsin Geronik, in Lyon, France.
Courtesy FEI
The dancers lined up alongside the two riders for a photoshoot which highlighted the performers shared talents.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
The dancers lined up alongside the two riders for a photoshoot which highlighted the performers shared talents.
Courtesy FEI
Dancers, like riders, strive for powerful but precise control over movements, which they put to dramatic effect.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
Dancers, like riders, strive for powerful but precise control over movements, which they put to dramatic effect.
Courtesy FEI
The FEI's Director of Dressage, Trond Asmyr, hoped to create images which would help newcomers to equestrian sport to understand ballet's similarity to dressage, as well as jumping.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
The FEI's Director of Dressage, Trond Asmyr, hoped to create images which would help newcomers to equestrian sport to understand ballet's similarity to dressage, as well as jumping.
Courtesy FEI
"We wanted to make dressage more accessible by ... [combining] it with something that is more well-known to most people," Asmyr said.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
"We wanted to make dressage more accessible by ... [combining] it with something that is more well-known to most people," Asmyr said.
Courtesy FEI
The dancers met the riders in the arena, before welcoming them to a performance of their own -- dancing Swan Lake at the Lyon Amphitheatre as part of a nationwide French tour.
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
The dancers met the riders in the arena, before welcoming them to a performance of their own -- dancing Swan Lake at the Lyon Amphitheatre as part of a nationwide French tour.
Courtesy FEI
The performers had a wonderful time together, says Asmyr. Double Olympic gold medalist Dujardin said she was "very, very excited" to be there and called the day "a real experience."
Delicate and powerful: Ballet meets dressage —
The performers had a wonderful time together, says Asmyr. Double Olympic gold medalist Dujardin said she was "very, very excited" to be there and called the day "a real experience."
Courtesy FEI