When Amanda Rossiter was 2, she began riding horses. Today, she performs with the animals in a delicate mixture of ballet and military formations.
“My favorite part of riding dressage is the relationship you get to have with the horses,” said Rossiter, 36, from Westborough. “It creates a real harmony.”
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Rossiter and the Lipizzaner Stallions, who have performed for 37 years and reached 26 million people worldwide, performed their equine ballet for the first time in Boston at Agganis Arena at Boston University on Saturday.
Although Agganis employees prepared for a crowd of 4,000, only about 1,200 people — mostly the elderly and children — came to watch the 12 white stallions and their riders perform dressage, the rare art form of classical riding.
Dressage dates back to 400 BC Greece. The Lipizzaner Stallions were also a key part of European military strategy for almost 400 years.
“Their movements were used in battle to threaten or intimidate an enemy foot soldier,” said Troy Tinker, the master of ceremonies.
The stallions’ movements include the Lavade – a stallion raising its front legs 45 degrees from the ground, maintaining perfect balance – as well as jumps, such as the Capriole – a stallion completely airborne.
The Lavade and Capriole combine with other graceful movements, to form an entire ballet dance, accompanied by classical music. The Lipizzans were so influential in Europe that many classical composers were inspired to write music for the equestrian ballet, Tinker said.
The stallions on stage are usually old because it takes years for them to perfect certain movements. Training begins at age 4, and most of the animals live to be 35, he said.
Trainers watch closely during the stallions’ early years to see what each horse is capable of, Tinker told the audience before the show began.
“The very essence of dressage is working in pair with the horse,” Tinker said. “We treat them as well as any individual.”
Joice Donovan, of East Weymouth, said she felt a connection to the horses the first time she saw them perform 21 years ago.
“I fell madly in love with them,” Donovan said. “I never thought I’d see them again.”
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