Horse spectacle Cavalia riding to Beijing

The multimedia production will be staged in Beijing in April.[Photo provided to China Daily]

When he hired people to train the horses, he says he was surprised to find that the horses understood music and they knew that they were "performing", too.

"With full respect to the horses, we don't force them to do anything. The choreography has been built around the animals, not humans," he says, adding that for half of the show, the horses are seen improvising their moves with trainers.

"On the stage and backstage, we work together. This is where you start to see a real and deep bond between human beings and horses," he says.

Chen Zesheng, CEO of Sinocap, a Chinese investment firm, signed an agreement with Latourelle that gave Chen's company Cavalia's copyright in China.

"Usually a Western show comes to China and leaves after touring the country. But we wanted Cavalia to stay," says Chen. "That's because we see big potential in the show."

Latourelle says he had been approached by some other Chinese companies.

"But I liked Chen's idea because the partnership will enable Cavalia to stay in China," says Latourelle.

During a vacation with his family in Singapore in 2014, Chen, a busy businessman for more than 30 years but with a keen interest in stage performances, watched Cavalia and was fascinated by it.

"Watching Cavalia is like entering into a dream, and at the end of it you don't want to wake up," he says.

"There are a variety of shows in Beijing. But I believe Cavalia will be different. It will give you something powerful, magical and subtle," Chen says.