Legend has it, Long Ma, a half-horse, half-dragon cosmic creature on the ninth level of heaven, is having a fight with the sinister force which takes the form of a giant spider.
And the fight is brought to the streets of Ottawa at the end of July, amid the cheers of 750,000 people.
The Dragon-horse, breathing fire through his nostrils, stands at 12 meters high and weighs 45 tons. Though his body is made of wood and steel, he can trot, gallop, rear himself up, and lie down.
Kumo, the evil spider, sprays water from her abdomen to extinguish Long Ma’s flames. Weighing 40 tons, she is 5.7 meters high and 6 meters wide at rest. But when fully outstretched, she is about 20 meters long. It takes 16 people to control her.
The Ottawa performance was La Machine’s debut in North America. The French street theatre company put on a four-day public performance as part of the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
