SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — The Paris Olympics are building up to a historic opening ceremony on the Seine River.
Under the artistic direction of award-winning French theatre director Thomas Joly, the dancers on July 26th's show are putting the finishing touches on a high-octane performance that combines foot stomping, screaming and body rolling to create a fusion of urban, contemporary, classical and breakdance styles.
The Associated Press captured one of their rehearsals behind the scenes, offering an early glimpse into the preparations for the largely secretive opening show. As dance director Maud Le Pradec coached some 50 dancers through twists and turns in a warehouse in Saint-Denis, a northern Paris suburb, she spoke proudly of her multicultural troupe's rich cultural mix, declaring that “it represents the part of France that I love.”
“We are in France, but we are speaking to the whole world,” she says, “which means we all have different identities, bodies and ages.”
The spectacular open-air ceremony will take place at sunset and is expected to last around four hours, transforming the heart of Paris and its iconic landmarks into a giant stage to showcase Jolie's artistic talents, but will also require extensive security.
“An opening ceremony has never been held outside a stadium before. There is no model, it is a total creation,” Jolie told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview on Tuesday.
Jolie detailed how she had to rethink some of her ideas to suit the urban environment, saying she had envisioned a giant ballet with 200 dancers on one of the bridges over the Seine, but after research “we were told that if we all took the same step at the same time, it would compromise the stability of the bridge.”
He also said: “I wanted to build an upside-down Eiffel Tower. I thought it would be a beautiful place to light the Olympic flame, but it never happened.”
He added that the original overall concept of the ceremony had to be changed so that “dreams meet reality.”
For security authorities, the unprecedented decision to parade thousands of Olympic athletes on boats along the six kilometres of the Seine from the Pont d'Austerlitz to the Pont d'Iena in front of a crowd of 320,000 people is a major challenge. Some 45,000 security personnel will be deployed, and the airspace and all airports within a 150 kilometre radius of Paris will be closed for the festivities.
Tickets are free for approximately 220,000 invited and security-checked spectators who will watch from the upper riverbank, while approximately 100,000 paying spectators, some with luxury hospitality packages, will watch from the lower riverbank and around Trocadero Square, where the parade will end with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
Organisers hope the show will leave a lasting impression on a huge global television audience and demonstrate France's strength, saying it aims to showcase French traditions, history and creativity.
“Of course, it was a very bold decision to dance in the streets instead of in a stadium. This will be something that will remain in the history of our country for a long time,” said Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris organizing committee, who attended the dance rehearsal.
Organizers say a total of 3,000 dancers will perform in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, which run from July 26 to Aug. 11, and the subsequent Paralympics, which run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
Dancer Charlene Say, 22, said the prospect of performing on a global stage was a “dream come true.”
“It's going to be hard because we're not used to dancing outside,” she added.
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Lester reported from Paris.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
