Paris, Wednesday — Creative director Thomas Jolly has ambitious plans for the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics. Set to take place at the iconic Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde, the ceremony aims to challenge and reshape society’s perceptions of disabilities through a stunning artistic display.
“When we cut off the heads of the king and queen here, it changed society once. Maybe this ceremony will be the second time we change society,” said Jolly, who also directed the Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics last month.
On Monday, under the sweltering Parisian sun, 100 dancers—including 20 performers with disabilities—gathered at the Place de la Concorde for a final rehearsal. Shrouded in secrecy behind large banners, the square, which hosted several competitions during the Olympics, has been transformed into a grand open arena centered around the ancient Luxor Obelisk, Paris’s oldest monument.
Dance will be at the heart of the show, celebrating all types of bodies through the universal language of movement. Swedish director Alexander Ekman has crafted a rhythmic spectacle where dancers—using crutches, wheelchairs, or adapted tricycles—will interact with pulsating beats.
The music of the event is once again in the hands of Victor Le Masne, who composed the full score for the Paris Olympics. On the eve of the Paralympic rehearsals, Le Masne offered a sneak peek of the track titled “Sportography.” Blending organic sporting sounds and drum rhythms, the composition aims to capture the essence of athleticism by incorporating real-life elements like the screeching of shoes and the heavy breathing of athletes.
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2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony aims to change views of disabilities
cgtn.com
