The Olympics are finally here! Friday night’s long-awaited opening ceremony for Rio 2016 was full of , with swanky special effects, flamboyant outfits, unique dance routines, and so much more. So where shall we start?
Did anybody spy those fireworks spelling out “RIO”? The opening ceremony had sparklers and fireworks galore, with dancers spinning giant sparklers over their heads to illuminate the darkness, and more projected sparklers seeming to leap across the floor in a frenzy.
But even crazier than that was the Parkour-esque segment, showing athletes leaping from one projected building to another as they appeared to move and grow out of nowhere, flipping and somersaulting all the while in their pink jumpsuits.
The parade of nations generated a lot of excitement, and understandably the Brazilian Team were full of energy, dancing, waving, and blowing kisses to the crowds and the camera. After all, this is their time to shine! As for Team GB, Andy Murray led the way with the Union Jack in hand, and a big grin for the crowd. But perhaps the most special was the Refugee Team, waving their Olympic flags as they made their way out into the stadium, ready to show us what they’ve got!
However, it was the dancing that took centre stage for us throughout much of the ceremony, ranging from cool hip-hop and passinho (which even Beyoncé has been loving) in flowing white outfits atop colourful blocks, to some very bizarre shiny dancers who looked like they had tinsel hanging from them! It produced a really interesting effect as they moved, seeming to flow almost like water, and those outfits were certainly different to anything else we’ve seen! The dancing didn’t end there though; there was funk dancing amongst the flashing lights, and girls strutting their sauciest Samba stuff in ruffled outfits with fancy headdresses, as brightly coloured as the parrots that make their home in beautiful Brazil.
There were a lot of elements which seemed to be a little bit Matrix-inspired, with a futuristic approach, although Rio didn’t let us forget what’s important. A segment on climate change and the danger of CO2 emissions called for world action, and took us back to a simple, humble tree after all of the crazy technology, reminding us of the need to work together at this crucial time.
Did you catch the opening ceremony? What was your favourite part?