TThe 17th Paralympic Games kicked off under blue skies and a bright night sky, with Paris getting off to a strong start, spreading the same energy and joy to parasport that has defined previous historic summers.
Over the next 11 days, new heroes will be born, new stories will be told, and perhaps a legacy of positive change for people with disabilities will be left behind. But the ceremony, with its bold, expressive dancing and often jubilant parade of 128 countries in front of a crowd of 35,000 at the Place de la Concorde, created a party-like atmosphere that still remains a “Public Holidays“
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons called for a “revolution of inclusion” in a speech, while Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet praised the fans.Completion in public” There was only enough space left for French President Emmanuel Macron to perform the briefest of ceremonies to open the Olympics, as the evening’s energy spilled over elsewhere.
Unlike the Olympic opening ceremony, there were no photos of soaked performers to spoil the party. With temperatures in the 30s and cloudless skies, everything went on uninterrupted, and the stands were full. By the time the French delegation arrived at the arena just after 10pm, the sounds of the Champs-Élysées and memorable chanson tunes were ringing out, and the Summer of 2024 vibe was in full swing again.
Featuring 500 performers including dancers, pop stars, fur revolutionary hats and the ubiquitous DJ, the ceremony was titled “Paradox” and its theme was a journey from discord to harmony. Like every aspect of Paris 2024, it was an idea tied closely to the geography and history of the French capital.
The ceremony began in a “wide open” fashion for the public, with the Paralympic delegation passing through a sun-drenched part of the Champs-Élysées, where UNESCO officials, rapper Jackie Chan and others participated in the torch relay. The avenue, which Parisians call “the greatest avenue in the world,” is traditionally where France pays tribute to its heroes. (It will host a parade of Olympic stars in September.) But the avenue will not be used at the Olympics earlier this summer; it has been reserved for the Paralympics and will also be used for the marathon on the final day of competition.
The ceremony moved from open streets to a paid event in the Place de la Concorde, once the Place de la Revolution, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed, and renamed in 1795. According to Paris 2024's creative director, Thomas Joly, it was an act “to appease and reconcile the French people”, with the square itself being “a place of contradictions”.
Jolie argues that the ceremony further explores the need for reconciliation between people with disabilities, who make up 15 percent of the world's population, and the societies that ignore their needs. “Better coexistence begins with mutual care,” she said. “Then we can repair, reconcile, adapt and move forward together.”
Ironically, in the same week that one of Britain's greatest Paralympic athletes, Tanni Grey-Thompson, was forced to wriggle out of her wheelchair and off a London train on her way to the Olympic venue, Jolie said she would make the point at the ceremony that “disability is not an individual failing, but the societal structures, practices, attitudes, lifestyles and models which create the 'context' of disabled people”.
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The five-act performance was directed by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman, who Jolie tapped to bring energy and humor to the event—a decision that quickly proved to be a good one. In the introduction, the armless French swimmer and model Théo Culin constructs a Phage Taxi, a shaggy red cab that drives into the arena and utters the words, (which he says with dignity): “Welcome to Paris!”
From there, the spectacle came to life in a swirl of dancers and moving music. Performances included an updated and almost unrecognizable version of “Je Ne Regrette Rien” by Christine and the Queens, and a performance of Ravel's “Boléro” so powerful it threw all memories of Trouville and Dean into the trash. The performers were a mix of disabled and able-bodied, sometimes dancing in opposition (dissonance) but ultimately uniting in a piece called “Sportography,” incorporating sports movements and artistic expression along with wild images projected onto the obelisk in the center of the square (harmony). This performance was all anchored by the incredible talents of South African amputee dancer Musa Mossa.
After three and a half hours of spectacle and speeches, the final one being the re-lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the release of bronze balloons into the Paris night sky, Ekman said: “I often think that words are worthless and that images and the situations they depict are far more valuable.” On a night like this, it was hard to argue that he was wrong.
