Paris Paralympics to showcase disability sport in City of Light

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00At the foot of the obelisk at Place de la Concorde, a group of 150 dancers is rehearsing

00:07for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.

00:11They're keeping step to music that was born from the sound of a drum.

00:17The bodies, the movement, the rhythm being in the spotlight, I said to myself that the

00:27drums could be central, a real starting point.

00:31As with the opening ceremony for the Olympics, it's Victor Leman who has composed the music.

00:37He explains that this time the theme is a bit different and that he used the recorded

00:40sounds of the athletes breathing.

00:43They are heroes and the next day they're in a more difficult situation in their everyday

00:50lives.

00:51So in the music, there's something to portray there, with the ups and downs, and to not

00:56make music that's simply festive.

01:01Themes are also taking shape in the Atelier, where costume makers are making final touches

01:06to their designs.

01:11The costumes were all custom-made for the participants.

01:16Soon these hand-sewn pieces will be under the lights and admired by 300 million TV viewers

01:21across the globe.

01:23I tell myself that there aren't many dressmakers in 100 years that have had the same experience

01:27as me, and I consider myself lucky to do it.

01:31The excitement is building for a historic ceremony, the first in the heart of the host

01:35city for a Paralympics.

01:37The mastermind, as with the Olympics ceremonies, is Thomas Joly.

01:43I think it's going to be very moving and very powerful.

01:46So the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the closing, the opening of the Paralympics, it's

01:50the same commitment and the same emotion, the same nervousness.

01:55Once again, Paris is ready for the Olympic flame to burn bright.

01:59The cauldron will fly high above the city of lights.

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