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One of the things that was hard to appreciate last night from the TV is just how big that stadium is. It's a Canadian football stadium after all, with a 55yard line and deep end zones. Making the ceremony look intimate was quite a task, and a task well done. As awesome as the Spirit Bear was on TV, it must have been much more so in person. (I really hope Wisewoman saw it. She'd be thrilled I know.)
Hats off to the designer of the event last night. Four things that could have gone very wrong worked so well: The flashlights - it's been done before in big stadiums but rarely to such effect. The drums in the crowd were brilliant. By the time the USA marched out the buzz of the drums was noticeable and not at all overpowering or annoying. There will be a lot fewer hoarse athletes running around than there usually are the first few days of the games thanks to the drums. The skates that work in all that fluff on the floor were pretty interesting. We were told they were some kind of in-line skates, but how did they keep them from jamming up in all that mess? Finally, there have been provisions before in case part of the Olympic flame cauldron doesn't perform properly. The delay was a huge embarrassment I'm sure. But the fact that they were able to get the process going fairly quickly,*safely*, and attractively with a piece missing was really something to be proud of.
Beijing's opening two years ago was monumental and though it had a cast of thousands and thousands, ultimately lacking a human feeling to it. Vancouver's was diverse (scarcely any two dancers dressed the same for instance) without being chaotic and very intimate.
There is a major convention of native hoop dancers here in Phoenix this weekend, I hope they got to see the little dab of the hoop dancing last night that was on TV.
Hats off to the designer of the event last night. Four things that could have gone very wrong worked so well: The flashlights - it's been done before in big stadiums but rarely to such effect. The drums in the crowd were brilliant. By the time the USA marched out the buzz of the drums was noticeable and not at all overpowering or annoying. There will be a lot fewer hoarse athletes running around than there usually are the first few days of the games thanks to the drums. The skates that work in all that fluff on the floor were pretty interesting. We were told they were some kind of in-line skates, but how did they keep them from jamming up in all that mess? Finally, there have been provisions before in case part of the Olympic flame cauldron doesn't perform properly. The delay was a huge embarrassment I'm sure. But the fact that they were able to get the process going fairly quickly,*safely*, and attractively with a piece missing was really something to be proud of.
Beijing's opening two years ago was monumental and though it had a cast of thousands and thousands, ultimately lacking a human feeling to it. Vancouver's was diverse (scarcely any two dancers dressed the same for instance) without being chaotic and very intimate.
There is a major convention of native hoop dancers here in Phoenix this weekend, I hope they got to see the little dab of the hoop dancing last night that was on TV.
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That is what I wondered as well. At first I thought they might be real skates, with a fake ice around the outside ring of the floor where they were skating.
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