SOCHI 2014 – PARALYMPIC CLOSING CEREMONY

— Reaching the Impossible. How to deliver a meaningful statement in a Ceremony.

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Closing Ceremony celebrated the amazing Paralympic Athletes who proved us that with determination and passion dreams can truly be achieved. By changing our perception of «Impossible» to «I’m possible», they inspired and elevated mankind. Artistic Director Lida Castelli expressed these aspirations through ethereal choreographies and with an ingenious modular scenography that alluded to the Russian digital masterpiece “Tetris”. The colourful and joyous Finale of Sochi 2014 invited everybody to dance and celebrate those memorable Games.

Lida Castelli: In developing the creative concept for the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, we wanted to highlight three things:
IMPOSSIBLE is just a word that prevents us from looking ahead and making changes. IMPOSSIBLE is the boundary we give ourselves.
IMPOSSIBLE is a rule to be broken.
This evening you’ll see that dreams can be achieved, that with strength, passion and a change of perception IMPOSSIBLE can become I’M POSSIBLE.
We start with the geometric shapes of abstract art and classic video games, travel to a wondrous world of bubbles and snow, and end with a joyous finale in celebration of the incredible athletes who’ve made the Games so memorable.
For the men and women who trained tirelessly to get here, the Games are over and it’s time to celebrate. We’ll be paying tribute to their endeavours and achievements over the past nine days, and saluting the volunteers who’ve helped to make it all possible, before finally extinguishing the Flame that’s burned so brightly in Sochi and will ignite again in PyeongChang, four years from now.
I hope you enjoy the journey to ‘Reaching the Impossible’.

• 300+

  large coloured cubes in the block game

• 462

  cast

• 31

  parkour performers

• 5

  BMX freestylers