After a very successful Sochi Winter Games, the focus returns to the Russian coastal city for the opening ceremony of the Sochi Paralympic games in what will be the biggest Paralympic games of all time.
A graphic animation of the Firebird began the ceremony with a countdown and a flurry of fireworks as the excitement built to the competition that will feature 45 nations competing for 72 medals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Paralympic president Sir Philip Craven were introduced to the crowd and a group of dancers dressed in the Russian colours entered the stadium floor and formed the Russian flag to a rapturous reception from the stadium audience.
The centre of the floor opened and a choir entered as the Russian flag was carried into the arena by a selection of athletes and dignitaries representing the host nation and the Russian national anthem was sung by the beautifully costumed choir as the flag was raised on the stage.
Centre stage, a wonderful rendition of Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was played via a selection of glasses with amazing accuracy and led on to a set of Snowflake dancers who performed to a chorus from the choir as the Firebirds entered in the air.
The athletes parade begins with the entry of Australia as the procession would follow the places in the Cyrillic alphabet and 15-year-old Millie Knight carried the flag for Great Britain who combines her training with studying for her GCSE's.
As the procession continued, thoughts turned to what the Ukrainian entry would be like after a pre-ceremony announcement suggested that there would be a limited representation. The time came and a loud cheer greeted the flag bearer who entered alone signifying that the limited representation would be exactly that with the parade ending with the host nation who ironically entered to the tune
'Goodbye America'.
The stage was lit as an array of wheelchair dancers entered to a wonderful graphic surface as the Firebirds graced the air and then the focus turned to centre stage as the speeches began with the Sochi organising president Dmitry Chernyshenko and Paralympic president Sir Phillip Craven.
This led to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president officially opening the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games followed by a stunning display of fireworks with the Paralympic flag entering the arena as the March of Life continued carried by a selection of Russian representatives as the marchers formed the Paralympic logo.
The Paralympic anthem sounded as the raising ceremony took place for the Paralympic flag which was followed by the oath being taken by the Russian representatives for the athletes, judges and coaches.
A wedding scene graced the stage with characters from Chekov's famous works as a large ship - The Ice Breaker, sailed onto the stage to an operatic interlude as the sea was formed by a mass amount of performers who are rejoined by the Firebirds and the Paralympic Logo is formed as a montage is show of how the Paralympic games came to be.
The Paralympic flame is greeted with the animation of the Firebird that began the ceremony and is paraded between a number of torch bearers resulting in the final two parading the torch to the cauldron situated outside the stadium where a magnificent lighting took place leading to the igniting of the main cauldron to a mass display of fireworks that flooded the air and brought the ceremony to a close with a superb display.
So begins nine days of what should be an amazing 2014 Paralympic games!
A graphic animation of the Firebird began the ceremony with a countdown and a flurry of fireworks as the excitement built to the competition that will feature 45 nations competing for 72 medals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Paralympic president Sir Philip Craven were introduced to the crowd and a group of dancers dressed in the Russian colours entered the stadium floor and formed the Russian flag to a rapturous reception from the stadium audience.
The centre of the floor opened and a choir entered as the Russian flag was carried into the arena by a selection of athletes and dignitaries representing the host nation and the Russian national anthem was sung by the beautifully costumed choir as the flag was raised on the stage.
Centre stage, a wonderful rendition of Tchaikovsky's 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy was played via a selection of glasses with amazing accuracy and led on to a set of Snowflake dancers who performed to a chorus from the choir as the Firebirds entered in the air.
The athletes parade begins with the entry of Australia as the procession would follow the places in the Cyrillic alphabet and 15-year-old Millie Knight carried the flag for Great Britain who combines her training with studying for her GCSE's.
As the procession continued, thoughts turned to what the Ukrainian entry would be like after a pre-ceremony announcement suggested that there would be a limited representation. The time came and a loud cheer greeted the flag bearer who entered alone signifying that the limited representation would be exactly that with the parade ending with the host nation who ironically entered to the tune
'Goodbye America'.
The stage was lit as an array of wheelchair dancers entered to a wonderful graphic surface as the Firebirds graced the air and then the focus turned to centre stage as the speeches began with the Sochi organising president Dmitry Chernyshenko and Paralympic president Sir Phillip Craven.
This led to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president officially opening the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games followed by a stunning display of fireworks with the Paralympic flag entering the arena as the March of Life continued carried by a selection of Russian representatives as the marchers formed the Paralympic logo.
The Paralympic anthem sounded as the raising ceremony took place for the Paralympic flag which was followed by the oath being taken by the Russian representatives for the athletes, judges and coaches.
A wedding scene graced the stage with characters from Chekov's famous works as a large ship - The Ice Breaker, sailed onto the stage to an operatic interlude as the sea was formed by a mass amount of performers who are rejoined by the Firebirds and the Paralympic Logo is formed as a montage is show of how the Paralympic games came to be.
The Paralympic flame is greeted with the animation of the Firebird that began the ceremony and is paraded between a number of torch bearers resulting in the final two parading the torch to the cauldron situated outside the stadium where a magnificent lighting took place leading to the igniting of the main cauldron to a mass display of fireworks that flooded the air and brought the ceremony to a close with a superb display.
So begins nine days of what should be an amazing 2014 Paralympic games!
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