Balich Spectacular Shows by Rizzoli International Publications

REACHING THE IMPOSSIBLE

Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies

A sea that was open and volatile as the destiny of hu-

leave out theatre, for which Chekhov represented a

man beings initiated the Closing Ceremony of the So-

stylistic evolution with a unique emotional impact.

chi 2014 Olympics, ushering in a flying boat that sym-

The intention of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony

bolised the overcoming of adversity, the aspirations

was to build a journey across yesterday’s and today’s

and achievements, courage and purpose connecting

Russia, its romantic transformation in a world rushing

the millions of people watching from all over the world.

full steam ahead, towards a frenzied 20th century as-

The sea below moved thanks to hundreds of volun-

piring to an unconditional modernity. The advance

teers dressed in silver costumes, creating patterns that

of an icebreaker was at the heart of one of the most

gradually turned into the five Olympic rings… minus

dramatic scenes, as an ideal symbol of “ice breaking”

one. The fifth ring, which during the Opening Cere-

among countries often caught in an insecure politi-

mony failed to appear due to a technical fault, opened

cal dimension, as the Ukrainian crisis of the time elo-

up only after a few moments, to demonstrate that

quently demonstrated.

even in international events of this scale it is funda-

The Paralympic Closing Ceremony on the other hand

mental to cultivate creativity and, when necessary, a

focused on a clear and poignant concept - I’m possible:

fair measure of humour.

in other words, nothing, or almost nothing, is impossible.

At this point the ceremony began with the entrance of

The three Sochi ceremonies were the result of a fruit-

the Russian flag in a sea of ice, which seemed to be

ful collaboration with a team of Russian producers.

dancing to the rhythm of those 1900s movements to

They ideally invited us to a necessary reflection on

which the Soviet Union, for better or for worse, made

the future of Nations, to believe that “impossible” is

an extraordinary contribution.

only an obstacle created in the wrong side of the field,

The Sochi Opening Ceremony revealed an aesthetic in

that of the losers. The winners take risks and manage

which set design and costumes expressed the poetic

to overcome any challenge, be they able-bodied or

narrative of a continent: an upturned Chagall landscape

with a disability. The vital energy of a man who lost

moving above the heads of the audience; a multitude

his legs, climbing a rope up to the stadium’s roof with

of pianos that invaded the field of play as a tribute to

the sole strength of his arms, stands as an emblem

the Soviet music tradition; dance performances that

of these games and their deep significance. Not as a

paid homage to the legendary Bolshoi and Mariinsky,

mere demonstration of physical power, but as a repre-

as a reminder of how dance has played a memorable

sentation of the indestructible and invincible will that

part in the history of this land; and the story could not

human beings possess.

VIVA MEXICO!

Bicentennial of Independence Celebrations

An event celebrating the bicentennial of a country

Preparations for the ceremony, which involved as

as complex as Mexico requires an all-encompassing

much as six hundred people, began with a series of

creative project. A history of nobility and destitution,

rehearsals in the fascinating location where the Teoti-

the power and fascination of revolution, redemption

huacan Pyramids stand, a mystical place linked to the

and humiliation by the hands of the neighbouring

ancient Mexican civilisations, which welcomed, in the

United States, are all feelings that define the Mexican

days leading to the Bicentennial celebrations, dozens

people today, making them one of the most restless

of ethnic groups, with costumes and languages that

nations ever.

bore witness to their origin.

The Latin soul animating Mexico is full of courage, joy

A massive daytime parade expressing the ideal of a

and imagination, as is demonstrated by a tumultuous

momentous change was a call to a collective celebra-

history in which social and political changes have tak-

tion that mobilised two million people across Mexico

en place at such a pace that all classes of the popula-

City. Fire and dragons, heroes that shaped the coun-

tion, both rich and poor, were involved.

tryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, and icons such as Frida Kahlo and Diego

Representing all this meant seeking a liberating par-

Rivera among others, were the ingredients for creat-

oxysm for which the natural setting was the huge Zo-

ing a ceremony in which the culture and strength of

calo Square, in which independence was celebrated

the Mexican popular tradition were the focus for an

for a huge crowd and for many Heads of State, and

engaging and adventurous event, spectacular in the

the emblems of the country converged, in search of

true sense of the term, but above all anthropologically

both tradition and innovation. Fire and strength, but

truthful. The images it left behind still evoke the pow-

also iconography and art, are the founding symbols

erful visions and sounds of this monumental national

employed to honour the memory of a population that

celebration.

has never forgotten the values of independence as well as a commitment against poverty, a desire to rebel against a coercive society, to reach the satisfaction awarded by a strong sense of national belonging.

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CELEBRATING VENICE

A Sensational Carnival - New Year’s Eve - Festa del Redentore

Years of work and two original formats, to represent

in the Dark, giving participants the opportunity to ex-

emotions, visions and dreams, in a city among the

perience the world without seeing it, and added a

most beautiful in the world, the best training ground

new, more touching and emotional, dimension to the

for the creation of the most diverse and unexpected

usual merriment of Carnival.

events. Three editions of Carnival and two editions of

The Festa del Redentore is a recurrence taking place

the New Year’s Eve celebrations and of the Festa del

every year in July, which connects Venice to its history

Redentore were designed for the city of Venice; each

and traditions, and more specifically commemorates

of them was a very special event, welcomed with en-

the order given by the Venetian Senate in 1576 to build

thusiasm by the audience.

the church of the Redentore, the Redeemer, to give

For Venice’s Carnevale, one of the most famous and

thanks for the end of a plague that had been devastat-

celebrated carnivals in the world, a new format linked

ing the city, killing tens of thousands of people.

to the six senses was developed. Each sense corre-

Five centuries of history were thus the starting point for

sponded to one of the sestieri, the six districts of Ven-

a celebration that followed the tradition of this classic

ice, creating new ways of perceiving the urban space

Venetian event, but opened up the scenic space for

that enabled the audience to discover the millenary

the foghi, the fireworks that are the most character-

history of this unique city. Thus Dorsoduro was touch,

istic feature of this event. The lagoon was enveloped

Santa Croce smell, Cannaregio taste, Castello hear-

by a pyrotechnic display that filled the city’s skies and

ing and San Polo sight, while San Marco represented

created scenes of an almost pictorial quality.

the sixth sense: the brain. Different forms of narration

Finally, the central theme for the New Year’s Eve cele-

had a common denominator: wonder and beauty, in

brations was Love: the audience was invited to stage

a re-interpretation of traditions thanks to which San

a collective midnight kiss in one of the most romantic

Marco square was transformed into a Renaissance

cities in the world, the ideal setting for visions capable

garden, or the historical “Flight of the Angel” was per-

of captivating thousands of people.

formed for the first time by a man. A collaboration with Milan’s Institute for the Blind brought to Venice the successful format of Dialogue

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