Paris Paralympics 2024: Director Of Closing Ceremony Wants To Turn Stade De France Into Dance Floor

The final act of the Paralympics in Paris will be a giant dance party. (Full Coverage | More Sports News)

That's a promise from Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies for this year's Olympics and Paralympics.

Jolly says 24 DJs will perform thumping techno and dance music at the Stade de France on Sunday as the curtain falls on the 2024 Paralympics.

바카라�We want to turn the Stade de France into the biggest dance floor to celebrate the end of the Paralympics,바카라� Jolly told The Associated Press in an interview.

Much like during the Paralympic opening ceremony, which featured artists with disabilities and dancers using crutches or wheelchairs, the dance floor will be open to all.

바카라�There will be choreographic sequences that will showcase the body," Jolly said.

The closing ceremony marks the end of Paris' Olympic and Paralympic journey. For Jolly, a 42-year-old theatre director, it's the final chapter of a busy summer.

Jolly directed the July 26 opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the Seine River, which was widely praised but also met some criticism.

Some viewers thought a scene featuring French singer Philippe Katrine disguised as Bacchus, the deity of wine and celebration in ancient Roman mythology, was a depiction of 바카라�The Last Supper,바카라� a famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci that represents Jesus Christ's last meal with his apostles. Critics considered that a mockery of the Catholic Church. Paris 2024 organizers said they were 바카라�sorry바카라� if people took offence.

Though Jolly said his intention was not to mock religion, he and his family faced harassment on social media, including death threats and attacks based on his sexual orientation and wrongly assumed Israeli roots, prompting French authorities to open a hate speech investigation.

바카라�I've been doing shows for 20 years, and I've had critics on all my theatrical productions," Jolly said. 바카라�Criticism can please, it can hurt. That's the job. But the attacks, the threats, the insults ... that's a different matter.바카라�

Jolly, who received support from French political leaders including President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said the controversy did not lead to any changes to the ceremonies that followed.

바카라�Absolutely not," he said. 바카라�Nothing was changed, and nothing should have been changed.바카라�

He noted that all scenes were approved months in advance by the French government, the city of Paris and the International Olympic Committee.

A native of Rouen, Jolly moved to Paris to prepare for the Games, dedicating two and a half years to creating the ceremonies. Much of the preparation for the previous ceremonies took place at night or in remote locations, in an effort to maintain a degree of secrecy.

Preparations for Sunday's closing ceremony are no different. With the Stade de France hosting Paralympic athletics competitions during the day, many of the rehearsals take place at night.

바카라�I fully dedicated myself to the job," Jolly said. 바카라�I did not celebrate anything yet, I did not party, I did not even have time to rewatch the ceremonies on TV.바카라�

Jolly said he's considering writing a book about his Olympic experience before returning to his roots in theatre.

바카라�I don't think I'll ever have an audience like that (of the Olympic opening ceremony) again in my life,바카라� he said. 바카라�But it doesn't matter. There are also important things that can happen in a 50-seat theatre.바카라�