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Mass Choreography in Olympic Ceremonies: The Case of Turin 2006

2023; Routledge; Volume: 40; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09523367.2023.2177278

1743-9035

Isabella Scursatone, Sebastián Gómez-Lozano, Ma Eugenia García Sottile,

Sports, Gender, and Society

AbstractSince their first appearance in Olympic ceremonies, mass choreographies have played a significant role that has grown steadily over the years in terms of variety of images and organizational complexity. The use of choreographic language within them evolved in line with the aesthetic and social currents manifested in the major sporting events. Therefore, growth also occurred according to an internal logic of mutual influences between choreographers specializing in this type of mass movement. Mass choreography, which requires interdisciplinary study, has not yet been analyzed from the perspective of the history of sport, let alone with regard to the interrelationship between choreographers. The starting point for focusing on the evolution of this artistic element is the analysis of two choreographies by Doug Jack from the opening ceremony of the 2006 winter Olympics in Turin. The example of Turin is considered an important element in the search for a continuity of style with the past, as well as an influence on the productions that were presented in subsequent Olympic ceremonies.Keywords: Olympic ceremoniesmass choreographybody techniquesmedia and digital developmentsTurin 2006 AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Bryn Walters, Doug Jack, Nikos Lagousakos, Laura Guglielmetto and Ric Birch for sharing materials, documents and testimonies.Authors’ ContributionsAll authors have contributed to the production of this text: conception and design was done by María Eugenia García-Sottile, general methodology and analysis of discussion by Sebastián Gómez-Lozano. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were undertaken by Isabella Scursatone and María Eugenia García-Sottile. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Isabella Scursatone and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Correction StatementThis article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.Notes1 IOC, Olympic Charter, 2021, https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/General/EN-Olympic-Charter.pdf?_ga=2.221595037.488672248.1667984796-916931673.1653897816 (accessed November 9, 2022).2 ‘Protocol guide’, 2001. IOC; ‘Technical Manual on Ceremonies’, 5th updatecycle post Vancouver winter Games. IOC.3 ‘Technical Manual on Ceremonies’, 5th updatecycle post Vancouver winter Games. IOC: 59.4 ‘Factsheet: The opening ceremony of the Games of the Olympiad’, February 8, 2022, IOC: 3, https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Factsheets/The-opening-ceremony-of-the-Games-of-the-Olympiad.pdf?_ga=2.145500660.1343134336.1642847624-148660587.1630742008.pdf (accessed, November 1, 2022).5 Bouchet Sylvain, ‘Symbolique, mise en scène et dramaturgie des cérémonies des Jeux Olympiques’ (Phd diss., Université Lumière Lyon 2, 2010), 200.6 Claudia Carbajal, ‘Los espectáculos masivos y las coreografías monumentales en la posrevolución mexicana 1924–1940’ (PhD diss., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 2019), 47.7 Coroginnica. Saggi sulla ginnastica, lo sport e la cultura del corpo 1861–1991 (La Meridiana Editori, 1992): 184.8 David Goldblatt, Johnny Acton. Olimpiadi (Milano: Isbn Edizioni, 2012): 919 Jason P. Cumberledge, ‘The Benefits of College Marching Bands for Students and Universities: A Review of the Literature’. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education 36, no. 1 (2017): 44–50, https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123316682819 (accessed November 10, 2022).10 Flavia Pappacena, ‘Excelsior. Documents and Essays. Documents and Essays, /Choréographie, Scuola Nazionale di Cinema-Cineteca Nazionale (Rome: Di Giacomo, 1998).11 See note 7 above, 16.12 ‘The Olympic Idea’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 2006, no. 2 (2006): 483–527, DOI: 10.1080/0952336060063923813 Ramírez Javier, ‘La danza en las ceremonias olímpicas. Análisis de las interacciones entre imagen y danza en la retransmisión de las inauguraciones olímpicas (1972–2018)’. (Phd diss., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2018), 129.14 Kostas Georgiadis ‘Olympic Ceremonies in the Athens Games of 1896 and 1906’, in Olympic Ceremonies. Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange, ed. Miquel de Moragas, John MacAloon, and Montserrat Llinés (Barcelona-Lausana: IOC, 1996), 81–91.15 Buschmann, Jürgen y Lennartz Karl ‘From Los Angeles (1932) to Melbourne (1956). The Olympic Torch’s Protagonism in Ceremonies’, in Olympic Ceremonies. Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange, ed. Miquel de Moragas, John MacAloon, and Montserrat Llinés (Barcelona-Lausana: IOC, 1996), 111–30.16 Elisabeth A. Hanley, ‘The Role of Dance in Ancient and Modern Olympic Games’, Proceedings 26th Session International Olympic Academy (1986), 221, https://ioa.org.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/young-participants-1986-37966-600-21.pdf?fbclid = IwAR0- (accessed September 10, 2021).17 Gold, Maggie and George Revill. ‘Reviving the Panegyrics: Cities and the Staging of the Olympic Arts and Cultural Festivals, 1896 to 2000’, (2022), https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228710444_Reviving_the_panegyrics_cities_and_the_staging_of_the_Olympic_arts_and_cultural_festivals_1896_to_2000 (accessed December 1, 2022).18 Wichian Lattipongpun, ‘The Origins of the Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies: Artistic Creativity and Communication’, Journal of Intercultural Communication Studies 19, no. 1 (2010): 103–20.19 See note 16 above.20 Otto J. Schantz, ‘From Rome (1960) to Montreal (1976). From Rite to Spectacle’, in Olympic Ceremonies. Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange, ed. Miquel de Moragas, John MacAloon, and Montserrat Llinés (Barcelona-Lausana: IOC, 1996), 131–9.21 Ibid.22 Nina Kramareva and Jonathan Grix, ‘Understanding Russia’s Identity through Olympic Ceremonies’, European Journal for Sport and Society (2022): 1–22, DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2022.203151823 Myles A. Garcia, Secrets of Olympic Ceremonies (MAG Publishing, 2018), 23.24 Jean-Loup Chappelet, ‘Olympic Ceremonies from Moscow (1980) to Lillehammer (1994). Ceremonies and the Televised Spectacle’, in Olympic Ceremonies. Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange, ed. Miquel de Moragas, John MacAloon, and Montserrat Llinés (Barcelona-Lausana: IOC, 1996), 153–6, 154.25 Ibid.26 See note 13 above, 243.27 See note 16 above.28 Leonardo Boccia, ‘Comparando cerimônias de abertura olímpicas e seus impactos no legado estético da humanidade’, Espetáculos Culturais e Sociedade 4 (2013): 153–74.29 Judy Lee Chabola 1952–1999.30 In an LA Times press release: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-13-mn-36759-story.html (accessed January 17, 2022).31 Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996.32 ‘Games of the XXIII Olympiad Opening Ceremonies, Los Angeles’, (LAOOC, 1984).33 Doug Jack, personal communication, May 11, 2020.34 Ibid.35 Joseph Roca, ‘Ceremonies in the Organisation of the Games. The Experience of COOB’92’, in Olympic Ceremonies. Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange, ed. Miquel de Moragas, John MacAloon, and Montserrat Llinés (Barcelona-Lausana: IOC, 1996), 227–40.36 See note 33 above.37 Doug Jack, The Back Side of Wonderful (Beverly Hills, CA: Being Point Press, 2009), 132.38 See note 33 above.39 See note 35 above., 23340 For more details see this website, https://www.emmys.com/bios/doug-jack (accessed December 1, 2022).41 Dimitris Papaioannou official website: https://www.dimitrispapaioannou.com/en/recent/birthplace-2004 (accessed November 11, 2022).42 Ric Birch was born in 1945 in Sydney. Producer and executive director of major Olympic events and ceremonies such as Los Angeles 1984, Barcelona 1992, Sydney 2000, Turin 2006, Beijing 2008, Rio 2016; Ramírez Javier, ‘La danza en las ceremonias olímpicas. Análisis de las interacciones entre imagen y danza en la retransmisión de las inauguraciones olímpicas (1972–2018)’ (Phd diss., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2018), 244. Further citations to this work are given in the text.43 The stage was created in the shape of an anatomical heart, which was situated under a large theatre stage where part of the ceremony took place. This particularity allowed a wide range of possibilities for using the stage space. This video demonstrates the peculiarity of the stage of the Turin ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBMk4YRssvE (accessed October 22, 2022).44 In an interview the choreographer Doug Jack and the executive producer and creative Director Marco Balich, talk about the project and its realization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBbF4oRRKNQ (accessed December 1, 2022).45 ‘Passion lives here’, Opening Ceremony Media Guide XX Olympic Winter Games, Turin 2006, February 10, 2006 (TOROC, 2006).46 Ibid.47 BrynWalters, personal communication, January 17, 2022.48 See note 45 above.49 dougJackInc, ‘The Creation of an Italian Icon Named Rocco’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-1mw_bNenc&t=69s (accessed December 1, 2022).50 Jack, The Back Side of Wonderful, 130.51 See note 33 above.52 See note 50 above, 160.53 Louis Kaplan, ‘A Patriotic Mole: A Living Photograph’, CR: The New Centennial Review 1, no. 1 (2001): 107–39, DOI:10.1353/ncr.2003.0040. For additional information about this article, see http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ncr/summary/v001/1.1kaplan.html (accessed November 13, 2021).54 Ibid.55 Video projections were included in Vancouver 2010 for the first time. See note 43 above., 232.56 ‘La ceremonia de inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992’, Libro de prensa. Guía para la cobertura informativa de los Medios de Comunicación, Barcelona, (COOB 1992), 2857 Doug Jack, personal communication, May 11, 2020.Additional informationNotes on contributorsIsabella ScursatoneIsabella Scursatone is a PhD student in Sport Science at the Catholic University of Murcia, Spain. Her line of research concerns the analysis of choreographic and performance events in the performing arts, and in particular mass choreography in Olympic Ceremonies.Sebastián Gómez-LozanoSebastián Gómez-Lozano has a PhD in Spine Anatomy for Dancing, awarded by the Physical Therapy Department of the University of Murcia (UMU-Spain) – Dance Department, Technical University of Lisbon (UTL-Portugal). He has been Head of the Research Group in Performing Arts at UCAM since 2011. His research focus is related to the Analysis of Choreographic and Performative acting.María Eugenia García-SottileMaría Eugenia García-Sottile is a Professor in Sport History and Body Expression at San Vicente Mártir Catholic University of Valencia, Spain. She has a PhD from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and Alma Mater Università di Bologna (DAMS). Independent art curator. Her research is focused on the evolution of choreography as a social discipline.