Prepare to be amazed by a performance that took center stage at the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
This extraordinary spectacle has garnered millions of views worldwide, and astonishingly, it was crafted in just one week.
The mastermind behind this feat? None other than Sadeck Waff.
Waff, known for his geometric dance style, directed a diverse group of 128 individuals.
Among them were professional dancers, amateurs, nine wheelchair users, ten individuals who are unable to speak or hear, and a 15-year-old boy with a bionic arm.
This eclectic mix of performers was united under Waff’s precise and synchronized choreography.
Waff is no stranger to the limelight.
He has choreographed for Grammy-winning artists like Chris Brown and Shakira, competed on France’s Got Talent three times, earning a Golden Buzzer for his audition, and even taught Jennifer Lopez a few dance moves on World of Dance.
However, this particular performance holds a special place in his heart.
“This one is my favorite. I put it at the top, really the top one of all that I have done because it was not just a show,” Waff said. “It was more than that. It was connecting people who didn’t know each other before, people with disabilities, who themselves they said ‘No, it’s not possible for me’.”
The performance shows the power of talent and practice, and the dance they create with just their hands is incredible.
The music, composed by French singer-songwriter Yoann Lemoine, was brought to life on stage by the Orchestre National de France.
The performance began with Oxandre Pecku, the first person in France to receive a ‘bionic’ arm from Open Bionics.
Soon after, the wheelchair-using performers began to synchronize their hand movements, creating a mesmerizing array of shapes, signs, and patterns.
It’s hard to believe that they perfected this intricate choreography in just a week.
As the camera panned out, the entire stage was revealed, with performers dressed in black moving their arms in unison to form an X shape in time with the music.
For two and a half minutes, the world was painted in black and white.
The routine concluded with the group spelling out “Paris, 2024,” symbolically passing the torch to the next generation of Olympians.
Preparations for the 2024 Paralympic Games in France are already underway.
The opening show will not be held in a stadium, but in the heart of the French capital, on the Champs-Elysées boulevard and the city’s largest square, Place de la Concorde.
The games are scheduled to take place from 28 August to 8 September 2024.
Reflecting on the process, Waff shared:
“At first, to be honest, I was really anxious because it was really a challenge for me. Before doing the dance, I spent three days by myself, drawing it. I draw all my choreography. I developed a way to write a choreography because all my choreography is just with the arms. You put the arm on ‘X’, you do ‘L’, you do something like this, so I can write it. So the first day I came with my book, with all my drawings. They thought I was crazy.”
Despite initial doubts and fears, the dancers rehearsed for six days, four hours at a time, and their transformation was nothing short of remarkable.
Check out the full incredible performance in the video below!
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