2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony aims to change views of disabilities

Creative director Thomas Jolly has lofty goals for the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics on Wednesday, when the heart of the French capital will once again become the stage for a stunning artistic display.

The outdoor ceremony at the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde – a site where several members of the royal family were beheaded during the French Revolution – is aiming to challenge and reshape society's perceptions of disabilities.

"When we cut off the heads of the king and queen here, it changed society once. Maybe this ceremony will be the second time we change society," said Jolly, who was also in charge of the Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics last month.

On Monday, under the sweltering Parisian sun, 100 dancers, including 20 performers with disabilities, gathered at the Place de la Concorde for a final rehearsal under the secrecy of huge banners that blocked views of the square. The site hosted several competitions during the Olympics, and has now been transformed into a grand open arena centered around the ancient Luxor Obelisk, the French capital's oldest monument.

Jolly said dance will be central to the show, celebrating all types of bodies through the universal language of movement. Swedish director Alexander Ekman has crafted a rhythmic spectacle where dancers – using crutches, wheelchairs, or adapted tricycles – will interact with pulsating beats.

The music of the event is once again in the hands of Victor Le Masne, who also composed the full score for the Paris Olympics.

On the eve of the Paralympic rehearsals, Le Masne welcomed a group of journalists into a secluded Parisian studio, offering a sneak peek at the track titled "Sportography," a blend of organic sporting sounds and drum rhythms aimed at capturing the essence of athleticism by incorporating real-life elements, like the screeching of shoes and the hard breathing of athletes.