Brazil Marks Four Years to go until Rio 2016 Paralympics
Rio 2016™ celebrates Brazilian Independence Day and marks ‘four years to go’ until the start of the 2016 Paralympic Games
London, United Kingdom, 7 September 2012: The Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games [Rio 2016™] today celebrated Brazilian Independence Day and marked ‘four years to go’ until the start of the 2016 Paralympic Games.
As part of today’s celebration, the Rio 2016™ leadership unveiled the plans for the Paralympic flag handover presentation, which will take place during the London 2012 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony on Sunday 9 September. The theme of Rio 2016’s™ eight minute presentation is ‘joyfulness’ and will promote the concepts of cultural diversity, blissful harmony and contagious energy – with an invitation to the nations of the world to come to Rio in four years time.
Rio 2016’s™ handover presentation will involve some of the great names of Brazilian music and dance and will be opened by the Funk do Passinho dance group. The whole celebration includes both disabled and able-bodied artists. The show includes performances by artists such as Herbert Vianna, Paralamas do Sucesso, Carlinhos Brown and Thalma de Freitas, who will join various dance groups on the Olympic Stadium stage.
The highlight of the handover performance will be a segment by the Brazilian dancers of the Royal Ballet Company, Thiago Soares and Roberta Marquez, who will conduct a routine with blind dancers of the Associação de Ballet e Artes para Cegos Fernanda Bianchini. Additional dance groups, the Grupo de Dança sobre Rodas Corpo em Movimento and Grupo Companhia Folclórica do Rio – UFRJ, will also share the stage to form a unique and exciting collaboration.
Brazilian Paralympic athletes Adria dos Santos and Daniel Dias will then take to the stage and conclude the show.
Cao Hamburger and Daniela Thomas are the show’s artistic directors, Abel Gomes is responsible for creative supervision, and Marco Balich is the executive producer.
Rio 2016™ CEO, Leonardo Gryner, said: “We were impressed by the organisation of London 2012, which provided athletes and spectators with an amazing experience, and took the Paralympic Games to a new level of popularity. We go home back to Rio soon with renewed energy to bring Brazilian joyfulness to the Games and transform the city and the country. We will ensure the great work here in London to promote inclusivity, accessibility and the great sport of the Paralympic Games will continue in Rio”.
-ENDS-
Rio 2016™ Handover Celebration Team:
Cao Hamburguer – Artistic Director
Daniela Thomas – Artistic Director
Abel Gomes – Creative Supervisor
Marco Balich – Executive Producer
Additional Credits:
Beto Villares – Musical production
Jum Nakao – Costumes Production
Susana Yamauchi and Renata Vieitas – Choreography
Lida Castelli – Art Consultant
CAO HAMBURGER
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
• Creator of TV shows that stand out for their educational nature and poetic ambiance, like “Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum”, “Disney Club” and “No Estranho Planeta dos Seres Audiovisuais”;
• “Filhos do Carnaval”, was an Emmy nominee for the Best TV Show category and awarded by the São Paulo Art Critics Association;
• “O ano em que meus pais saíram de férias”, was a Golden Bear Nominee at the Berlin International Film Festival. His new film will be released in 2012.
DANIELA THOMAS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
• Directed, with Walter Salles, the films “Terra Estrangeira”, “O Primeiro Dia” and “Linha de Passe”, a Golden Palm nominee at the Cannes Film Festival;
• Worked as a scenographer for prestigious directors as Gerald Thomas (The Flash and Crash Days), Aderbal Freire-Filho (Tio Vânia) and Felipe Hirsch (Pterodáctilos).
ABEL GOMES
CREATIVE SUPERVISOR
• Brazil’s most prominent and reputable scenographer, with more than 30 years’ experience in creating and directing large scale shows. He is also the founder and director of P&G Cenografia, a SRCOM related company, with a staff of 150 employees that deals in the scenery creation, construction and assembly;
• Started his career at TV Globo, for which he has signed the conception and large audience shows scenography;
• His extensive résumé yet includes the scenography creation and event direction like: Opening and Closing Ceremony of the World Military Games Rio 2011; New Year’s Eve at Copacabana beach (since 2008); the launch of the Olympic Games brand Rio 2016™ (2010); Bradesco Seguros Christmas Three (Rio de Janeiro, since 1996); the Formula 1 Grand Prix (all editions) and the Olympic Torch handover in Rio de Janeiro (2004).
MARCO BALICH
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
• CEO of Filmmaster Events and associate partner of Filmmaster Group, he is one of the most prominent characters in the international events arena. He has conceived and produced extremely successful events as Opening and Closing Ceremony of the Torino Olympic Games in 2006;
• In 2002, he led the Flag Handover Closing Ceremony at the Salt Lake City Olympics;
• His most successful recent work includes, in 2009, Opening and Closing Ceremony of the XVI Mediterranean Games, described by the IOC President as the most beautiful ceremony ever produced for the Games, and the Donbass Arena inauguration ceremony in the Ukraine;
• Was the artistic director of the Venice Carnival in 2008, 2009 and 2010;
• In 2010, he was the Creative Director of Mexico’s Bicentennial Commemorations;
• In 2011, he created and produced the show for FC Shakhtar 75th anniversary in the Ukraine and the Opening Ceremony of Juventus new Stadium;
• In 2012, he also created the UEFA EURO 2012 ceremonies;
• Marco Balich will be the executive producer of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games ceremonies.
PARALAMAS DO SUCESSO
• Paralamas do Sucesso presented, in London, their hit parade “Lourinha Bombril”, from the album “Nove Luas”, in 1996;
• It is on stage that the trio formed 30 years ago by Herbert Vianna (lead vocals and guitar), Bi Ribeiro (bass) and João Barone (vocals and drums) makes the party.
CARLINHOS BROWN
• One of the most creative and innovative artists of Brazilian music. He is a musician, producer and cultural agitator. The last of his seven albums is called Mixturada Brasileira;
• In 2012, he was an Oscar nominee for the Rio motion picture soundtrack;
• In Salvador, he founded Associação Pracatum, that fosters the education of youngsters through artistic education since 1994, an Unesco award winning initiative.
THALMA DE FREITAS
• Actress, singer, song writer and Brazilian dancer. Daughter of conductor and pianist Laércio de Freitas, "Thalmissima”' was born in Rio de Janeiro and grew up in São Paulo;
• As an actress, she is Rede Globo’s exclusive retained artist, on 14 television shows since 1996;
• As a singer, she is the carioca’s big band "Orquestra Imperial" crooner.
THIAGO SOARES
• Brazilian dancer from Centro de Dança Rio, winner of the Moscow international gold medal and of the silver medal at the Paris International Dance Contest;
• Was a member of the Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal Ballet in 1998, where he was confirmed as lead dancer;
• He joined the Royal Ballet in 2002 and became lead dancer in 2006, where he currently performs the grand roles of traditional ballet, as well as new choreographies and also performs as a guest artist in other theaters throughout the world.
ROBERTA MARQUEZ
• Internationally acclaimed Brazilian dancer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, graduated at Escola de Dança Maria Olenewa;
• In 1994 enrolled at Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal ballet, became lead dancer in 2002;
• Following a special invitation to perform Aurora’s part in Sleeping Beauty at London Royal Ballet, she took the leading dancer role in 2004. She performed as a special guest lead dancer at the ABT (American Ballet Theater), Kirov Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet and K Ballet in Japan.
CORPO EM MOVIMENTO
• The Grupo de Dança sobre Rodas Corpo em Movimento de Niterói/RJ was created in 1999 with the purpose of Dancing for Integrating;
• Embodying elements such as rhythm, lightness, beauty and aesthetics, the group has conquered space and recognition, stimulating the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, through the practice of physical exercises and the dance as a form of art;
GRUPO COMPANHIA FOLCLÓRICA DO RIO - UFRJ
• The Companhia Folclórica da UFRJ was founded 25 years ago.
• It is directed by the Master Professor and choreographer Eleonora Gabriel.
• Composed by teachers, employees and university students.
• From the Companhia Folclórica da UFRJ research on teaching, it disseminates Brazilian arts and popular culture internationally.
ASSOCIAÇÃO DE BALLET E ARTES PARA CEGOS FERNANDA BIANCHINI
• The Associação de Ballet e Artes para Cegos Fernanda Bianchini exists since 16 years and has been developing ground breaking methods through touch and bodily awareness.
• It is the only professional Ballet Company for blind individuals in the world.
Further information:
About the Ceremonies
The Flag Handover Ceremony is produced by the consortium Cerimonias Cariocas 2016, formed by Italian event, advertising and TV holding Film Master Group and Brazilian large event producers SRCOM.
The consortium was chosen through a selection process to be in charge of the major presentations to be staged by the Organising Committee. Further to the Olympic and Paralympic Flag Handover Ceremonies, the executive production company will also be involved in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games.
About the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
The Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a private not for profit sports organisation established by Brazilian Olympic Confederations, the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. Its mission is to promote, organise and deliver the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games, in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the Host City Contract, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the World Anti-doping Agency, and under the Brazilian Law, the Olympic Charter and the IPC Handbook.
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
The Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has five tier one partners (official sponsors) – Bradesco, Bradesco Seguros, Claro, Embratel and Nissan. There is one tier two supporter – Ernst & Young Terco.
During the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, the spirit of Rio de Janeiro will be at Somerset House with Casa Brasil – the space of the Olympic Brazilian Committee, the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and Rio 2016™.
About the Rio 2016™ Paralympic Games
The Rio 2016™ Paralympic Games will be held from September 7 to 18, with 4,200 athletes from more than 150 countries expected to compete. With the addition of paratriathlon and paracanoe from 2016, the Paralympic Games programme has grown to 22 sports. More than 70 broadcasters are expected to show the Games to a worldwide audience. The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games saw broadcasting time increase by 200 percent compared to Athens 2004. Around 5,500 journalists and two million spectators are expected to follow the event that also involves more than 30,000 volunteers.
For further information:
Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
www.rio2016.com
Media Relations
Bernardo Domingues
[email protected]
Phone in London: +44 [0]75 1087 9874
VERO Communications
Sujit Jasani
[email protected]
+44 [0]7940 375282
