144 replies to this topic

[California]

This site showing Bussell's performance has just been sent out by Twitter from several dance organizations. Scroll down toward the end to see the link to her performance.

http://deadspin.com/...inks-ray-davies

[JMcN]

I was reading earlier today that the choreography had to be really simplified at the last minute because of the rake and slipperiness of the performance surface.  A lot of British ballet lovers are bemused as to why the BBC thinks that the RB has 200 female dancers.  I also read that the only RB participants were Darcey's cavaliers.  Apart from that there were some dancers from ENB, some students from RBS and the rest of the dancers had been chosen at auditions held all over the country.

I thought the extinguishing of the cauldron was very moving.

My personal favourite moment was right at the end when the cameras were panning around the departing athletes and there was the wonderful Mo Farah trying on one of the bowler hats with the light bulbs on top.

For those of us suffering from post-Olympics depression, Adidas have issued a small film of some of Team GB singing "Don't stop me now"!  



A tweeter has also posted a link to this article about the BBC commentary of the Olympics:

http://www.businessw...e-olympic-games

I must admit that I hadn't really been looking forward to these Olympics as much as usual because I felt quite remote from them.  Train fares and hotel prices in the London area were sky high and I just decided not to bother.  I have, however, been glued to the TV for the past 2 weeks and loved every minute of the Games.  I feel quite bereft today and am not sure how to fill in the time till the Paralympics start on 29th August!

[Helene]

California, on 13 August 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

This site showing Bussell's performance has just been sent out by Twitter from several dance organizations. Scroll down toward the end to see the link to her performance.

http://deadspin.com/...inks-ray-davies

Click the little diagonal arrows on the bottom right of the video, since the video editing is a bit ?? at times, and be careful what you wish for.

Not even the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, and Paris Opera Ballet have 200 ballerinas.  Was the corps a punk homage to Ashton's chickens in "La Fille mal gardee"?

[dirac]

Well, that's the Olympics I understand it went over well.

Quote

I thought the extinguishing of the cauldron was very moving.

At least you got to see it properly, JMcN. That was the occasion of one of NBC's worst cuts. I really don't think their coverage was that bad overall but last night was pretty awful and I expect the network to get an earful.

[Drew]

I find it hard to believe the Olympic organizers did not want to have the Stones and probably the Police/Sting too. My guess is that the former at least cost too much money (even to cover). For myself I would have preferred a closing ceremony that was a little less exclusively a big pop concert at least as shown on NBC. However, I am probably not the target demographic.

[Helene]

dirac, on 13 August 2012 - 12:18 PM, said:

Well, that's the Olympics I understand it went over well.

Ah, but not yet:  according to Bob Costas last night, not only are athletes going to be on Fallon (and Leno?) all week, but every morning this week, they're doing some sort of Olympic recap.

I think CTV/TSN/SportsNet has cut the umbilical cord, but there's not as much to revisit for the Canadian audience.

[sandik]

California, on 13 August 2012 - 10:56 AM, said:

This site showing Bussell's performance has just been sent out by Twitter from several dance organizations. Scroll down toward the end to see the link to her performance.

http://deadspin.com/...inks-ray-davies

And apparently NBC has forced this site to edit down their clips, so that you see a tiny slice of Darcy Bussell being carried in a split, and a shot of the flame.

And here we thought the internet was going to open up communication around the world.

[Helene]

Given programs like Expat Shield and HideMyAss, the reportedly magnificent coverage by BBC available online, and increasing speeds and bandwidth on cell phones, it's one more way that NBC can cut off its financial nose to spite its face.

[mimsyb]

If I had directed the Closing Ceremony, I would have had the Lennon "Imagine" played during the extinguishing of "the flame".  I guess it may have been too political a message, but to see all of those amazing World athletes come together in sport and friendship with those lyrics playing would have made it all meaningful in a strong way.

[Jayne]

Watching Usain Bolt throughout the 2nd week, he reminds me more and more of Mohammed Ali in his verbal shenanigans.  He's showing off, insulting people for effect (Carl Lewis), and thoroughly enjoying himself.  

I watched parts of the closing ceremony, and then decided to wait until NBC lifts the embargo on BBC online, and will watch it in full (without commentary or interruptions for Animal TV shows) when I have more time.  At this point I feel like I need to boycott NBC for all shows to protest their abysmal coverage of the Olympics.  Just because they overpaid $1.4 billion to broadcast (compared to BBC's $60 million) does not absolve them of the need to actually *show* the games in full.  The closing ceremonies were held at 1pm Pacific Coast time in the USA / 4pm Eastern time, if they had shown them live, the full broadcast would have been completed before children's bed times.  All performances could have been included, and the NBC premier could have followed at 9pm.  Humbug to NBC!

[dirac]

Helene, on 13 August 2012 - 01:07 PM, said:

dirac, on 13 August 2012 - 12:18 PM, said:

Well, that's the Olympics I understand it went over well.

Ah, but not yet:  according to Bob Costas last night, not only are athletes going to be on Fallon (and Leno?) all week, but every morning this week, they're doing some sort of Olympic recap.

I think CTV/TSN/SportsNet has cut the umbilical cord, but there's not as much to revisit for the Canadian audience.

I forgot to put a period in there. I meant to say that Bussell’s act went over well. The Olympics closing ceremony is usually a kitschfest and last night certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard. I don’t doubt that NBC is going to continue milking this particular cow for as long as possible.

[dirac]

Complaints about coverage are the usual thing, although as I said NBC deserves a beating for last night. I will say that I did get plenty of Olympics on television, as much as this viewer could handle at any rate, and it was more comfy watching from the sofa than peering at events online. On weekdays Olympic events could be seen on three different channels in my area, a fair number of events were shown live, and there were repeats in the wee hours of the morning in case you couldn't sleep and didn't want to watch Poker After Dark or whatever was on Cinemax.

I don't think NBC has to worry about nose-snipping just yet. The internet experience still leaves something to be desired and I found it overrated this time around. No doubt that will change.

[Jane Simpson]

Apparently the Stones were invited to take part and said no.

There's a video on YouTube of some of the rehearsals for the ballet section (not Bussell):



Also one of the dancers involved has written a long piece about it - i believe it's on BT4D now but not on a bit I can see.

[Rosa]

Well, never knew it was possible to almost ruin an Olympic Closing Ceremony. NBC has tried my patience this summer -- not so much due to the tape delay, but more for how it seemed a lot of the sports I enjoyed didn't get a ton coverage. Thankfully, for whatever reason, I've always been more a fan of the opening ceremonies than the closing ones, otherwise I may have thrown something at the TV Sunday night. The only things I enjoyed were extinguishing of the Olympic Torch (which I felt I didn't completely see due to the editing), the final awesome fireworks display (couldn't they have shown that before previewing their show with the monkey?), and the closing credits. Oh, well.

Thank you, London, for putting on a wonderful Summer Olympics! I have many memories to hold me over until Sochi 2014.

[dirac]

Thank you for the link, Jane.

Quote

...more for how it seemed a lot of the sports I enjoyed didn't get a ton coverage.

I did get kind of tired of all the diving and swimming in prime time, myself, but going by the ratings mine is plainly a minority opinion. If you got up early enough you could catch things like the modern decathlon.