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2012 Summer Olympics, London


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From the NYT on synchronized swimming (emphasis mine):

Twelve teams made the final round, but the Russians dominated from the start. Made up to look like sinister adult-size dolls with exaggerated painted-on eyelashes, they won the final on Tuesday with an intricately scary routine — all staccato kicks and aggressive slashing arm movements — set to the theme song from the 1977 horror film “Suspiria,” in which a young dancer realizes that her ballet school is being controlled by witches and that there is no escape.

and

The French went with “Swan Lake” and the traditional duality-of-nature struggle, while the Czechs decided “to show the fight between the classical and modern styles of music,” said Sona Bernardova, a Czech swimmer.
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I think the greatest athletes in the Olympics are the horses. The sheer number of different skills and level of difficulty for eventing is amazing. Compare them to track and field. Humans practice for years jumping the exact same hurdles the exact same distance apart. Equestrian jumping courses are different every time. The numerous jumps are different hights, different widths, and made of varied materials. They add all kinds of visuals to distract them, and....the horses see the course for the first time in the competion! Not to mention they also do dressage, very complicated "dancing" which has no relation to what a horse does naturally. I am in awe.

And they're taking chances, too. Such beautiful and sensitive animals, and it's moving when you think of the partnership between horses and human beings over the centuries (in which the former have often suffered). I like the cross country eventing best, but the dressage is fascinating for the seemingly invisible interactions between horse and rider.

Thank you for that link, Lynette H. That's just awesome. Also thanks for chiming in, jsmu. Very instructive.

Exciting race in the women's open swimming marathon in Hyde Park.

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Another awesome performance from Bolt. His act is getting a bit old, though.

I haven't found it so...I guess since he IS really so great and I thought the fist bump to the volunteer standing behind him before the 200 meter was hilarious especially because the volunteer seemed to think so too. In interviews it's clear, though, that he is more self-conscious than four years ago--as one would expect. I also like the classy way he has stopped mid-interview on occasion to stand silent while a national anthem for another medal winner has been playing.

Oh and the Jamaican men just this minute blew away the world record in the 4X100 relay.

I was very happy, too, when the American women did the same last night.

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"If you can do it, you ain't braggin'." smile.png It's certainly true that Bolt has always had a warmth and generosity of spirit that take the edge off what might otherwise be hotdogging of the more irksome kind. After a certain point it seems a mite childish and Bolt's no longer a kid, but it could be me. (And I can't help thinking that a female athlete of any country would likely be pounded for such braggartry, but men are allowed greater leeway to act out in such ways.) He certainly has learned the value of Madonna's injunction, "Strike a pose."

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From the NYT on synchronized swimming (emphasis mine):

Twelve teams made the final round, but the Russians dominated from the start. Made up to look like sinister adult-size dolls with exaggerated painted-on eyelashes, they won the final on Tuesday with an intricately scary routine — all staccato kicks and aggressive slashing arm movements — set to the theme song from the 1977 horror film “Suspiria,” in which a young dancer realizes that her ballet school is being controlled by witches and that there is no escape.

Just PERFECTION! clapping.gif

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Another point of view on the dance component in floor exercise here

Basically, women’s gymnastics is trying very hard to have it both ways—to maintain an air of grace, via dance or something like it, while growing increasingly powerful. And most of the time, it works. I think it’s still a beautiful sport, only now it’s more badass.
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I much prefer the traditional ending to the men's marathon, with the race finishing in the Olympic stadium.

Closing ceremonies a bit of a snoozefest. Eric Idle, who was actually singing, saved the evening, along with the nuns on rollerblades and the kickline of Roman legioniaries. Did anyone see Darcey Bussell or did I miss her bit?

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I only watched part of closing ceremonies and I thought I had, very unfortunately, missed Bussell who has always been a favorite of mine. But I gather from various complaints registered by others on Twitter that NBC cut Bussell and the section of closing ceremonies choreographed by Wheeldon. Apparently being a great dancer--whether modern dance (as in Akram Khan) or classical ballet (as in Bussell)--disqualifies you from American television.

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But I gather from various complaints registered by others on Twitter that NBC cut Bussell and the section of closing ceremonies choreographed by Wheeldon. Apparently being a great dancer--whether modern dance (as in Akram Khan) or classical ballet (as in Bussell)--disqualifies you from American television.

Again? This is ridiculous!

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Yeah, another snoozer! Well, not exactly as it was VERY LOUD! I was sort of hoping the Brazilians would bring in Marcello to do a killer Samba, but alas, that was not to be. One can only hope in four years time...........

Still no Sting or Stones! Obviously geared to the younger set. zzzzzzzzzzz

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But I gather from various complaints registered by others on Twitter that NBC cut Bussell and the section of closing ceremonies choreographed by Wheeldon. Apparently being a great dancer--whether modern dance (as in Akram Khan) or classical ballet (as in Bussell)--disqualifies you from American television.

Again? This is ridiculous!

Further irony is that one of the guys dancing with Darcey, Nehemiah Kish, is an AMERICAN.

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Still no Sting or Stones! Obviously geared to the younger set. zzzzzzzzzzz

I was wondering about the Stones -- they're still intact, still touring, and still making rock and roll. I don't think it's an age thing per se, or they wouldn't have had all those cover bands playing classic rock.

I winced when I heard they were bringing in the Spice Girls, but I have to say that watching them motor around the stadium on top of those taxis was actually quite whimsical.

Still, if they can have the Spice Girls, can't they have the Rolling Stones?

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Well, who needs Darcey Bussell when you can have Russell Brand lip-synching "I Am the Walrus"?

I think the pop music was intentionally slightly less geriatric this time around, not more so. They had The Who and probably deemed that sufficient. Seemed to be trying for a sort of spanning-the-generations effect.

I too was disappointed by the Brazilian sneak preview, but at least they have several years to get it together.

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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.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-10/the-bbc-goes-gaga-for-the-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!

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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"?

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

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.

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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.

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