The Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics had one last ice-centric performance before heating things up with the lighting of the torch.
In a segment titled “The Snowflake,” hundreds of children ran across the Bird’s Nest while holding illuminated dove props. Beneath them, the LED floor lit up with snowflakes and stars under their feet with help from capture-motion technology.
From there, the children surrounded a massive snowflake in a heart-shaped formation while singing. The larger snowflake was comprised of the placards used for each country during the Parade of Nations. Ninety-one placards combined in the middle of the calligraphic “olive branches” meant to stand for people living in peace and harmony.
The theme song for the Opening Ceremony has a fitting title: “Snowflake.” The chorus of the song goes:
“Snowflake snowflake
Blossom in the sun
At home or in the far
Shining wherever you are…”
Separate costumes were designed for the chorus singers and the children holding the doves. The one for the singers drew inspiration from the snowflake and traditional Chinese blue and white porcelain, while the one for the children holding the doves drew inspiration from traditional paper-cut artwork of Hebei province.
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Following the segment, torchbearers began the process of lighting the Olympic cauldron to signify the start of the Winter Games.
