Thoughts on the London Olympics Closing Ceremony

The 2012 Summer Olympics came to a dramatic and eventful end this past Sunday. A mixture of bright colors, music, and
entertainment graced the stage for the closing ceremony. A unison of athletes and performers joined as one to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Olympic games.

The voice of Michael Caine started off the show with a voiceover countdown from the iconic movie, The Italian Job. The perimeter of the stage was made up of dancers, each sectioned off into different groups of color. As “Our House” by Madness and “West End Girls” by Petshop Boys played, the dancers filled the stadium with bursts of blue, green, pink, yellow and red. One Direction was then given the honor of being the youngest performers to play a part in the closing ceremony.

When the competing athletes walked onto the stage during the opening ceremony, they were divided by country. However, on Sunday night they walked together in unison. A beautiful merge of flags reminded us all that everyone present was there as a unit.

The ceremony displayed an eclectic mix of music, resulting in an appealing performance for people of all ages. From classic artists like Queen and George Michael, to today’s top hits such as “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz, there was something for everybody to enjoy.

A handful of well orchestrated tributes took place throughout the show. John Lennon’s timeless song, “Imagine,” helped put the crowd in a mellow and peaceful mood amongst all of the other fast-paced performances. Homage was also shown to other artists such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.

Any girl who grew up during the 1990s would declare the performance by the Spice Girls as one of the night’s top highlights. As they took some of us down memory lane, they looked and sounded exactly the same as they did 15 years ago.

Even the fashion world had a role in the show with a full-blown runway performance. Superstars Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss graced the stage with beauty and poise, along with other models all dressed in luxurious gold outfits.

As the end of the show neared, the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, passed the Olympic flag along to Dduardo Paes. This highly recognized action acknowledged that the Olympic games will return in 2016 to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Finally, the Olympic torch was gracefully extinguished, marking the official end to the Summer 2012 Olympics. One of the NBC announcers said it best, “The world is one, at least for one night.”