Official Handover of PASO Flag Takes Place This Weekend
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian performers and technical crews are rehearsing and putting the finishing touches on a top-secret performance that will showcase Toronto to the world during the Closing Ceremony of the Guadalajara 2011 Games.
"We have eight-minutes to show the 50,000 spectators in Omnilife Stadium and the millions of television and internet viewers around the world that the Toronto 2015 Games will ignite the spirit and inspire extraordinary achievement," said Katherine Henderson, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Revenue, TO2015.
As part of the Handover Ceremony segment on October 30, the focus on the Toronto 2015 Games will include a protocol component complete with the official handover of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) flag to Canadian dignitaries, and an artistic performance segment. The eight-minute creative presentation will give viewers a taste of Torontoand what they can expect to see in less than four years.
The special Toronto segment will feature an urban street party theme. "It will be a celebration of all cultures coming together, as they do in Toronto, with Canada's Aboriginal, francophone, Caribbean and Latin roots," added Henderson.
BaAM Productions, a Toronto-based creative development and project services company, is the executive producer of the Toronto 2015 portion of the Guadalajara 2011 Closing Ceremony.
Three Canadian creative artists have collaborated to design the original music, choreography and specialized lighting for the Toronto 2015 segment. They are:
- Lou Pomanti, who has more than 25 years of credits in scoring, songwriting and performing in music projects for film, television and albums.
- Luther Brown, known for his unique, urban dance choreography and one of the judges on So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
- Alexis Laurence, a specialist in the architecture of entertainment, creation, design and control of immersive environments and new media.
Special guest star Florence K will take the stage and sing the Canadian national anthem during the Ceremony. As a platinum recording artist and a classical singer, Florence K composes and sings in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, four of the seven languages this young star has mastered.
"Our segment will reflect the various people of the Pan Americancountries, youth, community and athleticism," said Don Shipley, Creative Director, Arts and Culture Programs, TO2015. "Inspired by our French Canadian heritage and interpreted by Aboriginal, Latin and Caribbean dance and music, we intend to extend a warm welcome to global spectators and to our Pan American neighbours."
About the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
The Pan American Games are one of the world's largest international
multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41 member
nations of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). The Games
comprise all Olympic Summer Games sports, as well as traditional Pan
American sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will draw
10,000 athletes and officials and feature 48 sports in 17
municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The Toronto2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 and the Parapan
American Games August 7-14.
For more information about the Games, please visit toronto2015.org.
About BaAM Productions
BaAM is a creative development and project services company specializing
in the unique requirements of high-profile and large-scale sports,
cultural and entertainment projects. Clients include the National
Hockey League, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the
Aga Khan Foundation Canada, the CN Tower and the Olympic Spirit Group.
Follow #BaAMProductions on Twitter and at www.baamproductions.com to stay up-to-date with all of our exciting projects and events.
SOURCEToronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
Video with caption: "Video: TO2015 Handover Ceremony preview". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20111028_C8617_VIDEO_EN_5689.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20111028_C8617_PHOTO_EN_5689.jpg&clientName=Toronto%202015%20Pan%2FParapan%20American%20Games&caption=Video%3A%20TO2015%20Handover%20Ceremony%20preview&title=TO2015%20Handover%20Ceremony%20preview
