Teenagers will take up 95% of around 3,000 performers at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on February 4.
Unlike the grand opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, chief director Zhang Yimou changed his creative approach for the opening ceremony this time, without resorting to a large performer group of about 15,000 people seen in 2008 but focusing on young performers.
Deng Shaomei is a student from Hebei North University. Students headed to Beijing by bus at 4 a.m. for joint practices. "Everyone strives to present Chinese teenagers to the world," said Deng.
"For the first time in Olympic history, teenagers are invited on such a large scale to perform at the opening ceremony," said Wang Jun, deputy director of the National Stadium operation team and director of the Performance and Ceremony Division of the organizing committee's Department of Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
The presence of more young people in the opening ceremony is also in line with the requirements of Olympic education, according to Wang.
"From their experience, they are proud of presenting themselves in such major events in the dual Olympic city."
Wang admitted that cold weather is a primary challenge, as it might be too warm for performers in rehearsals and too cold when they rest.
It is also a challenge for performers to strike a balance between study and rehearsal time.
At the rehearsal intervals, some student performers read books under the guidance of their teachers.
"The children always say that they are not tired every time I ask them on the bus back home after rehearsals, but they will fall asleep quickly," said Wu Wennian, a teacher who leads the performing group from Beijing No. 2 Experimental Primary School.
"Our performers are ordinary people and teenagers, and many of them have not engaged in performing, but they overcame the difficulties very well and strove to accomplish the task," said Wang.
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