The FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brasil is just a couple hours away and we are ready to cheer on for our favorite soccer teams. As the players for each team practice, so are performers for the opening ceremony. The show will take place in São Paulo, Brasil at the 68,000-seat New Corinthians Stadium and will run for about 25 minutes. After much debate Jennifer Lopez confirmed her assistance to the event where she will join Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte singing "We Are One (Ole Ola)," official theme song of the games. More than 600 dancers, gymnasts and stilt walkers will perform alongside a huge LED ball that will turn the arena into a great carnival. The spectacle will also feature the capoeira fighters, a Brazilian martia art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music while "treasures" of the country will be presented througout the show.
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“The Opening Ceremony is a tribute to Brazil and its treasures: nature, people soccer,” Daphne Cornez, Belgian artistic director said. “The sense of excitement here is amazing and everyone is very motivated. It doesn’t matter whether they’re feeling tired or hot sometimes or if they have to go through routines again and again: they just keep on smiling. It’s amazing.” Organizers estimate that 20 hours of preparation have gone into each of the 25 minutes that the show will last. “I went, did the test and got selected. I was very happy and excited. I could hardly contain myself,” said 60-year-old Edna Sasson, one of the dancers who will be representing a river at the ceremony. “It’s a unique event. It’s not like dancing at the local theatre or any other theatre for that matter. You’re dancing at the start of the World Cup, with millions and millions of people watching. I’m loving it.”
The ceremony will take lace during the day and not many fireworks will be used to illuminate the sky. “The ceremony is taking place during the day, which means we won’t be using a lot of lighting or fireworks,” explained Joana Havelange, the executive director of operational planning and support. “There will be no pointed, sharp objects on the pitch or anything that’s very heavy. As a result, the show will focus heavily on the dancers, the sets, the dance routines, fantasy sequences and the soundtrack, which is really lovely and took two and a half months to write.” All the fun and excitement starts tomorrow, June 12 at 2p.m. ET/11a.m. PT on Univision and ESPN in the U.S. The opening ceremony will be followed up with the firsth match of the tournament as host country Brasil faces Croatia.
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