Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

13. Opening, Closing and
Victory Ceremonies
394
3
Korean Traditional Music High School
Kyewon Arts High School
Colleges and universities
Ewha Woman's University
Sejong University
Kyunghee University
Seoul Junior College of Arts
Hanyang University
Chungang University
Sookmyung Women's University
Sung-ui Women's Junior College
Korean Judo Institute
Suwon University
Professional organizations
National Classical Music Institute
Seoul Metropolitan Orchestra for Korean
Traditional Music
KBS Orchestra for Korean Traditional
Music
MBC Dance Company
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
MBC Pops Orchestra
KBS Dance Company
'88 Arts Troupe
National Ballet Company
Modern Dance Troupe
Kim Paik-bong Dance Company
National Dance Company
National Classical Music Institute
Dance Company
The Little Angels
Creative Dance Troupe
Seoul Municipal Dance Company
KBS Symphony Orchestra
Sonmyunghoe Children's Choir
Wonkwang Pleasure Boats Co., Ltd.
Semo Han River Cruise Co., Ltd.
Militarymen
300
100
236
130
200
133
181
120
160
160
90
158
30
43
28
55
81
41
50
44
44
70
50
55
37
38
46
30
81
54
15
5
The Third Airborne Brigade
808
The 72nd Armed Forces Division 1,500
The Special Airborne Command Education
Unit
22
The Armed Forces Band
234
The Navy Band
50
The Air Force Band
50
The Armed Forces Honour Guard 229
The SLOOC also established a plan
for the recruitment of the instructors
who would teach and train the
performers.
The instructors were classified into
dance instructors and support instructors.
The dance instructors offered
practical teaching to the performers
after they were equipped with the
proper understanding of the
choreographers' intentions. The
support instructors helped the training
of the performers and controlled them.
The instructors were selected principally
from the teachers and personnel
of the schools and organizations
which were sending the performers to
the Olympic events. The support
instructors were selected from the
schools and organizations which
participated in the event in a ratio of
one instructor to 60 performers.
Meanwhile, one instructor was
appointed from each participating
college and university. When more
than one department were sending
performers, additional instructors were
recruited from the school. The
choreographers, and associate
choreographers also carried out the
duties of the support instructors. From
the professional organizations, one
instructor was recruited from one
organization each. For the organizations
to which the associate
choreographers belonged, no instructors
were placed.
Individual performers and foreign
performers
Most performances during the Opening
and Closing Ceremonies required
groups, but for a few programs, the
SLOOC selected individual performers.
One hundred and seventy-eight
signboard-holders were selected
through a nationwide public screening
which was open to women between 19
and 23 years of age in an effort to
enhance the people's participation in
the Games preparations. The eight
former Korean gold medalists in the
Olympic Games were decided as the
carriers of the Olympic Flag.
For the ignition of the Olympic Flame,
three "ordinary" persons representing
academic, sports and artistic fields
were selected to produce dramatic
effects on the occasion. Two last torch
runners were selected each to
represent the senior athletes and the
currently active athletes. One of the
runners brought in the torch into the
Olympic Stadium and the other
finished the run.
The Olympic Charter (Auxiliary Rule
23) has it that the Olympic Oaths shall
be made by one athletes' representative
and one judges' representative,
but the 24th Olympiad had two
athletes' representatives — a man and
a woman — and one judges' representative.
Three masters of ceremonies were
selected for the official proceedings.
The three spoke English, French and
Korean, respectively.
For the salpuri dance titled "Prayer"
performed during the Closing Ceremonies,
the 1988 Miss Universe first
runner-up Chang Yun-jong had been
recommended/as a solo dancer by the
choreographer Choi Hyun, but in the
28th meeting of the Production Corps,
Living Cultural Treasure Han Yongsook
and 1986 Miss Korea Lee Haejong
were additionally chosen for the
dance.
The selection of a "Hodori" and a
"Hosuni" was suggested in the 27th
meeting of the Production Corps. All
the children born on September 30,
1981, the day when Seoul was decided
as the venue of the 24th Olympiad,
were named "Hodori" and "Hosuni."
Foreigners performed during the
parachuting demonstration and the
events showcasing the international
folk dances. Fifty-two foreign
parachutists from 22 member countries
of the International Parachutists
Association joined in the demonstration
along with 22 Koreans. The foreign
folk dance troupes performed
through consultations between the
International Cultural Society of Korea
and the respective troupes. A dozen
troupes appeared during the Opening
Ceremonies and one did during the
Closing Ceremonies. They included 28
dancers from Italy, 30 from Japan, 31
from New Zealand, 29 from Saudi
Arabia, 28 from France, 30 from
Hungary, 30 from Indonesia, 29 from
Peru, 36 from Poland, 35 from Turkey,
33 from the United States and 20 from
Senegal, who all performed during the
Opening Ceremonies. During the
Closing Ceremonies, a 30-member
troupe from Barcelona danced.
13.2.4
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Performance Drill
Drill by phases
A total of 19,798 persons performed in
15 works during the Opening Ceremonies
and nine works during the Closing
Ceremonies. The performances
required a complete harmony of
sound, color and movement, the flawless
motions of the performers, and
the thorough unison of them to convey
the significance of each work to the
spectators. The program consisted of
top-quality art works that harmonized
the unique tradition of Korea and the
Western-style sense of modernity in a
fitting proportion. Moreover, the performances
had to be given in a continuous
flow without a break and this
presented the performers with an
extremely difficult challenge.
The SLOOC mapped out and
executed a drill plan through several
rounds of consultations with the pertinent
organizations under an aim of
effectively managing the performers
and encouraging them to produce the
best possible results.
The drill was conducted in five stages
step by step. The first-phase drill was
carried out by each school and organization
under autonomous schemes.
For the joint practice of two or more
schools and organizations and for the
full-dress rehearsal, the SLOOC
worked out plans.
The first-phase basic practice was
conducted for 40 hours from November
1987 to February 1988. The
second-phase practice was done for
48 hours from March to May of 1988
with the performers learning the
detailed movements demanded by
each work.
The third-phase practice, conducted
for 32 hours from June to August of
1988, was focused on linking the performances.
The fourth-phase practice
was held on 16 occasions from August
23 to September 16, 1988, synchronizing
all events of the Opening and Closing
Ceremonies including the official
ceremony, the performances, music
and special effects. The fifth-phase
practice was carried out on seven
occasions from September 20-October
1 in the form of full-dress rehearsals
for the Closing Ceremonies.