The evergreen tree is a beautiful symbol of the holiday season and has been used to celebrate winter festivals for thousands of years. Christians believe it is a sign of everlasting life with God.
But one particular Christmas tree used during the Youth Olympic Games hosted by Nanjing, the capital of China’s eastern Jiangsu province, startled everyone in attendance. Video captured during the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony has gone viral with more than 16 million views.
This Christmas tree is truly like no other. It actually consists of humans engaged in an acrobatic performance entitled 500 People Dancing in the Sky. This performance is so spectacular that it will surely take your breath away!
The opening ceremonies begin in a darkened stadium. The only lights shining are those scattered around the audience and fluorescent ones blanketing the center arena.
Suddenly, a tower of acrobats rise up from the stage reaching several stories high. More and more of the performers join the formation until finally, they lift them up into the air with a huge aerial rig.
The acrobats spread out on invisible wires, taking the shape of a Christmas tree. The 500 acrobats combine for the creation of a majestic formation.
The hundreds of thousands of spectators in the stands are likely as astounded as the rest of us watching the video of it. From a distance, the acrobatic performers don’t even look real!
When the cameras zoom in, we can see just how they twist and turn to form the shape of a tree with their bodies. It’s truly amazing!
While the group of acrobatic performers are high above the ground, the other dancers move beautifully in sync around them on the ground. The lights and the moves of the performers continuously change during the video, which creates different illusions.
It is truly memorizing to watch! You don’t know what they are going to do next!
But then they complete this spectacular performance with a finale that is nothing less than mind-blowing. Using stage effects – a lightning bolt followed by a fireball – are displayed in the center of the acrobats.
This ceremony is absolutely incredible! You really have to see it to believe it!
