PARIS (AP) — The final act of the Paralympic Games There will be a big dance party in Paris.

That is a promise of Thomas Vrolijkthe artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies of this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Jolly says 24 DJs will spin throbbing techno and dance music at the Stade de France on Sunday as the curtain falls on the 2024 Paralympic Games.

“We want to transform the Stade de France into the biggest dance floor to celebrate the end of the Paralympic Games,” Jolly told The Associated Press in an interview.

Just like during the Paralympic opening ceremonywhere performers with disabilities and dancers using crutches or a wheelchair are present, the dance floor will be accessible to everyone.

“There will be choreographic sequences that bring the body into focus,” Jolly said.

The closing ceremony marks the end of Paris’ Olympic and Paralympic journey. For Jolly, a 42-year-old theatre director, it is the final chapter of a busy summer.

Jolly directed the July 26 film opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on the Seine, which received much praise, but also criticism.

Some viewers thought a scene featuring French singer Philippe Katrine disguised as Bacchus, the god of wine and partying in ancient Roman mythology, was a depiction of “The Last Supper,” a famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci depicting Jesus Christ’s last meal with his apostles. Critics saw it as a mockery of the Catholic Church. Paris 2024 organizers said they were “sorry” when people took offense.

Although Jolly said he did not mean to mock religion, he and his family faced harassment on social media, including death threats and attacks based on his sexual orientation and falsely believed Israeli roots, prompting French authorities to launch a investigation into hate speech.

“I’ve been doing shows for 20 years and I’ve had critics on all my theater productions,” Jolly said. “Criticism can be nice, but it can also be hurtful. That’s the job. But the attacks, the threats, the insults… that’s a different story.”

Jolly, who received support from French political leaders including President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said the controversy did not lead to any changes to the ceremonies that followed.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “Nothing has changed, and nothing should have changed.”

He noted that all scenes had been approved months in advance by the French government, the city of Paris and the International Olympic Committee.

Jolly, born in Rouen, moved to Paris to prepare for the Games. two and a half years to create the ceremonies. Much of the preparation for the previous ceremonies took place at night or in remote locations, in an attempt to maintain a degree of secrecy.

Preparations for Sunday’s closing ceremony are no different, with the Stade de France hosting Paralympic athletics Although competitions take place during the day, many rehearsals take place in the evenings.

“I have dedicated myself completely to the job,” Jolly said. “I have not celebrated anything, I have not partied, I have not even had time to watch the ceremonies on TV.”

Jolly said he is considering writing a book about his Olympic experiences before returning to his roots in theater.

“I don’t think I’ll ever have an audience like that (at the Olympics Opening Ceremony) again in my life,” he said. “But that doesn’t matter. There are also important things that can happen in a theater with 50 seats.”

___

AP Paralympic Games: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games