Celine Dion shared a sneak peek into her preparations for her stunning performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Instagram.
The performance of French singer Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” was the first time Dion, 56, had performed in public since announcing her divorce. diagnosis of stiff person syndrome in December 2022. The rare and incurable disease has impacted Dion’s ability to sing and walk, and her sister told a French publication in December 2023 that Dion no longer has full control of his muscles.
In a previous post on social mediaDion said that “trying to overcome” the illness was “one of the most difficult experiences” of her life.
In the video shared Friday, Dion showed off the work she put in to make her return to the stage. The video begins with footage of Dion entering a hotel and blowing kisses to a crowd of cheering fans.
The following clips show Celine Dion’s hair and makeup, and the star wearing a glamorous Dior gown. She did some stretching before the performance, and then her team added accessories, including Dior pumps and shimmering silver earrings.
Finally, the video shows Celine Dion heading to the stage. After leaving her dressing room, she exchanged punches with her team before sharing a sweet moment with her eldest son, 23. René-Charles AngelilThe two embraced and Angelil seemed visibly moved when Dion returned to the stage.
Dion ended the clip with a moment of herself in a white bathrobe, emblazoned with “Celine 2024,” celebrating to the sound of applause.
“Under the Parisian sky, a song rises”, Dion wrote in the video caption.
IOC screenshot via Getty Images
Dion’s performance capped a memorable opening ceremony which saw the Olympic athletes go down the Seine in Paris by boat. Despite pouring rain, parade of athletes was accompanied by several musical numbersincluding a pre-recorded musical number by Lady Gaga.
The director of design and costumes for the Paris organizing committee’s ceremonies said Dion was excited to perform at the event, CBS News previously reported.
“When we called Celine Dion a year ago, she immediately said yes,” says Daphné Bürki.
