The Olympics had a soft spot for Lady Gaga.
The global superstar caused a stir Friday night at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where she kicked off the festivities with a performance of “Mon truc en plumes,” a song by Zizi Jeanmarie that translates to “my thing with feathers.” The Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer descended a staircase above the Seine River, masked by a plume of pink feathers, thanks to dancers dressed in black.
Only Gaga’s legs were visible as she descended the stairs and onto the stage, at which point the feather accessories were removed to reveal the superstar artist joining the dancers in a choreographed routine as she sang the song, which Jeanmarie had previously performed on The Ed Sullivan ShowShortly after giving her performance, Gaga took to social media to reveal details of the special French connection she shares with Jeanmarie and the song.
“I feel so grateful to have been invited to open the [Paris Olympics] “This year, I am also honored to have been invited by the Olympic organizing committee to sing such a special French song — a song to honor the French people and their incredible history of art, music, and theater,” she posted on Instagram and X. She then traced the connection to Jeanmarie — a French ballet dancer, actress, and singer, whose full name is Renée Marcelle “Zizi” Jeanmaire — who starred in the Cole Porter film Everything is finewhich marked his first jazz release.
“Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with the French people and with French music. I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the hearts of France, celebrate French art and music and, on such a momentous occasion, remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on the planet: Paris.”
To prepare for the show, Gaga’s team rented pompoms from the archives of the Lido, “a real French cabaret,” she said. Dior custom-made the costumes, including the pink feathers, and Gaga and the luxury house confirmed that they used “naturally molted feathers,” to ensure that no birds were harmed in the making of the pieces. The Dior Haute Couture look included a black satin bustier and briefs, a headpiece, gloves and Dior shoes.
“I studied French choreography that put a modern spin on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills – I bet you didn’t know I was dancing at a 60s French party on the Lower East Side when I started,” the singer shared. “I hope you enjoy this performance as much as I do. And to all the French, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in your honor – it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes competing in this year’s Olympics! This is the ultimate honor for me…
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