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All over the capital, the Arirang adverts (« Grand mass gymnastic and artistic performance », « Welcome to Pyongyang » and so on) warn the profane…Between August and October, takes place one of the biggest and most impressive performances in the world. The tone is set : even the Beijing Olympics ceremony can’t compete with the mass games organized by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The show is held several times a week and welcomes tourists from all over the World, including the US, in one of the most isolated and despised country on earth. The well-called « mass games » are designed to emphasize group dynamics rather than individual performances as the supreme emblem of communism. Prepared by hundred of thousands performers all along the year, after their classes for the youngest of them, they are entirely dedicated to the NK’s leader Kim Jong Il and his deceased father Kim Il Sung, considered as the « Eternal president » and « sun of the 21st century »…
In the surroundings of Pyongyang's May Day giant Stadium, two girls are running to perform for the Arirang show. They are already dressed in their gymnastic outfits, as well as some 100,000 others who participate to the performance. They all come to honour their self-proclaimed « dear leader » Kim Jong Il, after a very hard and gruelling training, since their earliest age. Yet, it has been many years that Kim Jong Il has not shown up, formally for business reasons. But officials now admit the western medias’ assertions of illness. Anyways, Kim Jong Il or not, the mass games are held every year in Pyongyang, as a means for the regime to show to the entire world the country’s strength and good shape. To reach this sole purpose, not less than 100,000 people are involved in a choreographed show of simultaneous dancing and gymnastics. Many symbols are displayed by thousands of trained athlets, whether they are adults or even children. Hand over their heart, the young pupils sing in chorus "We are the happiest children in the world", one of the famous propaganda songs in North Korea. Many dancers make movements either with ribbons or colourful flowers named « kimjonglias » after the leader Kim Jong Il. All along the show, a live band plays a ceremonious music.
On the background, some 20,000 young koreans sit on the terraces, facing the spectators. They flip coloured cards at a high speed to form a fresco of animated and detailed images, changing from one to another. Each time they turn the page to create a new giant picture, they cry out. It creates a awe-inspiring atmosphere, as the shout is mixed with the noise of thousands of pages turned at the same moment. The figures are stunning : to compose these images, 2000 children are needed to make only one soldier, 20,000 for a north korean flag. Hiding a much more grim reality, the panels represent Pyongyang enlightened by night, wheat fields ready for harvest, scientists at work, atoms as symbols of the nuclear bomb and others for the reunification of two Koreas. One of the North Korea’s myths (history according to them) is recounted by the means of a huge image made by thousands of children. It represents the two pistols reportedly used by Kim Il Sung, when he founded the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army in 1932. When the pistols appear, the audience applauses loudly. Among them, many soldiers attend the show as the ultimate award after years of good and faithful service.The thousands and thousands of boys and girls involved create a giant mass movement in the stadium which leaves the public stunned. These talented performers are used to that kind of performance: in North Korea they have to dance, sing, jump and spin around as many times as there are celebrations, always in praise of their leaders. There are mainly two sorts of shows. The first one is the classical artistic show, named "Arirang" after the famous korean folk song (whose story sometimes changes, but most often recounts the legend of a disappointed woman who hopes that her lover will return to her –metaphor of the break-up with South Korea). The second one is a more political show, which was untitled in 2008 "Prosper our country" and intended to show the country’s greatest achievements and its struggle against the foreign oppressors.
The show continues in the same way for one hour. Thereafter, the thousands of people present vanish in the dark and silent streets of Pyongyang, which contrast with the flood of lights and music in the stadium. Within the space of a few hours, it gives us a a strange feeling, between the real and unreal, of another universe both terrifying and fantastic.
Dans toute la ville, les publicités d’Arirang (« Grande représentation gymnastique et artistique de masse », « Bienvenue à Pyongyang » etc.) mettent le profane en garde …Entre août et octobre, a lieu l’une des plus grandes et impressionnantes représentations au monde. Le ton est donné : pas même la cérémonie des Jeux de Pékin ne peut rivaliser avec les mass games organisés par la République Démocratique Populaire de Corée (RDPC). Le spectacle se tient plusieurs fois par semaine et accueille des touristes du monde entier, y compris des Etats-Unis, dans l’un des pays les plus isolés et méprisés sur terre. Les biens nommés mass games (« mouvements de masse») sont conçus pour mettre en avant les dynamiques de groupe plutôt que les performances individuelles comme emblème suprême du communisme. Préparés par des centaines de milliers d’artistes tout au long de l’année, après les cours pour les plus jeunes d’entre eux, les jeux sont entièrement dédiés au leader de la Corée du Nord, Kim Jong Il, et feu son père Kim Il Sung, considéré comme l’ « Eternel président » et « soleil du 21ème siècle »…
Aux environs du Stade géant May Day de Pyongyang, deux filles courent pour participer au spectacle de Arirang. Elles sont déjà en costume de gymnastique, tout comme quelque 100 000 autres qui participent à la représentation. Tous viennent pour honorer leur autoproclamé « cher leader » Kim Jong Il, après un très difficile et éprouvant entraînement, depuis leur plus jeune âge. Pourtant, cela fait plusieurs années que Kim Jong Il ne s’est pas montré, formellement pour des raisons professionnelles. Mais des officiels admettent les assertions des médias occidentaux sur sa maladie. Quoi qu’il en soit, Kim Jong Il ou pas, les jeux de masse ont lieu chaque année à Pyongyang, comme moyen pour le régime de montrer au monde entier la puissance et bonne santé du pays. Pour atteindre ce seul but, pas moins de 100 000 personnes sont engagées dans une chorégraphie de danses et gymnastiques synchronisées. De nombreux symboles sont affichés par des milliers d’athlètes entraînés, qu’il s’agisse d’adultes ou même d’enfants. Main sur le cœur, les jeunes élèves chantent en chœur « Nous sommes les enfants les plus heureux du monde », l’une des chansons de propagande les plus connues en Corée du Nord. De nombreux danseurs font des mouvements avec des rubans ou avec des fleurs colorées appelées « kimjonglias », du nom du leader Kim Jong Il. Tout le long du spectacle, un orchestre joue une musique solennelle.
À l’arrière-plan, quelque 20 000 jeunes coréens sont assis sur les gradins, faisant face aux spectateurs. Ils retournent des cartes colorées à une grande vitesse pour former une fresque d’images animées et détaillées, changeant de l’une à l’autre. Chaque fois qu’ils tournent la page pour créer une nouvelle illustration, ils crient. Cela crée une atmosphère impressionnante, le cri étant mêlé avec le bruit de milliers de pages tournées au même moment. Les chiffres sont stupéfiants : pour composer ces images, 2000 enfants sont nécessaires pour faire un seul soldat, 20 000 pour un drapeau de la Corée du Nord. Cachant une réalité bien plus dure, les panneaux représentent Pyongyang éclairée la nuit, des champs de blé prêt à être récolté, des scientifiques au travail, des atomes comme symboles de la bombe nucléaire et d’autres pour la réunification des deux Corées. L’un des mythes de Corée du Nord (ou histoire selon eux) est relaté au moyen d’une image gigantesque faite par des milliers d’enfants. Elle représente les deux pistolets que Kim Il Sung aurait utilisés quand il a fondé l’armée de guérilla populaire anti-japonaise en 1932. Lorsque les deux pistolets apparaissent, le public applaudit bruyamment. Parmi eux, de nombreux soldats assistent au spectacle comme récompense ultime après des années de bons et loyaux services. Les milliers et milliers de garçons et de filles participant créent un mouvement de masse géant dans le stade, qui laisse le public ébahi. Ces artistes talentueux sont coutumiers de ce type de représentation : en Corée du Nord ils doivent danser, chanter, sauter et virevolter autant de fois qu’il y a de célébrations, toujours à la gloire de leurs chefs. Il existe principalement deux sortes de spectacles. Le premier est le spectacle classique artistique, appelé « Arirang » d’après la célèbre chanson folklorique coréenne (dont l’histoire quelques fois change, mais qui raconte le plus souvent la légende d’une femme déçue qui espère que son amant lui reviendra –métaphore de la séparation avec la Corée du Sud). Le second est un spectacle plus politique, qui était intitulé en 2008 « Que prospère notre pays » et qui tentait de montrer les plus grandes réalisations du pays et sa lutte contre les oppresseurs étrangers.
Le spectacle continue de cette façon pendant une heure. Ensuite, les milliers de personnes présentes disparaissent dans les rues sombres et silencieuses de Pyongyang, ce qui contraste avec le déluge de lumières et de musique dans le stade. En l’espace de quelques heures, cela nous donne un étrange sentiment, entre le réel et l’irréel, d’un autre univers à la fois terrifiant et fantastique.
© Eric Lafforgue
Photographer: George Jackman for Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Date: Undated
View this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/119801
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers compete against Slovenian Armed Forces Soldiers, and Vail Ski Patrol during the Ski Trooper Cup held at Vail Ski Resort, Vail, Colorado, Feb. 17, 2020. Colorado and Slovenia are paired together in the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program. The event was in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 10th Mountain Division's attack on Riva Ridge. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Ashley Low)
This car competed in the Williams Trophy Race for Pre-1934 Grand Prix Cars and the Vintage Seaman Trophy Race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011. It's the 1925 Bugatti T39 of David Hands which has a 1,493cc 8-cylinder inline engine. The Type 39 was based on the 2 litre Type 35 with a smaller engine to comply with the latest Grand Prix regulations. David Hands' car is chassis 4604 and one of the five works T39s that only raced in two major events before they were sold by the factory, and this is one of two that went to Australia. The car raced successfully there until the late 1930s and was eventually acquired by David Hands in 2005, being shipped to the UK to be restored by Tula Engineering.
Cadets compete in the 4th Brigade Ranger Challenge at Fort Pickett, Va., Oct. 20. (Photos by Michael Maddox, Cadet Command Public Affairs)
Courtney Buses YJ62 FYF, 'Pinocchio', runs through Sandhurst on their competing 194 service against First.
From Saturday 16th August 2014, First revised their offering from the original 194 and supporting X94 into a new service numbered 94, leaving Courtney with the 194 service.
First run every 20 minutes and skip Owlsmoor; Courtney run hourly and still make the deviation.
Yorktown Road, Sandhurst, Berkshire.
From the second century AD, Athenian workshops competed with those of Rome in the production of monumental sarcophagi, which were often exported to other parts of Greece or across the Mediterranean. One such example is this sarcophagus, made circa AD 180 and found in Thessaloniki.
The roughly hewn lid represents the deceased couple on their funeral bed.
The box portrays the legendary battle between the Greeks and the Amazons; the back is adorned with garlands and griffons.
Athens was the third largest center for the production of sarcophagi after Rome and Asia Minor; its sculptural tradition was perpetuated by relief-decorated sarcophagi, often destined for a foreign clientele and exported across the Mediterranean or within Greece itself (as in the present case). Production ceased during the late third century under the impact of the economic crisis, which was partly due to the Herulian invasion of Attica in AD 267.
Source: Louvre WEB Site
Attic marble sacophagus
Made in Athens
About 180 AD
From Thessaloniki
Paris, Musée du Louvre
From left to right:
- Zanny Minton Beddoes, Economics Editor, The Economist
- Jaana Remes, Senior Fellow, McKinsey Global Institute
- Pedro Arboleda, Partner, Monitor Group
- Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo, Visiting Associate Professor, Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard Business School
The 15th Annual JX2 Team Roping/Hillbilly Redneck Truck and Trailer Explosion paid out in excess of $250,000 in cash and prizes, including a a 2-horse Cimarron Horse Trailer with dressing room and rear tack room from Trailers of the East Coast PLUS 3 new trucks and 3 new Adam Horse Trailers from JX2 Productions.
2,299 teams competed and took home over a quarter million dollars in cash and prizes during the 15th Annual JX2 Team Roping/Hillbilly Redneck Truck and Trailer Explosion at the Smoky Mountain Expo Center in Morristown, Tennessee from September 11th to 13th, 2015.
Headers and heelers carried home $250,000 in cash and prizes including $45,000 in cash as well as 3 trucks, 4 horse trailers, 12 saddles, 32 buckles, Bailey cowboy hats, knives, Equibrand products, Twisted J products, Carroll Original Wear products, JX2 Tack Shack vouchers, and Heel-O-Matic Leap Steers!
First 25 qualifying ropings from the Trailers of the East Coast AM/Novice Team Roping Event. First of 9 videos from this event.
Mertz Ranch RX Burn. If you're one of my contacts, you should check this out full size, it adds a lot.
The Endurance Olympic Village is situated within easy reach (500-800 meters) of the cross-country ski and biathlon center, which will mean that those competing in these events will be accommodated at the same height as the height at which the events are going to take place.
Datsun 1200 BU-69-66 Competing in the Madeira Classic Car Revival Road Race 2024.
This event, which takes place at Praça do Povo, is organized by Clube de Automóveis Clássicos da Madeira with the purpose of showing and rewarding the best and most elegant vintage and classic vehicles in the Region. The Madeira Classic Car Revival contributes to the diffusion of the diversity and historical wealth of these numerous cars, in an atmosphere of great animation created for the occasion, delighting car enthusiasts.
Prints of this photo and more are available to purchase at www.cgault.co.uk
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Teams compete in various events on Friday, April 16, 2021 during the annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. During Sandhurst, 44 teams representing four U.S. service academies and 16 ROTC programs compete against one another in a variety of military related contests. (U.S. Army Photo by CDT Stephen Litterini)
MICDS swimmer Max Goldenberg competes in the 100 yard butterfly during the MSHSAA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships at the St. Peters Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo., on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com
This car competed in the 1950s Sports Car Race at the Coys Internationsl Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 2000. It's The 1957 Tojeiro Jaguar of Tom McWhirter and has the 6-cylinder inline 3,781cc version of the Jaguar XK6 engine. John Tojeiro started building cars in the early 1950s, the first car being based on an MG TA. Other cars followed and when Cliff Davis decided he wanted a car with more power to replace his Cooper MG John Tojeiro was commissioned to build a car with a Bristol engine with similar bodywork to the Cooper. This car was very successful and attracted the attention of Ernie Bailey who had connections with AC Cars and knew they were looking for a replacement for the AC 2 litre so suggested that they should use the Tojeiro Bristol as a basis for the new car. That car became the AC Ace which in turn attracted the attention of Carroll Shelby who transformed it into the AC Cobra. John Tojeiro in the meantime built four Jaguar engined cars, the first in 1956 for John Ogier and has the registration 7 GNO. The car pictured above is a rebuild of the second car which was also owned by John Ogier who wrecked the car at a hill climb at Stapleford at the end of 1957, the rebuild being completed in 1990. The third car was built in 1958 and was loaned to Ecurie Ecosse but did not have any notable success - as far as I know it is now in New Zealand. The fourth car was built for Ecurie Ecosse in 1959 and competed in the Le Mans 24 Hour race that year but failed to finish, then was wrecked in a crash during the 1959 Tourist Trophy race at Goodwood. It has since been completely restored.
TULUM, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO., November 19, 2011.-This morning held the Olympic Triathlon National Series 2011 Xel-Ha, the same that brought together over 600 athletes of the country. Crisanto Grajales and triathlete Fabiola Corona, the states of Veracruz and Guadalajara respectively were athletes who led the elite category of the competition. The tour saw thousand 500 meters swimming, 40 km cycling on the road to the Riviera Maya and 10 miles of race walking on the sidewalk of the forest to re-enter the park. It will be tomorrow when 600 athletes competing in the mode most Sprint. Meanwhile, in the Elite Women category Fabiola Corona of Jalisco with a time of 2:19:39 hours was crowned champion, followed by Fabiola Rodriguez Yucatan with a record of 2:28:06 hours. The Mexican Federation of Triathlon has already defined, for some time, the selection criteria to qualify for London 2012 Olympic Games. For 2012 are even three times. All children under 23 years would have to make the podium at the World Under 23. The other two options are to achieve a podium in World Cup to select the Triathlon Federacion Mexican or Top 12 in serial Dextro (in the Federation Cup announced for this purpose). Photo.-Hugo ORTUÑO
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Why Is Everyone Loving Tesla And Can Mercedes Compete?
New York Army National Guard Pvt. 1st Class Michael Ellsworth (left) of Hudson Falls, N.Y., and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Dorvee of Queensbury negotiate the ladder obstacle while competing in the South African National Military Stakes Competition in Potchefstroom Nov. 8-13.
South African National Defense Force photo
The weather was hot, the weapons were different and there was little time to practice.
But five New York Army National Guard Soldiers had the time of their lives and placed fifth out of 22 teams during the South African Reserve Force Council Military Skills Competition 2010 at Potchefstroom Military Base Nov. 8-13.
The Soldiers, all members of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, headquartered in Gloversville, N.Y., represented the United States at the annual South African event, known as "Milcomp." The event combines athletic ability with basic military skills over a three-day period.
"The great thing about it was we were able to do a military exchange program with the South African Army and see how the South Africans operate and see similarities between Soldiers," said Sgt. 1st Class Troy Mechanick, a resident of Hudson Falls, N.Y., and the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the team.
Accompanying Mechanick were Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Orabona from Ballston Lake, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Dorvee from Queensbury, N.Y.; Sgt. David Hansen, from Melrose, N.Y.; and Pvt. 1st Class Michael Ellsworth, also from Hudson Falls.
The South African trip was the first time out of the United States for Ellsworth, who has not yet deployed on a mission. The other Soldiers are all veterans of contingency operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.
New York National Guardsmen regularly visit South Africa as part of the Guard's State Partnership Program, which pairs a state's National Guard with a developing nation's military. New York has been partnered with the South Africa National Defense Force since 2005.
After arriving in the South African summer — "It was 90 degrees at 09:00," Mechanick said — from a cool fall in upstate New York, the Guardsmen had a day to practice before launching into the competition, which involved shooting, negotiating obstacles and running.
For the shooting competition, the Americans were issued the unfamiliar South African R4 rifle, a 5.56mm assault rifle based on the Israeli Galil, which operates like an AK-47. Each team member fired 30 rounds in different positions at 100-meter targets. The top four scores provided the team score.
The R4 is a good weapon that is not very different from the M-4 American Soldiers use, Mechanick said.
"We practiced the fundamentals of marksmanship and we scored very high on it," he said.
The weapon used in the pistol shooting competition, the South African Z88, is a South African copy of the M-9 Beretta that American Soldiers are familiar with. Again, the Soldiers fired 30 rounds, but this time at 25-meter targets.
The Americans got a break from the heat during the water obstacle competition. The Soldiers had to dive into a pool and negotiate obstacles as rapidly as possible, but the Americans didn't do so well here.
Day two of the event included a grenade-throwing competition in which Soldiers were scored on accuracy and distance. The Americans did well at the grenade throw, Mechanick said.
Dorvee impressed his South African hosts by heaving a grenade 79 meters, 15 meters farther than the closest South African and four meters less than the world record, Mechanick said.
They did less well in the land obstacle course. The 20-obstacle South African course rewards agility and balance, while American obstacle courses require brute strength to negotiate, he explained.
The final event, an eight-kilometer run, was tough on the New Yorkers, Mechanick said. The American Soldiers were not used to running that much and it was very, very hot.
In addition to the competitive events, there was also time for the Soldiers to get to know their hosts better. The Americans attended a South African barbecue, known as a braai with some veteran South African NCOs, and there was always time to joke around.
The trip was a great chance to "represent the United States and New York State and to let them see what a typical U.S. Soldier is like," Mechanick said. "A Soldier is a Soldier everywhere."
To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil
Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica
Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica
Competing in the 1959 Milk Race as a member of the Army Cycling Union team. Riding a Johnny Kay bike.
LIMA, PERU - AUGUST 09: Jose Maria Larocca of Argentina riding FINN LENTE competes during equestrian Jumping Individual at Army Equestrian School on Day 14 of Lima 2019 Pan American Games on August 9, 2019 in Lima, Peru.
(Photo by Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images for FEI)
Feverfew usually produce tight clumps of blooms, but this plant has self-sown in a dark wild area of our garden and each of these flowers seems to be reaching up in search of more light.
If I go quiet this week it's because I have a very busy working week ahead :-((
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium; syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Pers., Pyrethrum parthenium Sm.) is a traditional medicinal herb which is found in many old gardens, and is also occasionally grown for ornament. The plant grows into a small bush up to around 46 cm (18 in) high, with citrus-scented leaves and is covered by flowers reminiscent of daisies. It spreads rapidly, and they will cover a wide area after a few years. It is also commonly seen in the literature by its synonyms, Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh. and Pyrethrum parthenium (L.) Sm.
(Info from Wikipedia)
All over the capital, the Arirang adverts (« Grand mass gymnastic and artistic performance », « Welcome to Pyongyang » and so on) warn the profane…Between August and October, takes place one of the biggest and most impressive performances in the world. The tone is set : even the Beijing Olympics ceremony can’t compete with the mass games organized by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The show is held several times a week and welcomes tourists from all over the World, including the US, in one of the most isolated and despised country on earth. The well-called « mass games » are designed to emphasize group dynamics rather than individual performances as the supreme emblem of communism. Prepared by hundred of thousands performers all along the year, after their classes for the youngest of them, they are entirely dedicated to the NK’s leader Kim Jong Il and his deceased father Kim Il Sung, considered as the « Eternal president » and « sun of the 21st century »…
In the surroundings of Pyongyang's May Day giant Stadium, two girls are running to perform for the Arirang show. They are already dressed in their gymnastic outfits, as well as some 100,000 others who participate to the performance. They all come to honour their self-proclaimed « dear leader » Kim Jong Il, after a very hard and gruelling training, since their earliest age. Yet, it has been many years that Kim Jong Il has not shown up, formally for business reasons. But officials now admit the western medias’ assertions of illness. Anyways, Kim Jong Il or not, the mass games are held every year in Pyongyang, as a means for the regime to show to the entire world the country’s strength and good shape. To reach this sole purpose, not less than 100,000 people are involved in a choreographed show of simultaneous dancing and gymnastics. Many symbols are displayed by thousands of trained athlets, whether they are adults or even children. Hand over their heart, the young pupils sing in chorus "We are the happiest children in the world", one of the famous propaganda songs in North Korea. Many dancers make movements either with ribbons or colourful flowers named « kimjonglias » after the leader Kim Jong Il. All along the show, a live band plays a ceremonious music.
On the background, some 20,000 young koreans sit on the terraces, facing the spectators. They flip coloured cards at a high speed to form a fresco of animated and detailed images, changing from one to another. Each time they turn the page to create a new giant picture, they cry out. It creates a awe-inspiring atmosphere, as the shout is mixed with the noise of thousands of pages turned at the same moment. The figures are stunning : to compose these images, 2000 children are needed to make only one soldier, 20,000 for a north korean flag. Hiding a much more grim reality, the panels represent Pyongyang enlightened by night, wheat fields ready for harvest, scientists at work, atoms as symbols of the nuclear bomb and others for the reunification of two Koreas. One of the North Korea’s myths (history according to them) is recounted by the means of a huge image made by thousands of children. It represents the two pistols reportedly used by Kim Il Sung, when he founded the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army in 1932. When the pistols appear, the audience applauses loudly. Among them, many soldiers attend the show as the ultimate award after years of good and faithful service.The thousands and thousands of boys and girls involved create a giant mass movement in the stadium which leaves the public stunned. These talented performers are used to that kind of performance: in North Korea they have to dance, sing, jump and spin around as many times as there are celebrations, always in praise of their leaders. There are mainly two sorts of shows. The first one is the classical artistic show, named "Arirang" after the famous korean folk song (whose story sometimes changes, but most often recounts the legend of a disappointed woman who hopes that her lover will return to her –metaphor of the break-up with South Korea). The second one is a more political show, which was untitled in 2008 "Prosper our country" and intended to show the country’s greatest achievements and its struggle against the foreign oppressors.
The show continues in the same way for one hour. Thereafter, the thousands of people present vanish in the dark and silent streets of Pyongyang, which contrast with the flood of lights and music in the stadium. Within the space of a few hours, it gives us a a strange feeling, between the real and unreal, of another universe both terrifying and fantastic.
Dans toute la ville, les publicités d’Arirang (« Grande représentation gymnastique et artistique de masse », « Bienvenue à Pyongyang » etc.) mettent le profane en garde …Entre août et octobre, a lieu l’une des plus grandes et impressionnantes représentations au monde. Le ton est donné : pas même la cérémonie des Jeux de Pékin ne peut rivaliser avec les mass games organisés par la République Démocratique Populaire de Corée (RDPC). Le spectacle se tient plusieurs fois par semaine et accueille des touristes du monde entier, y compris des Etats-Unis, dans l’un des pays les plus isolés et méprisés sur terre. Les biens nommés mass games (« mouvements de masse») sont conçus pour mettre en avant les dynamiques de groupe plutôt que les performances individuelles comme emblème suprême du communisme. Préparés par des centaines de milliers d’artistes tout au long de l’année, après les cours pour les plus jeunes d’entre eux, les jeux sont entièrement dédiés au leader de la Corée du Nord, Kim Jong Il, et feu son père Kim Il Sung, considéré comme l’ « Eternel président » et « soleil du 21ème siècle »…
Aux environs du Stade géant May Day de Pyongyang, deux filles courent pour participer au spectacle de Arirang. Elles sont déjà en costume de gymnastique, tout comme quelque 100 000 autres qui participent à la représentation. Tous viennent pour honorer leur autoproclamé « cher leader » Kim Jong Il, après un très difficile et éprouvant entraînement, depuis leur plus jeune âge. Pourtant, cela fait plusieurs années que Kim Jong Il ne s’est pas montré, formellement pour des raisons professionnelles. Mais des officiels admettent les assertions des médias occidentaux sur sa maladie. Quoi qu’il en soit, Kim Jong Il ou pas, les jeux de masse ont lieu chaque année à Pyongyang, comme moyen pour le régime de montrer au monde entier la puissance et bonne santé du pays. Pour atteindre ce seul but, pas moins de 100 000 personnes sont engagées dans une chorégraphie de danses et gymnastiques synchronisées. De nombreux symboles sont affichés par des milliers d’athlètes entraînés, qu’il s’agisse d’adultes ou même d’enfants. Main sur le cœur, les jeunes élèves chantent en chœur « Nous sommes les enfants les plus heureux du monde », l’une des chansons de propagande les plus connues en Corée du Nord. De nombreux danseurs font des mouvements avec des rubans ou avec des fleurs colorées appelées « kimjonglias », du nom du leader Kim Jong Il. Tout le long du spectacle, un orchestre joue une musique solennelle.
À l’arrière-plan, quelque 20 000 jeunes coréens sont assis sur les gradins, faisant face aux spectateurs. Ils retournent des cartes colorées à une grande vitesse pour former une fresque d’images animées et détaillées, changeant de l’une à l’autre. Chaque fois qu’ils tournent la page pour créer une nouvelle illustration, ils crient. Cela crée une atmosphère impressionnante, le cri étant mêlé avec le bruit de milliers de pages tournées au même moment. Les chiffres sont stupéfiants : pour composer ces images, 2000 enfants sont nécessaires pour faire un seul soldat, 20 000 pour un drapeau de la Corée du Nord. Cachant une réalité bien plus dure, les panneaux représentent Pyongyang éclairée la nuit, des champs de blé prêt à être récolté, des scientifiques au travail, des atomes comme symboles de la bombe nucléaire et d’autres pour la réunification des deux Corées. L’un des mythes de Corée du Nord (ou histoire selon eux) est relaté au moyen d’une image gigantesque faite par des milliers d’enfants. Elle représente les deux pistolets que Kim Il Sung aurait utilisés quand il a fondé l’armée de guérilla populaire anti-japonaise en 1932. Lorsque les deux pistolets apparaissent, le public applaudit bruyamment. Parmi eux, de nombreux soldats assistent au spectacle comme récompense ultime après des années de bons et loyaux services. Les milliers et milliers de garçons et de filles participant créent un mouvement de masse géant dans le stade, qui laisse le public ébahi. Ces artistes talentueux sont coutumiers de ce type de représentation : en Corée du Nord ils doivent danser, chanter, sauter et virevolter autant de fois qu’il y a de célébrations, toujours à la gloire de leurs chefs. Il existe principalement deux sortes de spectacles. Le premier est le spectacle classique artistique, appelé « Arirang » d’après la célèbre chanson folklorique coréenne (dont l’histoire quelques fois change, mais qui raconte le plus souvent la légende d’une femme déçue qui espère que son amant lui reviendra –métaphore de la séparation avec la Corée du Sud). Le second est un spectacle plus politique, qui était intitulé en 2008 « Que prospère notre pays » et qui tentait de montrer les plus grandes réalisations du pays et sa lutte contre les oppresseurs étrangers.
Le spectacle continue de cette façon pendant une heure. Ensuite, les milliers de personnes présentes disparaissent dans les rues sombres et silencieuses de Pyongyang, ce qui contraste avec le déluge de lumières et de musique dans le stade. En l’espace de quelques heures, cela nous donne un étrange sentiment, entre le réel et l’irréel, d’un autre univers à la fois terrifiant et fantastique.
© Eric Lafforgue
Teams compete in various events on Friday, April 16, 2021 during the annual Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. During Sandhurst, 44 teams representing four U.S. service academies and 16 ROTC programs compete against one another in a variety of military related contests. (U.S. Army Photo by CDT Stephen Litterini)