The final of the creative dance competition, won by Côte d’Ivoire ahead of Burkina Faso and Cameroon, concluded the rich cultural week of these Francophone Games. Francophone artists, winners or not, had the joy and happiness of meeting, exchanging, sharing, and learning by mingling with the different delegations. All young talents leave enriched by this unique experience.
Song: a look back at the rankings
The final of the artistic song competition took place last night at the Nice Opera in front of a packed house. The connection with the audience, the authenticity of the performance, and the finesse of the texts were the main selection criteria. The jury acclaimed Haitian Jean-Jean Roosevelt, with Sae Lis from Lebanon and Holy Jah Doves from Rwanda completing the podium.
Visual Arts Rewarded
Today, it’s the turn of the visual arts to designate their laureates at Acropolis, this morning.
In photography, Elisa Larvego (Switzerland) took first place, ahead of Baudouin Mouanda (Congo Brazza) and Luciana Damiani (Uruguay); Special mention for Piruza Khalapyan (Armenia) and Abdoulaye Barry (Chad).
In painting, Jude Alley (Seychelles) took first place, ahead of Amélie Ducommun (France) and Pierre Durette (Canada Quebec); Special mention for Charbel Samuel Aoun (Lebanon) and Adotevi-Akué Kpakpo Apedo (Togo).
In sculpture, Pascal Hachem (Lebanon) took first place, ahead of Philippe Hamelin (Canada Quebec), Vollak Kong (Cambodia); Special mention for Stefan Papco (Slovakia) and Abel Jalil Saouli (Morocco).
Creations and Award Ceremony
The award ceremony for ecological and digital creation projects took place at 3 PM at Acropolis. Concerning ecological creation and sustainable development, demonstrated for this edition, Côte d’Ivoire with the Riabd association won the gold medal; the group Sals from the Seychelles came second, and Amina Halidou from Niger took the third spot on the podium.
The winner of the digital creation contest is Lebanon, followed by France and Canada.
Giant Puppets
After a final parade, the giant puppets met their jury at 7 PM on Place Garibaldi to discover the podium. Special Prize for Ohini Dossevi known as the genie (Benin), gold medal for the Company Ivoire Marionnettes (Côte d’Ivoire), silver medal for the Company Les Grandes Personnes de Boromo (Burkina Faso) and bronze for the Company Mamessi (Cameroon).
Creative Dance: Final Evening
The grand final of creative dance was won by Côte d’Ivoire ahead of Burkina Faso and Cameroon. The evening was hosted by Jean-Marc Généreux, the Quebecois ballroom choreographer and dancer, who has been a jury on the show Danse avec les stars since 2011. Five dance troupes clashed to bring a medal to their countries: the company Tamadia (Burkina Faso), the company Guilili (Cameroon), the company Maribé-sors de ce corps (Canada), the company Tchétché (Côte d’Ivoire), and the company Pyramid France (France). The selection sessions of the finalists were a great success with a large audience.
African Wrestling, Feet in the Sand
The African wrestling competition continues today and tomorrow with the individual events for Women and Men. With their feet in the sand and their heads in the stars, African wrestlers delight spectators at Parc des Sports Charles Erhmann.
Gala of the Laureates, a Moment of Communion
The Gala of the Laureates will take place tonight, starting at 7:15 PM at Acropolis. In addition to the winners of each discipline, the general public is invited to this night of celebration. Tickets, freely available, will be distributed on-site. For a moment of communion and an ode to the Francophonie.
The Closing Ceremony of the Games is scheduled for Sunday at 6 PM at Parc des Sports Charles Erhmann. It will close these 7th Francophonie Games with free and open access.
