In recent years the host city for the Olympics have spent more and more money to produce more and more extravagant opening ceremonies. It is as if each host city is trying to outdo previous hosts. Unfortunately, the race to excess loses the meaning of the Olympics. The host cities and countries also lose the opportunity to showcase their culture and community.

Canada and Vancouver are the exception. The 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies was very well done without a display of excessiveness that was so prevalent in previous Opening Ceremonies.  The projected imagery was well done.  The images complemented the human performances.

I was particularly moved by Shane Koyczan's presentation of his poem "We are More." The poem was originally commissioned by the Canadian Tourism Commission several years ago. It personalized the Olympics, and Canada, for me in a way that has been missing from recent past Olympics.

 The following is Shane's YouTube presentation of his poem "We are More."  The pacing is too fast on this version. He did a much better job during the Opening Ceremonies.