Grand ceremony marks the opening of DSF2005

Thousands of excited children and their families cheered as a procession of 800 street performers and folk dancers paraded around the massive Global Village in Dubailand followed by spectacular pyrotechnic shows that lit up the Dubai sky in grand public celebrations of the 10th special anniversary of the endearing DSF.

Later in the evening guests from around the world attended the spectacular opening ceremony staged under the stars in the amphitheatre at the Global Village. Over 350 performers from around the world and several children from Dubai were part of this beautifully choreographed show that unfolded a panorama of the last nine years of the DSF. A special feature of the show was a massive 50 x 10 metre screen behind the stage on which were projected images from previous festivals as well as holographic images commemorating the highlights of every festival.

The ceremony opened with a tribute to the late UAE President HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Images depicting various aspects of the charismatic personality of the beloved father of the nation flashed on the screen as two young UAE nationals stepped on the stage, which was shrouded in a silver sheet, and read out an eulogy to the great leader. The touching tribute penned by HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, expressed his deep sadness at the loss of a revered mentor, guide and father figure; but it also saw hope in the fact that the work, thoughts, ideals and spirit of Sheikh Zayed live on forever in every grain of sand, every brick of the modern buildings and every progressive step taken by the UAE and its people. He lives on eternally in the hearts and minds of the people, in the consciousness of the youth who are the future of the country and in the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is leading the country further along the path shown by his visionary father. The entire audience stood up in silent tribute as the national anthem rang out across the theatre.

The nine acts that followed represented each year in the history of the festival and provided glimpses of every opening ceremony since the inception of the festival in 1996. Besides providing snippets of performances from every year, each act ended with dazzling fireworks, which were also a recreation of the fireworks at the DSF opening ceremony of that year.

The show began with a bang with the words 1996, The Beginning, flashing on the screen. Stiltwalkers, dressed as butterflies, flitted onto the stage. They were joined by performers, wielding long colourful ribbons, and Korean dancers waving brightly coloured fans. Images of all the festival logos with the dates of every festival as well as pictures of the very first raffle winners then appeared on the screen, taking viewers on a nostalgic journey into the past.

The year 1997 was dubbed Dubai Odyssey and this act opened with a man on stilts performing tricks with burning torches against a backdrop of the modern Dubai skyline projected on the screen. More stiltwalkers appeared on stage, while in the background, images of the spectacular fireworks by the Deira Creek side, during the 1997 opening ceremony, lit up the screen.

The letters1998, Hymn to the Child then appeared in neon green letters on the screen to commemorate the DSF 1998 theme of 'Children of the World Meet in Dubai'. As great balls of fire leapt into the sky atop the stage, two performers dressed as mythical animals as well as stilt walkers, juggling burning torches, appeared on stage. Then came the children, dressed in pristine white signifying innocence and peace. In a beautifully choreographed piece the graceful movements of the children were reflected in the images from the original ceremony, projected on the screen. And to complete the recreation, dancing fountains on the stage swayed in unison with their images on the screen recalling the opening ceremony in that year.

Next, the holographic letters said1999, the Family - recalling the theme 'The Biggest Family Gathering of the Millennium'. This act began with images of camel caravans moving across vast sand dunes and holographic droplets falling on the sand and gradually growing into a flowing river. Scenes from the traditional Bedouin lifestyle slowly metamorphosed into the wheels of industry and then into the impressive Dubai skyline. This pictorial depiction of progress was reflected on the stage by a procession of young UAE nationals, some carrying traditional fishing nets, while others marching firmly towards a bright future. This segment ended with a group of children dancing on stage while images of children from various nationalities, some with brightly painted faces, and holographic figures of children jumped, danced and did somersaults on the screen.

In the year 2000, the focus of the activities was The Mother as the 'To Mother With Love' message was a highlight of that year's events. A flash of rainbow colours lit up the butterfly costumes of the stiltwalkers as a troupe of four acrobats hovered over the stage, suspended from a crane. While Korean dancers, a troupe of ballerinas and stiltwalkers performed and a band played on the stage, and another group performed on roller blades in the area around the stage, the acrobats cavorted in the sky. The holographic images in this act included a unicycle, gift wrapped surprises, toy trains, ballerinas and other highlights of the entertainment and competitions arranged that year.

Act seven was a celebration of the newly built Festival City in 2001. It opened with images of workers putting finishing touches to the various pavilions. Seen on the stage were a group of UAE nationals carrying fishing nets and a host of other acrobats performing around the dancing fountains set at the centre of the massive stage. Many in the audience joined in as the performers sang the popular festival song Dubai Mashallah.

Images of space satellites and planets projected on the screen greeted 2002. This act brought together folk dancers from Bulgaria, Egypt, India, Africa, China, Poland and the UAE dancing to the throbbing beat of drums. Many acrobats and street performers also joined in this colourful and vibrant recreation of another thrilling DSF opening ceremony.

Act eight celebrated 2003 with the message 'Dubai, Pearl of the Gulf'. Images of the spectacular performance by a team of synchronous swimming performers were projected on the screen, and were matched by movements of the stiltwalkers on the stage. Holographic images of pearls emerging from an oyster swam across the screen. The audience had a difficult time deciding what to watch - the images on the screen, the fire performer atop the roof, the two acrobats waltzing in the air high above the stage, the ballerinas and children dancing on the stage or the stiltwalkers effortlessly skipping on a rope.

Act nine was a flashback to last year's Carnival of Celebrations based on the theme of 'Dubai is the World', where all residents and visitors were invited to participate in the public opening ceremony on Al Seef Street. The words 2004, Dubai Parade, flashed on the screen followed by images of falcons soaring into the sky and the modern Dubai skyline slowly emerging from a vista of golden sand dunes. Three groups of UAE nationals appeared on stage and the laser beams formed the letters U, A and E on the screens formed by their pure white dishdashas. While the performers on stage sang traditional UAE songs, holographic images of falcons and elderly UAE nationals slid across the screen. And then it seemed that the whole world had come to Dubai as dancers from Africa, India, Egypt, Bulgaria, Korea and other countries appeared in their colourful costumes and danced to a common tune.

Finally, it was time to bring in DSF 2005. Once again, the stage erupted in a riot of colours as performers from every corner of the globe appeared together on the stage, around it, on the roof and in the air. Images of doves of peace carrying olive branches flitted across the screen and then onto a giant white flag carried by the performers. As the performers swayed and danced in a mood of exuberance, and the Tannura dancers from Egypt whirled their coloured layered skirts, the numbers on the screen rapidly changed from 2005 to 2016 expressing an optimism for the future. In an especially composed song, the performers welcomed the whole world to Dubai. And then it was time for one of the most spectacular pyrotechnic shows Dubai has ever seen.

The dazzling show marked the opening of what promises to be a dazzling festival, with over 280 activities including hundreds of carnivals and shows, exciting competitions and the most extravagant prizes ever.

The Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 runs between January 12 and February 12, 2005 but the Global Village is on until March 31, 2005.