Rio Olympics volunteers dance to Brazil’s beat

Global Business

Rio Olympics volunteers dance to Brazil's beat

Among the 45,000 volunteers selected to take part in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, most are Brazilian. But there also are sizable numbers of volunteers from abroad, including a Chinese contingency.

Chen Jing, a 56-year-old dance instructor from Wuxi, China, is one of them. She is making her second trip to the city this year, after already parading in Rio’s Carnival in February.

CCTV America’s Lucrecia Franco has the story. Follow Lucrecia C. Franco on Twitter @LucreciaFranco

Jing is not an Olympic athlete, but she has been playing volleyball at Rio’s Copacabana beach every day since she arrived in May — and she is good.

She also doesn’t speak much Portuguese, but manages to make friends wherever she goes.

Communicating with signs and smiles is something she learned earlier this year, when she paraded in one of Rio’s samba schools and wowed the crowds with her samba skills.

Jing is now keeping in shape to perform in front of a global audience of billions.

“I didn’t know the number of people that would be watching me here and on TV but thinking about such a huge audience, I will make an extra effort to do my best,” Jing said.

Chen Jing is one of the 6,000&volunteers that will take part in the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympics and said she has been urged to keep details secret not to spoil the surprise.

“I can’t say a word about the show, but what I can tell you is that it is going to be spectacular and it’s helping me to know a lot more about Brazil,” Jing said.

Brazil’s most celebrated choreographer, Deborah Colker, is planning the opening ceremony.

“This was a forest, where indigenous people lived, then other people arrived,” Colker said. “Who were those people? The Portuguese, other Europeans, so we will tell the story of how this place was occupied.”

Jing’s role is a mystery. She has had 24 rehearsals so far and is counting the minutes ahead of the opening ceremony.

“I am not nervous because I have already participated in some sports events, but yes I am anxious for the day to arrive,” Jing said.

Until the big day, August 5, Chen Jing, who will also serve as a volunteer for the table tennis competitions, is enjoying Rio and planning to savor a memorable Olympic experience.


Eric Farnsworth on the economics of the Olympics

For more on the Rio Olympics, CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Eric Farnsworth, Council of the Americas and Americas Society vice president. They discussed the economic consequences and benefits of hosting the games, the danger of the Zika virus and what will happen to the Brazil economy when the Olympics are over.