To prepare for the performance, \u201cI studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic,\u201d Gaga wrote. \u201cI rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills\u2014I bet you didn\u2019t know I used to dance at a \u201960s French party on the Lower East Side when I was first starting out! I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you\u2014it\u2019s a gift I\u2019ll never forget!\u201d<\/p>\n
What followed was a spectacle that might have been better in person than on TV, if you agree with Deadline<\/em>‘s assessment<\/a>. Nakamura, singing her hit song \u201cDjadja<\/a>,\u201d marched from the famous French school, the Acad\u00e9mie Fran\u00e7aise. In a waterborne performance<\/a>, scenes from Western history, including (to the dismay of some on the Right<\/a>) an apparent drag reimagining of the Last Supper, were acted out. A beheaded Marie Antoinette<\/a> sang along to the French Revolution-era song \u201cAh! \u00c7a Ira.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, and athletes from the participating countries trooped in via boat, after a ceremonial lighting of the Games’ torch by judo champ Teddy Riner<\/strong> and track star Marie-Jos\u00e9 P\u00e9rec<\/strong>.<\/p>\n