Dancing Veggies Wow Crowd at Olympics Closing Ceremony

At the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians showed off their diverse musical talent and dance moves—including a large choreographed number with dozens of people dressed up as brightly-colored broccoli, bell pepper, raspberries, and other edible plants. Even at an event that featured a dance performed by clay people and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emerging from a giant green tube dressed as the classic video game character Super Mario, the fluorescent vegetable dancers delighted and mystified stadium spectators and television viewers. Amused Tweets flooded in to #ClosingCeremony expressing admiration (@TaCaGo: “These vegetables are great dancers”), hunger (@clarebalding: “I could really demolish a plate of broccoli now”), and appreciation (@swannsmith: “As we leave Rio, our hosts remind us to eat our vegetables”).