Caesars Palace headliner Celine Dion hosted the grand-opening ceremony of the Octavius Tower in conjunction with Chinese New Year on Sunday night at Caesars Palace, officially ringing in the Year of the Dragon. During the private ceremony, Dion participated in the customary lion dance, bringing good fortune to Caesars’ sixth hotel tower and wishing happiness and prosperity for the New Year.

“I am pleased to celebrate the opening of the luxurious Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace and am very honored to welcome the Year of the Dragon,” Dion said in a news release. “As this is a very special time when millions of people around the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year, I would like to send my very best wishes to all for a healthy and Happy New Year.”

The grand-opening celebration kicked off with a lion dance as Dion painted the eyes of the lion to awaken it, presenting it with a red envelope, a gift to symbolize prosperity. Accompanied by drums, lion dancers paraded in the tower to ward off evil spirits, welcoming a New Year of wealth and prosperity.

You can see >> HERE << the video of this opening night.

I’ve added scans from the latest issue of the magazine La Semaine, enjoy! Credit goes to c’line-rc, thank you!

Celine Dion enlisted the help of her fellow Caesars Entertainment headliners in a $6 million bid for her children’s sickle-cell-research benefit concert “Play Without Pain” on Sunday night to jump start close-to-the-cure clinical trials.

Husband and manager Rene Angelil and Celine welcomed 150 of the well-heeled donors and the amazing doctors of Children’s Hospital Boston backstage at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace for a meet-and-greet and photo session. The couple then donated the entire proceeds of her special 4,200-seat performance to the fundraiser.

“As a mother, I was incredibly moved by the stories that were shared with me regarding the impact this disease has on children. This benefit is a way in which I can get involved to positively touch these children’s lives,” Celine said. “Your compassion and kindness could be the tipping point in helping researchers eradicate the disease and bring relief to millions across the globe. The funds we raise will allow these children to grow up pain free and lead longer, more productive lives. Our prayer is they grow up to play without pain.”

Celine Dion has recorded two songs of her first studio album in four-and-a-half years and hopes to release it in May.

Her husband/manager Rene Angelil, in weekend interviews with Vegas Confidential, said she is scheduled to resume her recording Jan. 31 in Florida and will likely put the finishing touches on the album at the Palms Recording Studios.

One of the songs will be a cover of Janis Ian ‘s “At 17,” which Dion sings in her show at Caesars Palace .

She started recording in November.

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Celine Dion is in top shape.

Reached in Las Vegas to discuss this Friday’s 3D theatrical re-release of the 1991 Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, the Canadian singer discussed the impact the title song had on her career.

The 1991 song Beauty and the Beast, which she sang in collaboration with Peabo Bryson and released on her 1992 album, Celine Dion, gained her a fan following in the United States.

“I think that this song gave me a name,” Dion said. “I had already released my first album in English (Unison). People knew my song Where Does My Heart Beat Now but didn’t know the singer. When I did Beauty and the Beast, people not only knew the song, but also knew who sang it. So I think that Beauty and the Beast put me on the map.”

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Here’s a nice article from Yahoo.com about Celine’s upcoming projects. Looks like the whole world is waiting for her new CDs! :)

Celine Dion has been in the business for decades, with hits like “Because You Loved Me” in 1996 and “A New Day Has Come” in 2002. But will Dion be more popular than ever in 2012?

At 43 years old, Dion is not slowing down. With a lineup of exciting Dion-centric projects in the works, it seems the Canadian singer may have her hottest year yet. Here’s why: Dion will be releasing two new albums this year. The Canuck superstar is set to release an English album in April and a French album in October. Rene Angelil, Dion’s husband and manager, told the Montreal Gazette that the English album will include Dion’s take on Journey’s “Open Arms” and Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen.”

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ET – Celine Dion Relives The Song That Made Her A Star – It’s been 20 years since the classic theme from Beauty and the Beast won Celine Dion her first Grammy and the iconic singer looks back fondly on the song that made her a star.