Moulin Rouge, Paris Moulin Rouge Ever since it opened its doors nearly 120 years ago, Moulin Rouge has set the standard for the world's most famous cabarets. History of the Moulin Rouge In October 1889, Paris was all abuzz concerning the opening of a new music hall. The owners of this new establishment, Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, who had chosen the name Moulin Rouge (Red Mill) for their theatre, gave it the nickname "Le Premier Palais des Femmes" (The First Palace of Women) and claimed that Moulin Rouge would soon become "a temple of music and dance". Moulin Rouge quickly gained a reputation for being the place where men could view young Parisian girls whose unique and amazing dance moves were as flexible as their morals. And though the famous Can-Can dance had been present in working class ballrooms since the 1830s, the early days of the Moulin Rouge cemented its popularity, though during the first few decades that the establishment was open, it was little more than a bawdy dance performed by courtesans to entertain their male clientele.

At times Moulin Rouge Poster from 1891 by Toulouse-Lautrec it was downright vulgar and what went on inside the Moulin Rouge caused much public outrage. During this time period, one of the music hall's most notable patrons was artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who painted a number of famous Moulin Rouge scenes. In later years, the establishment cleaned up its act (so to speak), eventually lost its reputation as a brothel, and became a fashionable music hall known for its extravagant cabaret shows, attracting a high-class clientele. The Can-Can itself was toned down as well, though even modern patrons will tell you that this signature dance is still a bit naughty. Still, it's the main reason patrons come to Moulin Rouge and they always go away entertained by the dancers' high-kicking moves, cartwheels, splits, and other Contemporary poster amazing acrobatic tricks. Visiting Moulin Rouge Today, a visit to the Moulin Rouge is still very popular with adult visitors to Paris. You'll find myriad tourists snapping photos of the huge red windmill that sits on top of the theatre and many visitors make reservations here for a nightly show.

The show features more than one hundred performers decked out in the most extravagant costumes, which include lots of feathers, rhinestones, and sequins. The sets are equally as spectacular. But remember, this is adult entertainment, so those with kids should choose a different activity or find a reliable baby-sitter and enjoy a night out sans children. Moulin Rouge - Dance Shows in Melbourne | Corporate Dancers for Hire | FX Entertainment Moulin Rouge Can Can The Moulin Rouge themed event is timeless. From the seductive Moulin Rouge beauties to the crazy screams of the French Can Can girls, your party will be one to remember. Our Moulin Rouge Can Can Dancers perform complete with traditional Can Can Skirts in the famous red, blue and white colours. Professional, saucy, stunning and astounding, our Can Can dancers will ensure your party is truly unforgettable. FXE's Can Can shows are theatrical and brilliantly choregraphed, ideal for all corporate events. Modest costume options are most certainly available, simply ask. Show options < The girls were great!! After they left everyone wanted more, I think everyone was shocked when they came on, so by the time they get use to it and relaxed, it was over!!! Thanks so much...

Option 1: Moulin Rouge Can Can dance Plus 30 min Meet and Greet - You have the choice of the traditional Can Can or the Can Can sound track from the movie ‘Moulin Rouge’. You choose. We provide a cast of up to 4 Can Can dancers in matching, traditional costumes. This Option also gives you the opportunity to decorate your event with the costumed beauties for 30 minutes, allowing your guests to have photos with the dancers. Option two: Moulin Rouge the Movie Tribute Can Can Show. Only featuring songs from the Moulin Rouge film. A contemporary French floorshow with all of the life and movement featured within the Baz Luhrmann film “Moulin Rouge”. Option three: “La vie de Bohème”. French Themed Floorshow. Traditional French inspired Floorshow including the traditional Offenbach Can Can, songs from Edith Piaf and more. OPTION ONE: Moulin Rouge Can Can dance A Can Can dance number Plus 30 minutes Meet and Greet Enjoy the energy and excitement of the Can Can at your next event!

The package consists of either the Traditional Can Can - the famous music is French composer, Jacques Offenbach's 'Gallop Infernal' from "Orpheus in the Underworld" - OR the new version of the Can Can from the hit sound track and Movie "Moulin Rouge". Choose whichever you prefer and we'll provide a cast of up to 4 Can Can dancers in matching costumes to make your event sparkle. Our gorgeous, technically brilliant girls will playfully run in and out and between your guests' tables, screaming, drawing attention to themselves and interacting with the guests. They will then make their way to the main dance floor and perform their high energy dance routine. At the end of the routine, they will exit in the same active manner in which they entered. These dancers will also take photos with your guests and/or welcome your guests at the beginning of your event, bringing plenty of character and colour from the first moment your guests arrive, for a full 30 minutes, all within the same hour call time.

OPTION Two: Moulin Rouge the Movie Tribute Can Can Show 15-20 min approx contemporary show featuring Music from the Baz Luhrmann film, ‘Moulin Rouge’ This show is full of colour, life and energy, and at the same time our professional dancers are traditional and theatrically seductive. This floor show celebrates the film “Moulin Rouge” and its fabulous sound track. For a truly fun, interactive, fabulous French experience, book this floorshow. Without a Singer 10 mins minutes approx, with a Live interactive vocalist (recommended) 15-20 minutes approx. Most people know the Moulin Rouge from its association with 'the Can Can'. Once introduced as a seductive dance, the Can Can Revue, as a form of entertainment, led to the introduction of cabarets as an art form across Europe. Following the story of the superb Baz Luhrmann film, ‘Moulin Rouge’, our show takes you on a journey of colour, seduction, fun and glamour.

Opening the show with a taste of the history of Le Moulin Rouge, The show opens with wild screams and roar of the brilliant, vibrant and colourful Can Can dancers, lifting their skirts, in a cheeky and provocative manner as made famous by the Moulin Rouge dancers and, in particular, ‘La Goulue’. Enjoy! With a cast of both males and females our Can Can features high kicks and acrobatics, keeping everyone on their toes as they watch this explosive opener. For more conservative clients, we can amend to suit. Raising the heartbeat of each guest, these stunning, Diva cabaret girls - talented, playful, confident and interactive - will perform a dance routine to the re-vamp of ‘Lady Marmalade’. Complete with corsets, frilly undies and white feather boas, these dancers will captivate your guests. This song can be sang live. Costuming can be altered to a more conservative option, simply ask. Diamonds truly are a Girl’s best friend as we all know, and our beautiful performers will demonstrate this as they perform to the song made famous by Marilyn Monroe and revived, once again, in the movie, ‘Moulin Rouge’.

Our brilliant optional male and female cast will together in a dazzling dance routine all together for the grand finale. For our encore, we take your guests back to where it all began, with the Can Can. Our Can Can dancers move around the room in a highly energetic manner, bring people up to dance as we bring some of your guests onto stage with us and have them dance with our professional dancers. Show girls can be added to the show, we can certainly assist you. OPTION THREE: “La vie de Bohème”. French Themed Floorshow 15-20 minutes approx traditional French Inspired Floor show This show is ideal for French themed events, looking specifically for a French style floorshow. Ideal for Bastille day and International events. We do incorporate music from the Moulin Rouge Baz Luhrmann film, and we also include music of famous French singer Edith Piaf and the ever popular traditional Classical Offenbach Can Can. This floorshow includes interaction and runs for approx 10 minutes without a singer and approx 15 with a Live interactive vocalist. Learn more about the background of the Can Can The Can Can is a playful, physically demanding and very tiring dance.

Considered an erotic dance style with erotic connotations, the dance first appeared in the early 19th century. It was considered quite scandalous and any young people who indulged themselves in performing it were frowned upon and considered to be of loose moral fibre. Although the dance was thought to be extremely inappropriate by 'respectable' society it soon began emerging from the working-class dance halls into the mainstream. The Can Can was viewed as extremely erotic because of the contrasting black stockings and the way in which the dancers made use of the extravagant underwear of the period. A Can Can dancer would sometimes stand very close to a man and encourage him to bet that she could take off his hat without using her hands. Once the bet was accepted, she'd release a high kick that would quickly knock his hat straight off his head and, at the same time, give him a cheeky, quick look at her underwear. It was also a strong reminder that anyone taking unwanted liberties with a dancer could expect a kick in the face!

Can Can dancers were very suggestive dancers as they would lift and manipulate their skirts, bending over and throwing the skirts over their backs, thereby presenting their bottoms to the audience - Can Can dancers were considered cheeky and provocative and the Moulin Rouge dancer ‘La Goulue’ was renowned for her interpretation of this part of the act. An interesting fact about the Can Can: it is a myth that the Can Can was ever frequently performed without the dancers wearing underwear. Acts | Academy of Burlesque & Cabaret Acts ACTS From burlesque classics such as feather fan dances and balloon-pops to high-kicking group cancan numbers, from humorous and topical themes to performances that will complement any theme or occasion, we have a bank of dances to suit your requirements and are able to customise work to suit. We have bases in Edinburgh and Cardiff and have a team of London-based performers, and can provide entertainment across the UK. Some of our most requested acts… Showgirls Creating a dazzling visual spectacle of rhinestones, feathers and glitter, our showgirls are a must-have for high-end events seeking something a bit different and very special for their entertainment.

In the style of Moulin Rouge or Las Vegas, our showgirls will glide, high kick and provide glamour for your event. Cancan – Traditional Performed by our dedicated cancan troupe French Fling , this raucous cancan lasts a jaw dropping eight minutes, filled with gymnastic high kicking splendour. Our dancers are all highly trained professionals who have worked in shows round the world including famous Parisian cabarets Moulin Rouge and Lido. Cancan – Comedic A cheeky comedic take on the traditional cancan, with two tipsy ladies and an unsuspecting gentleman. Fan Dance This is a tasteful number which embodies the spirit of burlesque using large ostrich feather fans. Visually beautiful, it can be serenely reminiscent of the glamour of early twentieth century Paris, or a more bawdy American bumps ‘n’ grinds style burlesque piece. Balloon Pop A burlesque favourite, the dancer appears onstage dressed in not much more than balloons, which are popped one by one. Thriller In a tribute to Michael Jackson, let our dancers thrill you with original choreography from the iconic video.

Chicago/Cabaret High-kicking and showy, typical of cabaret revues, this chair dance is sexy, sultry and seductive. ‘The Gift’ The dancer performs inside a giant box, emerging tantalisingly at the end. Ideal for birthday parties! Bond girls Martini, girls and guns. Performed to Shirley Bassey classics and the famous 007 theme, our Bond girls leave the audience shaken and stirred. We are based in Edinburgh and Cardiff and can provide showgirl, can-can, cabaret and burlesque performers in these cities as well as across the UK. Moulin Rouge Definition and Meaning - Dictionary Central Definition Theater A famous cabaret and dance hall that was opened in 1889 inMontmartre, Paris, by Joseph Oller and the former butcher CharlesZidler. A giant windmill adorned the entrance, while the garden usedfor outdoor dancing and summer concerts had a hollow stucco elephantfor decoration. In 1903 a music hall stage was built and the sizeof the dance-floor reduced. Although the cancan dance did not originatethere, the Moulin Rouge was the first venue of any size and respectabilityto present it.

Celebrity dancers such as la Goulue and la Mome Fromageled a high-kicking chorus famous for their ability to perform thegrand ecart (splits) and porte d'armes (holding theuplifted ankle head-high). Yvette Guilbert sang her sultry songs andToulouse-Lautrec captured the gaiety of the scene in his famous paintingsand posters. Mistinguett , France's leading star of music hall, wasa regular performer before World War I (later becoming part-proprietorfor several years). After a fire in 1915 the Moulin Rouge was rebuilt to offerboth cancan and ballet as dinner shows. Jacques-Charels revitalizedits fortunes in the late 1920s with a series of risqué revues.The building subsequently became a cinema, but the Moulin Rouge reopenedas a cabaret venue in 1953. It now continues to provide a populartourist attraction, with the original cancan as one of several cabaretitems, including a topless chorus line.

Nearby Definitions of “Moulin Rouge” Parisian Showgirls theme show Parisian Showgirls theme show Silks and circus artists can be used to complement the event Parisian Showgirls dance show Cast: minimum of 5 female dancers Costume: sequined, feathered show girl costumes, Burlesque style, chorus line and traditional Parisian Cancan Music: Orpheus in the Underworld, Elton John and Moulin Rouge* soundtrack Dance Styles: Show girl, chorus line, Cancan, funky jazz, street dance and classical Duration: 15 - 30 minutes continuous show Parisian Showgirl dance show profile This show brings to life the glamorous chorus line dancing and provocative cancan that first appeared in the ballrooms of Montparnasse, Paris around the 1830s – and is now recognised all over the world. A visually stunning show with frivolous numbers of glamorous high kicking showgirls, an intricate Tango giving depth and emotion and quirky numbers with the cheeky and intoxicating Green fairy. This show takes you on a journey into the Bohemian world of the underground. Full Length Production: 30 – 40 minutes. Circus artistes can be incorporated into the show.

See below for some of the circus artistes that are used. Your Song – This popular track by Elton John features a strong duet done either on pointe or ribbons with rhythmic gymnastics. Lady Marmalade – This is a real high energy street jazz number with lots of attitude and fun. Rhythm Of The Night – Show girls in stunning costumes, sequins,feathers, high kicks and chorus line combinations, high impact number keeping pace from start to finish. Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend – Show girls stay on to entice with glamour sophistication and of course diamonds. Diamond Dogs – The Green Fairy makes her appearance weaving between the dancers and intoxicating her magical spell. A quirky number. El Tango De Roxanne – A strong passionate number with real depth and emotion using traditional tango that builds slowly to a dramatic climax. Because We Can – Building to the finale we start with a modern Cancan, lots of tricks and daring acrobatics. French Cancan – The most famous finale of them all, the French Cancan with all the traditional kick lines and finishing the show in the fabulous chorus girl splits.

Extras: ideas to complement your event Meet & Greet: The showgirls are a great way to make that first impression with your guests in their stunning costumes Walk about: The Cancan girls are fun and cheeky mingling with the guests creating just the right atmosphere. Free style: Burlesque costumed dancers can free style during the night to sustain that moulin Rouge energy Showgirl stilt walkers Walk about magicians/ Pick pockets Aerialists History of the Cancan - Les Folles Jambettes Cancan Dancers Les Folles Jambettes Cancan Dancers Contact Us Cancan, Allowing Women to be Naughty Since 1830! The Cancan’s history is surprisingly complex, and it’s evolution is unusual, changing over the years from it’s initial appearance as ballroom dance for couples in 1830 to a choreographed stage spectacle which really only became standardized in the 1920’s. The Cancan is regarded today primarily as a music hall dance, performed by a chorus line of female dancers who wear costumes with long skirts, petticoats, and black stockings, harking back to the fashions of the 1890’s.

The main features of the dance are: lifting up and manipulation of the skirts, with high kicking and suggestive body movements. The dance was also known as the chahut. Both Cancan and chahut are French, Cancan meaning “tittle-tattle” or “scandal”, hence a scandalous dance, while chahut meant “noise” or “uproar”. The dancers or “High Kickers” as they were called emerged over time and ended up in Paris . In the late 19th century Paris was still the dance centre of the world. Today’s Cancan developed from the Galop, a popular dance in the public dancing gardens and dance halls of Paris in the early part of the 19th century. When it first appeared in 1830, the Cancan was really an exaggerated form of the Galop, with high kicks and other gestures with arms and legs, mostly originally performed by men and later by women. It was viewed as shocking by the “respectable” people because it implied a lack of self-control and involved more bodily contact between participants than was thought acceptable. The women in particular were not supposed to become hopelessly out of breath, which the dance’s energy inevitably produced.

The Cancan became a device with which to undermine Victorian values, and was part of a growing movement for change. The dance shocked many in its daring challenge to social, moral, and political conventions of the time when morality had become almost institutionalized. A devoted patron of the Moulin Rouge, the famous painter Toulouse Lautrec, captured it poetically in the exclamation: “La vie est belle, voila le quadrille!” translated to ‘life is beautiful, here comes the Cancan!’ By the 1890’s individual Cancan dancers became very renowned and were highly paid for their appearances at the Moulin Rouge and elsewhere. In Britain and Canada , the Cancan achieved popularity in music halls, where it was dance by groups of women in choreographed routines. This style was later imported into France in the 1920’s for the benefit of tourists, and the French Cancan was born-a highly choreographed routine lasting ten minutes or more.

The main moves are: the high kick or battement, the rond de jambe (quick rotary movements of the lower leg with knee raised and skirt held up), the port d’armes (turning on one leg, while grasping the other leg), the cartwheel and the grand ecart (the flying or jump splits). The authentic quadrille is very demanding of its performers, each of whom must have superior qualities of balance, rhythm and stamina. Paris, from Montmartre to the Place Blanche Such a “Belle Epoque” Nonchalance, light-heartedness and ‘joie de vivre’… these are the words that could best sum- up this unique period in the history of France. It was a moment of respite between two wars, a period of transition between two centuries, during which social barriers collapsed and the industrial revolution gave hope of a better life for all, in a rich cultural profusion of fun and frivolity. The middle-class mixed with the riff-raff; popular culture was enhanced by a happy disorder of joy and vitality.

In this atmosphere, which favored artistic creativity, literary circles appeared and disappeared according to chance encounters, while painters and illustrators grew increasingly inspired by this joyful, sometimes outrageous but full of fantasy atmosphere that broke with the former rigid classicism of the period. “Japonism”*, a movement of Far-Eastern inspiration which used Japanese influences in French art, was at its height. Toulouse-Lautrec, with his famous Japanese engravings, was one of its most famous disciples at that time. The atmosphere fitted perfectly the appearance of the first cabarets, such as the Moulin Rouge in 1889. Japonisme : a term employed by the art critic Phillippe Burty in 1872 to define a new artistic movement inspired by objects and art from Japan, shown for the first time in 1867 at the Universal Exhibition of Paris. Times of the 7th Art Concerning architecture, Gustave Eiffel, a real genius with iron, now began his most spectacular project: a 300 meter high tower that could be admired from anywhere in Paris. This was to be the main attraction of the Universal Exhibition of 1889.

Another event of major importance during those years was the first cinematographic screening. On the 28th of December 1895, in the Indian lounge of the Grand Café, Boulevard des Capucines, Paris? 23 guests attended an extraordinary show by the Lumière brothers. The photograph that had just been projected onto a small screen had come to life! Coaches, horses and passers-by started to move; a real-life street appeared on the screen. “At this sight, we stood open-mouthed, completely overawed” said the conjurer Georges Mélies, who later became famous by making more than 500 movies filled with fantasy and poetry, such as the remarkable Voyage dans la Lune (Journey to the Moon) in 1902. At the following exhibition, in 1900, it was Hector Grimard who found fame. In the ever- changing expression of Art Noveau, he gave a new style to the entrances of the Parisian subway, the Metropolitan, never before seen. Blanche station was the first to see the decorative arabesques and leaf-like curves, blending with amazing energy and vivacity.

The Butte Montmartre, bastion of pleasure In the midst of this effervescence, the Butte Montmarte figures as a symbol. In 1891, the Basilica du Sacré–Coeur was inaugurated with great pomp. It was hoped that, with the basilica on the hill-top, a little prestige would be back to the ill-frequented hill. However, against all expectations, the proximity of the Holy place to the Hell-like slopes only added more character to this mecca of Parisian life. Eccentrics, artists and performers continued going to cabarets, music-halls and cafes in large numbers, joined by the middle- classes, aristocrats and socialites who were becoming increasingly attracted to night-time pleasures. Café-concerts became the true symbol of this social and cultural melting-pot. Workers, artists, middle-classes and aristocrats gathered at the same table in a joyful atmosphere of feast and frivolity.

Here again, painters found their inspiration, among them Toulouse-Lautrec, a regular customer in the area, who came to immortalize the strange, colorful scenes that lie midway between frenetic entertainment and the tragic lives of the lower classes, in famous paintings such as Le Chat Noir and La Goulue. “Les mêmes coins abritent les mêmes gens. Sous les colonnes rouges, les solives peintes, dans ce décor de palais barbare, roulent les mêmes types, danseurs et danseuses liés ventre à ventre dans la communion du rythme, mecs et graines de mecs, combinards, vendeurs de neige ou de tuyaux, marchands de viande ou de plaisir, artistes, flâneurs, michetons, lames de fond que n’absorbe pas la grande houle humaine des étrangers curieux. A cet élément mâle s’enlace l’élément femelle, putains, demi-filles, bourgeoises, lesbiennes, et brasseuses d’affaires.

Tout se mêle, se fond et se confond dans le lent tourbillon qui, de la piste, gagne les pourtours et les promenoirs.” Henry-Jacques. Moulin Rouge – 1925 The most famous cabaret in the world opens its doors On the 6th October, at the foot of Butte Montmartre, the atmosphere was pretty festive: a new music-hall was opening in the Jardin de Paris, the Moulin Rouge, and it wasn’t going unnoticed. The public came in mass to Place Blanche, to discover this extravagant place with its huge dance floor, mirrors everywhere, and galleries that were the last word in elegance, to mix with the riffraff and girls of easy virtue, in a garden decorated with a big elephant with rides on donkeys for the ladies’pleasure. There was such a wild atmosphere that the show was not only on the stage but all around : aristocrats and louts in caps had fun side by side, in an atmosphere of total euphoria. The masters of the place were Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler.

They nicknamed their establishment Le Premier Palais des Femmes (the first Women Palace) and bet on their success, enthusiastically claiming to whoever listened that the Moulin Rouge would become a temple of music and dance. On the very first day, their hopes were fulfilled, the other music-halls just had to learn !!! “Vingt jambes en l’air. La pesanteur est envoyée par-dessus les moulins. En lames successives, les femmes s’écartèlent sur la piste, offrant leur sexe aux forces obscures de la terre. Quand elles rebondissent, c’est pour retrouver les ailes perdues. Ainsi, disputées entre deux éléments, les danseuses miment la lutte du corps et de l’esprit.” Henri-Jacques. Moulin Rouge – 1925 The French Cancan painted by Toulouse-Lautrec The divine “unruly girls” The balls at the Moulin Rouge quickly became highly prized events.

For the grand finale, the public discovered, with overwhelming enthusiasm, a new dance, the French Cancan with its dancers, the Chahuteuses (the unruly girls), and its boisterous rhythm, which, to the great displeasure of some people, really made heads turn !!! In the Guide to Paris nightlife, edition 1898, the French Cancan dancers are described as an army of young girls in Paris who dance this divine hullabaloo the way its fame demands it… with such an elasticity when they launch their legs upwards that we are allowed to presume that they are at least as flexible with morals… Amongst these figureheads of Parisian life, some will go down in history, like the famous La Goulue, immortalised by Toulouse-Lautrec. “Vingt jambes en l’air. La pesanteur est envoyée par-dessus les moulins. En lames successives, les femmes s’écartèlent sur la piste, offrant leur sexe aux forces obscures de la terre. Quand elles rebondissent, c’est pour retrouver les ailes perdues.

Ainsi, disputées entre deux éléments, les danseuses miment la lutte du corps et de l’esprit.” Henri-Jacques. Moulin Rouge – 1925 The Quadrille, a prelude to the French Cancan In 1850, Céleste Mogador, a leading dancer at the Bal Mabille – which later on became the Mabille Orchestra of the Moulin Rouge – invented a new dance, the Quadrille : eight breathtaking minutes in perfect hamony with Offenbach as undisputed master of music. A boisterous rhythm, balance, flexibility, on the verge of acrobacy… and the Quadrille girls in their titillating costume turned the heads of the high society of Paris.

Le Quadrille, plus en chair, vaut surtout par la tradition qu’il offre, chaque jour, à ceux, hommes de tous les mondes, qui ont gardé la représentation d’un Moulin, asile du cancan, des jupes envolées, des corps renversés pour mieux s’offrir, des refrains carrés encadrés de puissants trombones et de cornets à pistons, dernière figure d’un symbole qui a quitté Paris depuis longtemps pour faire son tour du monde…”Furia francese”. Henri-Jacques. Moulin Rouge – 1925 From London to Paris, the debuts of the French Cancan It was in 1861, in London, when Charles Morton, a great master of the music-hall who was inspired by the Quadrille, invented the French Cancan. The word Cancan referred to the particularly noisy characteristic of this new dance. Whereas British people were rather shocked by this dance on the edge of indecency, in Paris the popularity of the Cancan was still growing.

It was being shaped progressively, until it became a ritualised dance, exclusively for women, whose main art consisted of doing the splitts and uncovering lacy underskirts. Black stockings, garters and frills dressed girls of at least 1,70m tall, who spun in contentment in a series of gracious ‘pizzicatti’, before the eyes of bewitched clients of the Moulin Rouge. Chanté en duo par Yvette Guilbert et La Goulue The Great Ladies of the French Cancan Under colourful and rather roguish stage names, the most famous dancers of that time competed on the stage of the Moulin Rouge, each one with her own temperament. The undisputed figurehead of the French Cancan is still today the famous Goulue, with her inimitable cheeky humour.

But she was not the only one who won fame thanks to the Cancan : there were Jane Avril also known as Jeanne la Folle (crazy Jane), La Môme Fromage named so since she was so young, Grille d’Egoût (gutter grate), who was well-known for her taste for uproar, Nini Pattes-en-l’Air (‘legs in the air’) who would open a French Cancan school, and Yvette Guilbert, a famous national fortune-teller who imitated Sarah Bernhardt… The only notorious male character among the flowing rows of girls was Valentin le Désossé (the ‘boneless’) also called L’Homme du Quadrille (the Quadrille man), who will never be bettered in the way he had of making the girls dance… Toulouse-Lautrec, one of the more regular clients, was the great witness of this splendid period. Among his paintings, seventeen are directly inspired by the Moulin Rouge, and many are famous world-wide. They represent emblematic characters. Undoubtlessly, Toulouse-Lautrec would not have become who he was without the Moulin Rouge and La Goulue.

On the other hand, would the music-hall have become what it is today without the talented painter ? Aujourd’hui, ce n’est pas un jour ordinaire. Je tiens à remercier tous les contrôleurs, tout le personnel, patrons et employés, et surtout toutes ces femmes qui ont couru après moi pendant de si longues années.” Valentin le Désossé The Great Moments of Music-Hall The first ten years of the Moulin Rouge led, from one to another in a whirlpool of, ever more extravagant nights. It was inspired by the circus, whose attractions were shown at the cabaret – such as that of the Pétomane (the ‘farting’ man), who went down in history… In addition to the French Cancan, the first real revues are performed: e.g. the revue Circassiens et Circassiennes, in 1890. Every night, people come for the 10 p.m concerts; the Quat’zarts ball and its procession; a nude Cleopatra carried by four men and surrounded by nude girls who lay, languid, on flower beds… A beginning trumpeted that lost some of its pomp by the new century.

On the 26 December 1902, the last ball occurred in general indifference. The Quadrille was no longer fashionable, the ball of the Moulin Rouge became a concert-theatre under the leadership of M. Paul-Louis Flers, a well-known revue-director in Paris who wanted to turn the Moulin Rouge into a more prestigious place. He has run the famous establishment for… 9 months. Many managers came after him; that will not keep the Moulin Rouge from regaining its former popularity. “…un fait d’une gravité extrême et d’une inadmissible impudeur…” Société générale de protestation contre la licence des rues. 1893 (à propos du Bal des Quat’zarts) The Great Moments of Music-Hall Operettas and Spectacular revues Untill the beginning of World War I, the Moulin Rouge has become a true temple dedicated to operetta.

There again, the music of Offenbach used to accompany successive shows in lightness, contentment and joy : the public was present for dreaming, laughing, crying and feel emotions at the sight of ‘Voluptata’, ‘La Feuille de Vigne’, ‘Le Rêve d’Egypte’, ‘Tais-toi tu m’affoles’… and many other revues with titles each time more evocative. The Automotive fair (yes !) on the 7th December 1904, many people from upper-classes gathered, who sang, danced and regretted the end of a so delightful night. Whereas in 1907, the charming novice Mistinguett, makes her debuts on the stage of the Moulin Rouge in ‘La Revue de la Femme’. That was only the beginning of the long story. Quickly, her exceptionnal talent blasted in public : as she imitates the langourous jig of Max Dearly, she was the instigator of the famous Valse Chaloupée (swaying waltz) and then became a shining Star in the Music-Hall’s firmament.

“Je vous jure que ce n’est pas commode d’en trouver des “comme il faut”, ni trop grandes, ni trop petites, ni trop grosses, ni trop laides… ni trop jolies…”Mistinguett à propos des Girls. The Mistinguett’s years After World War I, Francis Salabert ran the Moulin Rouge. Since he was more of a businessman than a showman, he employed Pierre Foucret to hold the purse strings and left Jacques-Charles – the No. 1 revue-director of that time – the assignment of brightening up the “Great Revue”. He dreamt of setting-up a show with american dancing-girls. After much discussion, he succeeded in convincing Gertrude Hoffmann, then director of the Hoffmann ballet, to join him, and they started to create the revue ‘New York- Montmartre’. At the top of the bill were the Dolly Sisters, Rosy and Jenny, the first twin sisters in the history of music-hall.

The ‘Broadway style’ made a big impact when it entered the Parisian scene… On the night of the first show, Mistinguett, then known as the Queen of Music-Hall, was in the audience. She understood at once that a true revolution was happening… Jacques-Charles and Mistinguett had a stormy but very profitable relationship. Very close to each other in life and inspired co-workers on the stage, their story was punctuated with quarrels and make-ups, with disputes and reconciliations… A turbulent passion that gave birth to legendary creations : the “Revue Mistinguett” in 1925, the famous ‘Ça c’est Paris’ in 1926 and many others. Great Nights with the Miss and her Girls, animated the Parisian nights until 1929, when the two main characters retired from the stage. Meanwhile, the French Cancan, which had regained prestige, was turning the public’s head in the Ballroom, in the lower ground floor of the Moulin Rouge. A certain Gesmar, only 20 years old, became a master in costume making. His drawings and models, which displayed pure and breathtaking beauty, remained associated with the Moulin Rouge’s image.

During that time, a young man named Gabin was making his debut on stage as the quintessential ‘badboy’ in Paris… “Le directeur du Moulin Rouge a dû recruter une brigade de détectives pour interdire l’accès du théâtre aux curieux. Ce ne sont partout qu’amoncellements de dentelles, de fleurs, de fourrures, de plumes, de satins et de perles. Les coulisses du Moulin ressemblent à un conte des Mille et une nuits.” Communiqué publicitaire – 7 novembre 1925 The End of the Golden Age After Mistinguett’s departure, nothing would ever be the same in the world of music-hall… The 7th Art, as the French call the cinema, overwhelmed the ‘Great Revues’ and the ballroom became an ultra modern night-club. However, the Moulin Rouge still experienced some great moments: the acclaimed Cotton Club, which had had great success in New York, the nights with Ray Ventura and his ‘Collégiens’…some unforgettable moments before the dark years to come.

1939-1945: Paris did not have much fun under the Germans’ heel. The only ray of sunshine, a few days before the Liberation of Paris, was Edith Piaf, whose talent was becoming renowned on the stage of the Moulin Rouge. In the first part of her show, a young man with a sort of cow boy style was scheduled…Yves Montand. She later said about him “this guy who behaves as if he were in the plains of the Far West is nothing but a singer from Marseille…the height of vulgarity!”. He said in return that she was a “merchant of depression”. An exchange of kind words…but the ‘Great Lady’ was soon to understand the potential of this lanky boy, who needed just a little help to change his appearance. Later on, he admitted that she had made him save time Today the Revival The stars are back It was six years after World War II before the Moulin Rouge recovered its former magnificence.

On the 22nd of June 1951, Georges France, alias Jo France, the founder of Balajo, bought the Bal du Moulin Rouge and set about renovating in order to allow the famous establishment to hold again the most wonderful nights in Paris, and regain its splendour of long-ago.* Dance parties, entertainments and receptions for charity were back… among them, the 25th Bal des Petits Lits Blancs (for hospitalized children), on the 19th May 1963 was a red letter day : some 1200 artists and stars came from every corner of the world to honour Guy des Cars, the organizer of that night. ” Pierre Mac Orlan – 1951 * The settings imagined by Jo France and painted for the most by Henri Mahé still ravish the Moulin Rouge visitors. I dreamt of the top of the bill In 1955, Joseph and Louis Clerico became managers of the establishment and were eager to continue the great tradition of the ‘Bal Populaire’. They joined together with Jean Bauchet, a child of the theatre, to accompany this ‘old and respectable lady’, still lively, into the modern times.

A small revolution occured in the palace : a kitchen was fitted. The ‘dinner-show’ of the Moulin Rouge became one of the most sought Parisian attractions. As the public really enjoyed this new option, the establishment’s fame spread abroad. From every corner of the world, people came to see the Moulin Rouge, as one of the great monuments of the most beautiful capital in the world… Both newcomers full of promise and prestigious stars were top of the bill : Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour, Line Renaud, Bourvil, Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault, Fernand Raynaud… All of them expressed their talent on the most famous stage in France. Elvis Presley himself never came to Paris without spending a little time at the Moulin Rouge. It is said that he had a crush on a French Cancan dancer. The famous quadrille, then under the leadership of the demanding Doris Haug, kept winning over people’s hearts.

“Moi, j’aime le Music-Hall…” Charles Trenet F for Formidable In 1962, Jacki Clérico, the son of Joseph Clercio, took-over the succession as head of the most famous cabaret in the world. The Moulin Rouge had taken back its legendary place. The sanctuary of Place Blanche, famous for its long history, came back once again with flair. Two years after his arrival at the Moulin Rouge, Jacki Clérico embarked on a new adventure : the construction of a giant aquarium where nude dancers moved about like delightful mermaids in front of dumfounded spectators… He selected only names beginning with an F for his revues : then due to superstition, nowadays it remains a tradition. Frou Frou, Frisson, Fascination, Fantastic, Frénésie… each one succeeded the others, until the unforgettable Formidable, the revue of the Centenary, for which the public is still enthusiastic today.

Crowned heads, international bigwigs, stars of show biz… all of this high society met up on Place Blanche on the 12th February 1988, to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of this venerable institution dedicated to feast and pleasure… wishing it a long and joyful life.

Question: What high-kicking style of dance was the Moulin Rouge famous for?
Answer: Can-can