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(film reel clicks)
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(drum banging)
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(speaking French)
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- [Translator] Cabaret
always attracted me,
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and I always thought
about the Moulin Rouge.
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(drum banging)
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- [Translator] As a dancer,
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you dream of dancing at the Moulin Rouge.
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00:00:28,060 --> 00:00:29,749
- [Translator] Sometimes I
feel troubled by the thought
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00:00:29,749 --> 00:00:32,073
that one day I won't be
able to dance anymore.
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(drum banging)
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00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,860
- I can audition up to
500 girls, 500, 600 girls
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in a year and only come home
with five, maximum 10, 12.
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(jazz music)
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- [Narrator] Ladies and
gentlemen, let us take you
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00:00:52,196 --> 00:00:55,140
on a journey through a parallel universe,
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00:00:55,140 --> 00:00:57,923
somewhere between reality and imagination.
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Let's wander through the
history and present times
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of the most famous revue
theater of all times,
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00:01:06,990 --> 00:01:09,944
and take a look at the secret
world behind the curtains
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of this most legendary of all cabarets.
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(drum banging)
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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to
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the heart of the Moulin Rouge.
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(drum banging)
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- The Moulin Rouge started
and the cancan started
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as a shout, when they shout, they shout.
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A scream for a little bit more
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freedom and liberty for women.
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("Cancan Music" by Offenbach)
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(speaking French)
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- [Translator] In the year 1889,
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and even until 1925, women had no say.
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Had to squeeze themselves
in much too tight dresses,
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weren't allowed to drive
a car or smoke in public.
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There was no tolerance towards women.
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Going out was something for rich men,
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accompanied by women in evening
gowns and lots of jewelry.
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00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,692
In contrast to this were the poor,
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00:02:09,692 --> 00:02:12,940
the factory workers, the
bakers and washerwomen.
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These two worlds rarely ever met.
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It was the high society
from Boulogne and Orleans
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with their tailcoats and top hats who went
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to the Moulin Rouge to have a good time.
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("Cancan Music" by Offenbach)
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La Goulue, the greedy one's,
real name was Louise Weber.
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She was an ordinary girl
who went out at Montmartre,
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drank a lot and danced
the cancan at the Segale.
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She was called Goulue because
she liked to drink a lot.
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One evening she was discovered
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at the Segale by Joseph Oller.
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He convinced her to show her
cancan at the Moulin Rouge,
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and it became a huge success.
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- [Translator] It was always
my dream to be like the Goulue,
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even though it was a completely different
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dancing style back then.
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00:03:00,505 --> 00:03:02,370
- [Translator] Joseph
Oller, the founder of
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the Moulin Rouge, decided
that this cancan should become
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00:03:04,721 --> 00:03:07,230
the official dance of his establishment.
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People hadn't seen
anything like that before,
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girls throwing their legs in the air
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and showing themselves to
the audience half-naked.
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The men were absolutely mesmerized.
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- They wanted to go out and
prove their independence,
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and the cancan was a way of doing that,
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of showing their independence,
that they could do this,
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00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,467
and show their ankles if they wanted to.
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- [Translator] The men
gathered around the stage.
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They wanted to be as close
as possible to the dancers.
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From one day to the next, this
dance became very popular.
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Toulouse-Lautrec put it on canvas,
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the bourgeoisie discovered the place.
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00:03:43,105 --> 00:03:45,600
It gave men the opportunity to see women
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in a never before seen laxity.
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And for the women, it was a way
of expressing their freedom.
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They were even allowed to touch the men,
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which was considered
inappropriate elsewhere.
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(women cheering)
(cabaret music playing)
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From 1925, the general public discovered
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00:04:12,590 --> 00:04:14,470
the revues of the golden '20s.
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From then on, not only
the Parisians and people
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from the suburbs came, tourists
came from other countries
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00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,940
like the United States or Great Britain.
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00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:24,788
They visited the Moulin
Rouge that had become
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a symbol for Paris, the City of Lights.
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- The difference with the cancan is
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it's improved technically.
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- [Translator] The cancan
is difficult to dance.
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00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,200
You need to train for it almost
like a professional athlete.
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00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,503
It requires a lot of physical fitness.
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00:04:46,238 --> 00:04:47,660
- [Translator] It's quite demanding
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in regard to muscular power.
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00:04:49,184 --> 00:04:51,923
It requires a lot of body control.
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If you don't have that, you can easily
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pull your muscles with the cancan.
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00:05:01,380 --> 00:05:02,232
- [Translator] Despite my experience,
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I had to train three months for it.
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Running, dancing, and a strict diet.
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(sultry instrumental music)
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- The legs are higher, it's more rigid,
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it's built up over the years.
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("Cancan Music" by Offenbach)
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- [Translator] One thing is crucial,
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always do a warmup, it
puts a strain on your body.
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00:05:44,787 --> 00:05:47,190
You need to warm up properly if you want
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00:05:47,190 --> 00:05:50,073
to keep up doing it for a
long time without injury.
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00:05:51,191 --> 00:05:55,051
Warmup is the biggest part of
the work as a cancan dancer.
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00:05:55,051 --> 00:05:58,870
They spend 30 seconds
to one minute on stage,
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but warmup time before that
is one hour, with every show.
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00:06:05,046 --> 00:06:08,686
- The figures, as such, that
were quite historically-based
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00:06:08,686 --> 00:06:12,451
around political skits, you
know, the cathedral, hmm,
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and wink at the church, the pour dame,
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a wink at the military.
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There's lots of little, it's
almost like a comic script.
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00:06:19,242 --> 00:06:23,075
("Cancan Music" by Offenbach)
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And maybe a little bit like
today, on a Friday night
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they would go out, and create mayhem.
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(laughing)
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- The cathedral, and we do it together,
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and we're right at the front.
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- Yeah, everybody gets
to do it with two hands,
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00:06:41,716 --> 00:06:44,620
but we have to just do it with one hand.
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00:06:46,197 --> 00:06:47,752
- [Translator] As we
always cross each other
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00:06:47,752 --> 00:06:49,455
during the dance rounds, we're never
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00:06:49,455 --> 00:06:52,073
really absolutely safe from injury.
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00:06:53,110 --> 00:06:55,260
- And so you're trying
to keep something that's
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technically good and
aesthetically harmonious,
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00:06:59,190 --> 00:07:02,223
while still trying to keep
that sense of freedom,
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00:07:02,223 --> 00:07:07,223
and riot, and total letting go.
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00:07:07,282 --> 00:07:11,115
("Cancan Music" by Offenbach)
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(audience cheering and applauding)
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(cabaret style music)
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(speaking French)
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- [Translator] Lisette,
my dear friend, welcome.
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- [Narrator] It's a
reunion with one of the
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Moulin Rouge's biggest
stars, Lisette Malidor.
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Thierry used to be her stage
partner back in the day.
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Today, he's the director, and responsible
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00:07:52,170 --> 00:07:53,570
for the whole stage program.
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00:07:55,057 --> 00:07:56,703
- [Translator] Do you remember Brazil?
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You had an amazing dress and we danced
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in rather edged movements,
to the left, to the right,
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00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,173
and then you climbed on my shoulders.
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00:08:06,140 --> 00:08:07,940
- [Translator] Such small shoulders.
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00:08:09,076 --> 00:08:12,243
(cabaret style music)
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And all the musicians were up there.
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00:08:16,230 --> 00:08:18,430
- [Translator] 17
musicians and a conductor.
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00:08:19,860 --> 00:08:21,170
- [Translator] There
was another orchestra,
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00:08:21,170 --> 00:08:23,050
as well, that was there to motivate
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00:08:23,050 --> 00:08:25,350
the audience to dance during dinner.
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00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:28,020
They all danced, I
remember that very well.
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00:08:28,020 --> 00:08:30,350
We sat in the dressing
room, put on our makeup,
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and heard the music and
the clanking of the plates.
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It was really impressive, and
there was that water basin.
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00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,202
- [Translator] The basin is
under here, it's still there.
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00:08:43,202 --> 00:08:44,890
- [Translator] Oh, it is?
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00:08:44,890 --> 00:08:46,570
- [Translator] It was and still is.
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00:08:46,570 --> 00:08:47,980
- [Translator] But this is new, right?
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00:08:47,980 --> 00:08:50,153
- [Translator] These two
platforms, yes, they're new.
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- Ah, Moulin Rouge.
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00:08:55,463 --> 00:08:56,296
Follement.
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- [Narrator] As a young
woman, Lisette worked
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at a small hairdressers in la rue Milton.
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00:09:02,830 --> 00:09:06,440
In the evenings, she sold
bills at the Casino du Paris,
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00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:08,071
where she was discovered for the stage
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00:09:08,071 --> 00:09:12,230
by a famous choreographer in 1970.
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00:09:12,230 --> 00:09:16,043
Six years later, she was the
star of the Moulin Rouge.
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00:09:17,790 --> 00:09:20,960
- [Translator] 1976, Follement.
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It was the premier of the new
revue at the Moulin Rouge.
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00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,480
Lisette Malidor was the opening act.
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00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,264
The Moulin Rouge is one of the biggest
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commercial consumers of champagne,
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00:09:31,706 --> 00:09:36,706
240,000 bottles per
year, that was in 1976.
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But today?
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00:09:39,060 --> 00:09:43,015
I never drank much, I had to be sensible.
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(laughs)
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00:09:44,910 --> 00:09:47,290
- [Translator] You're naked
here, do you remember?
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00:09:47,290 --> 00:09:48,570
- [Translator] Well, not really naked.
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00:09:48,570 --> 00:09:50,710
We covered the crucial parts!
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00:09:50,710 --> 00:09:52,430
- [Translator] Covered,
okay, but you wore no string
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00:09:52,430 --> 00:09:55,080
and no bra, everything's
hidden under the rhinestone.
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And those amazing tight boots,
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00:09:57,570 --> 00:10:00,050
it was the perfect costume for you.
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00:10:00,050 --> 00:10:01,870
- [Translator] This was
the bill for Follement.
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00:10:01,870 --> 00:10:03,350
All the managers are listed.
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00:10:03,350 --> 00:10:07,853
Jackie Cherico, Doris Haug.
(speaking French)
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00:10:08,930 --> 00:10:11,823
People called me the new Josephine Baker.
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00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:15,960
- [Translator] Lisette used
to work at the greatest
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00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,100
vaudeville theaters in Paris.
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00:10:18,100 --> 00:10:21,880
She had this special radiance,
something exotic and wild
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00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:23,883
that worked wonderfully on stage.
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00:10:25,370 --> 00:10:27,109
Roland Petit discovered her and told her
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00:10:27,109 --> 00:10:29,830
get on that stage immediately.
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I want you to be there.
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00:10:32,704 --> 00:10:36,200
(cabaret style music)
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00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:37,536
- [Translator] It's true, it was difficult
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00:10:37,536 --> 00:10:40,265
to switch from vaudeville to theater.
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00:10:40,265 --> 00:10:42,630
I then understood that there was some sort
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00:10:42,630 --> 00:10:44,255
of cultural racism.
200
00:10:44,255 --> 00:10:46,680
People knew me from vaudeville and
201
00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:48,623
they expected me to stay there.
202
00:10:50,405 --> 00:10:52,840
- [Translator] You wanted
to destroy this image.
203
00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,450
First you wanted the
girl with the feathers
204
00:10:54,450 --> 00:10:57,907
going ole ole ole and then
you talked about negritude,
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00:10:57,907 --> 00:10:59,635
quoting black writers.
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00:10:59,635 --> 00:11:01,320
That required a lot of courage.
207
00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,120
Nobody else did something like this.
208
00:11:05,191 --> 00:11:07,030
- [Translator] It's not a natural thing
209
00:11:07,030 --> 00:11:09,203
to find your place if you're different.
210
00:11:10,470 --> 00:11:14,300
At the vaudeville theater,
I somehow could forget
211
00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:19,300
this difference as I
could laugh, show my body.
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00:11:21,130 --> 00:11:25,573
I was allowed to be looked at, be desired.
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00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:30,320
- [Translator] Lisette
Malidor fits very well
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00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,140
in the image of the Moulin Rouge.
215
00:11:32,140 --> 00:11:34,968
When she entered the place,
people wouldn't recognize her.
216
00:11:34,968 --> 00:11:37,840
She got to her dressing
room, put on her makeup,
217
00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,958
her dress and the rhinestone and feathers
218
00:11:39,958 --> 00:11:42,730
and became a star when she got on stage.
219
00:11:42,730 --> 00:11:45,020
She wore the star's costume.
220
00:11:45,020 --> 00:11:48,163
The audience was mesmerized
once the show started.
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00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:52,810
After the show, she left the
theater through the back door
222
00:11:52,810 --> 00:11:55,553
and nobody recognized her in the streets.
223
00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,233
People think she's just
an ordinary Black woman,
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00:12:00,233 --> 00:12:03,580
nobody would think that
she's a Moulin Rouge dancer.
225
00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:06,083
No matter how great or
majestic she may be.
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00:12:09,315 --> 00:12:12,023
- [Translator] It was
wonderful to experience that
227
00:12:13,035 --> 00:12:17,493
because it let me forget
my own past for some time.
228
00:12:19,098 --> 00:12:23,243
For a while it helped me
forget that I'm Black.
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00:12:26,875 --> 00:12:28,510
(instrumental music)
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00:12:28,510 --> 00:12:30,867
- [Narrator] Dancers from
all over the world dream
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00:12:30,867 --> 00:12:33,883
of a career on the stage
of the Moulin Rouge,
232
00:12:35,410 --> 00:12:37,943
but it will remain a
dream for most of them.
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00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:45,290
- Today, everybody will start
arriving and then we have
234
00:12:45,290 --> 00:12:47,533
to try and control where they go.
235
00:12:47,533 --> 00:12:51,830
We're expecting about 80
people, which is a large number.
236
00:12:51,830 --> 00:12:53,640
This means this time we can't actually
237
00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:55,762
do the audition in the rehearsal room.
238
00:12:55,762 --> 00:12:58,810
We're going to have to start onstage.
239
00:12:58,810 --> 00:13:03,810
Okay, what I'll do is there's less boys,
240
00:13:03,910 --> 00:13:06,550
as always, unfortunately.
241
00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:08,163
I'm just gonna start over here.
242
00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,380
Joe's going to staple you.
243
00:13:12,380 --> 00:13:13,313
Bianca.
244
00:13:15,026 --> 00:13:17,460
Nice to meet you, Bianca.
245
00:13:17,460 --> 00:13:18,293
Hi, there.
246
00:13:19,704 --> 00:13:23,150
It might be easier if you
lot come over here for Joe.
247
00:13:23,150 --> 00:13:26,130
Whoo, the Sydney Showboat.
- [Dancer] Yeah.
248
00:13:26,130 --> 00:13:27,807
- Gosh, you've come a long way.
249
00:13:29,251 --> 00:13:31,640
And it will show them some choreography.
250
00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,080
They will come across the
floor doing the choreography.
251
00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:36,510
That will give me the first look.
252
00:13:36,510 --> 00:13:38,323
We try to relax everybody.
253
00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:41,870
- Pas de bourrée, pas
de bourrée, en turnout.
254
00:13:41,870 --> 00:13:45,211
You move forward on the
turning pas de bourrée.
255
00:13:45,211 --> 00:13:47,810
Soutenu with the arms up.
256
00:13:47,810 --> 00:13:49,133
Jump, drop.
257
00:13:50,370 --> 00:13:51,820
Push.
258
00:13:51,820 --> 00:13:54,553
It goes seven and eight.
259
00:13:54,553 --> 00:13:56,330
Yeah, now with me.
260
00:13:56,330 --> 00:13:58,153
Just mark it where you are.
261
00:13:58,153 --> 00:14:01,150
Five, six, seven, eight.
262
00:14:01,150 --> 00:14:04,830
And one and two, three, and four,
263
00:14:04,830 --> 00:14:08,013
five, six, up, seven and eight.
264
00:14:08,850 --> 00:14:09,683
Yes or no?
265
00:14:09,683 --> 00:14:12,100
- [Translator] As a young
dancer you have the choice
266
00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:14,790
between some shabby ballet and opera.
267
00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:17,370
And the Moulin Rouge is
somewhere in between.
268
00:14:17,370 --> 00:14:19,590
If you come from Australia
or some other place
269
00:14:19,590 --> 00:14:21,837
at the end of the world
and are offered the chance
270
00:14:21,837 --> 00:14:25,756
to dance at the Moulin Rouge
in Paris, the City of Lights,
271
00:14:25,756 --> 00:14:28,083
you won't hesitate for a second.
272
00:14:30,208 --> 00:14:33,720
- You start to get the feel
by the way people stand,
273
00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:38,120
by the way they look and they
listen to the choreography,
274
00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:41,870
and by the way they behave
during the audition,
275
00:14:41,870 --> 00:14:43,870
how they follow instructions.
276
00:14:43,870 --> 00:14:48,230
Already you can see, you
can get a feel for them.
277
00:14:48,230 --> 00:14:50,768
The way they smile, the way they laugh.
278
00:14:50,768 --> 00:14:54,435
(Don't Tell 'Em by Jeremih)
279
00:14:57,496 --> 00:15:02,176
- [Dancer] I'll tip you off, don't worry.
280
00:15:02,176 --> 00:15:04,480
Okay, here you go, ready?
281
00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,803
- And then I will start thinning out.
282
00:15:07,803 --> 00:15:08,686
(pop music)
283
00:15:08,686 --> 00:15:12,936
(choreographer giving instruction)
284
00:15:15,940 --> 00:15:18,290
- [Choreographer] Five,
six, seven, eight, one.
285
00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:24,460
- Gail.
286
00:15:24,460 --> 00:15:25,543
- [Natalie] Natalie Bukra.
287
00:15:28,025 --> 00:15:29,325
- [Victoria] Victoria Bell.
288
00:15:29,325 --> 00:15:33,225
- Victoria Bell, 'cause's
there's two Victoria's today
289
00:15:33,225 --> 00:15:34,743
as we have a feast tonight.
290
00:15:34,743 --> 00:15:38,800
Basically, I'm looking for
dancers that can learn fast.
291
00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,180
I will be looking for very
good figure and long legs
292
00:15:42,180 --> 00:15:44,410
to look good in the costumes.
293
00:15:44,410 --> 00:15:46,340
And then I'll be looking at the faces.
294
00:15:46,340 --> 00:15:48,340
Face, very, very important.
295
00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:51,210
So I'll be looking for height, of course.
296
00:15:51,210 --> 00:15:53,660
Preferably one meter, 75 for the girls
297
00:15:53,660 --> 00:15:56,460
and one meter, 85 for the boys.
298
00:15:56,460 --> 00:15:57,610
- [Translator] Why do you choose to dance
299
00:15:57,610 --> 00:15:59,540
at the Moulin Rouge instead of a ballet?
300
00:15:59,540 --> 00:16:01,016
It's all a question of body height.
301
00:16:01,016 --> 00:16:02,904
Once you're bigger than one meter, 70
302
00:16:02,904 --> 00:16:05,170
you have no chance at the ballet
303
00:16:05,170 --> 00:16:08,040
so you try your luck at the Moulin Rouge.
304
00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,463
- Janet has got a lot of hair, ha!
305
00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,473
172.
(speaking French)
306
00:16:17,473 --> 00:16:18,400
- [Rick] Name?
307
00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,192
- Tanya.
- [Janet] Tanya.
308
00:16:20,192 --> 00:16:22,466
- Tatiana.
- [Janet] Tatiana.
309
00:16:22,466 --> 00:16:25,630
(speaking French)
310
00:16:25,630 --> 00:16:27,375
You watching the heels there, Rick?
311
00:16:27,375 --> 00:16:28,542
- [Rick] Yeah.
312
00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,050
- Hang on a minute, I've got, oh.
313
00:16:33,350 --> 00:16:35,083
Okay, 173.
314
00:16:36,290 --> 00:16:37,123
It's only rough.
315
00:16:38,170 --> 00:16:39,263
- [Translator] That's mean.
316
00:16:39,263 --> 00:16:41,964
- [Janet] 169 and a half.
317
00:16:41,964 --> 00:16:43,882
- [Translator] 69.
318
00:16:43,882 --> 00:16:45,170
(dancers laughing)
319
00:16:45,170 --> 00:16:50,170
- You realize that, as I
audition around the world,
320
00:16:51,550 --> 00:16:55,820
if people are better than
you or if there is somebody
321
00:16:55,820 --> 00:17:00,820
like you I will always
choose the taller girl, okay?
322
00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:02,950
Yes?
323
00:17:02,950 --> 00:17:07,950
So your chances of actually
being offered a job
324
00:17:08,538 --> 00:17:11,133
are very much diminished now.
325
00:17:12,390 --> 00:17:14,780
- Have you heard of like
what they do in Paris
326
00:17:14,780 --> 00:17:16,870
with the tall dancers, 'cause being like
327
00:17:16,870 --> 00:17:18,270
five-eleven, six foot.
328
00:17:18,270 --> 00:17:20,940
- I knew that they loved tall girls and
329
00:17:20,940 --> 00:17:24,700
because I'm five-foot-eleven I thought
330
00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:26,940
it'd be a good idea to audition.
331
00:17:26,940 --> 00:17:30,410
- So I haven't always
thought I wanted to do it
332
00:17:30,410 --> 00:17:31,880
'cause I went to a ballet school
333
00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,450
so I thought I might do ballet first.
334
00:17:34,450 --> 00:17:38,760
- And then I was doing
gymnastic until my 14 years old,
335
00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:40,680
and then at 14 years old I was too tall
336
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,443
to continue the gymnastic.
337
00:17:42,443 --> 00:17:45,526
(upbeat dance music)
338
00:17:54,150 --> 00:17:57,120
- 20 minutes, well, you
let 'em go to the toilet
339
00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:58,793
and have a drink of water.
- [Rick] Okay.
340
00:18:00,010 --> 00:18:02,135
- Anybody need the bathroom?
341
00:18:02,135 --> 00:18:06,640
- Well, I auditioned last year in July,
342
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,197
and I had to do two auditions because
343
00:18:10,197 --> 00:18:12,300
there were two around where I lived.
344
00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:15,970
And the first one they told me
I was too short to come here.
345
00:18:15,970 --> 00:18:18,320
And then I did one I
think three days later
346
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,311
and I was the right height
so must have grown overnight.
347
00:18:22,311 --> 00:18:23,762
(laughing)
348
00:18:23,762 --> 00:18:26,173
(speaking French)
349
00:18:26,173 --> 00:18:29,470
- [Translator] It's very
stressful as you need
350
00:18:29,470 --> 00:18:32,253
to shine among hundreds of other girls.
351
00:18:33,780 --> 00:18:35,973
You need to show your motivation.
352
00:18:41,910 --> 00:18:43,170
- [Translator] I had no training,
353
00:18:43,170 --> 00:18:45,740
my job was selling programs in the hall
354
00:18:45,740 --> 00:18:48,290
and I was clueless what
to do when someone came
355
00:18:48,290 --> 00:18:51,110
to me and said I'd like
to see you onstage,
356
00:18:51,110 --> 00:18:53,220
let's find out if you can move.
357
00:18:53,220 --> 00:18:55,010
And I was very clumsy and felt
358
00:18:55,010 --> 00:18:57,520
like a little animal when I got onstage.
359
00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,407
I just heard Roland Petit say,
360
00:18:59,407 --> 00:19:01,477
"Oh boy, what shall we do with her?"
361
00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:06,110
- [Translator] I'll never
forget how it started with me.
362
00:19:06,110 --> 00:19:09,400
I spent the night in a
hotel near Gare de Lyon
363
00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,483
and got up very early as
I hadn't slept a minute.
364
00:19:13,460 --> 00:19:16,580
And as I didn't bring a
dress I went to some shop,
365
00:19:16,580 --> 00:19:17,713
a clothing store.
366
00:19:19,417 --> 00:19:21,850
I bought some clothes,
went to the audition,
367
00:19:21,850 --> 00:19:22,873
and got my contract.
368
00:19:24,342 --> 00:19:27,259
(upbeat pop music)
369
00:19:31,541 --> 00:19:32,374
- Cha cha!
370
00:19:36,203 --> 00:19:40,372
♪ I got the matches,
you got the gasoline ♪
371
00:19:40,372 --> 00:19:44,173
♪ Light up the floor
like it's Billie Jean ♪
372
00:19:44,173 --> 00:19:47,884
♪ The way we're movin'
by the end of the song ♪
373
00:19:47,884 --> 00:19:52,884
♪ They're gonna have to
pull the fire, fire alarm ♪
374
00:19:53,003 --> 00:19:57,820
- There were some good
elements, some not so good.
375
00:19:57,820 --> 00:19:59,477
So I was very happy at the end.
376
00:19:59,477 --> 00:20:02,623
Had a lotta kisses, very sweaty kisses,
377
00:20:03,592 --> 00:20:06,010
so I'm happy that they
all enjoyed themselves.
378
00:20:06,010 --> 00:20:07,160
I think that was great.
379
00:20:08,001 --> 00:20:11,501
(soft instrumental music)
380
00:20:15,563 --> 00:20:17,963
- [Narrator] Every day, every evening,
381
00:20:17,963 --> 00:20:21,430
each year, the magic awakens.
382
00:20:21,430 --> 00:20:23,590
Everything is spot on.
383
00:20:23,590 --> 00:20:26,373
Routine becomes a ritual and movements
384
00:20:26,373 --> 00:20:29,290
are turned into choreography.
385
00:20:29,290 --> 00:20:34,290
More than 80 male and female
artists prepare for their show.
386
00:20:34,450 --> 00:20:39,163
120 people will provide
sustenance for the 900 guests.
387
00:20:40,620 --> 00:20:44,103
The show is sold out, almost as always.
388
00:21:06,459 --> 00:21:10,240
There are two shows per
day and the 60 dancers,
389
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,570
the so-called Doriss Girls,
390
00:21:12,570 --> 00:21:15,370
are the main attraction of the program.
391
00:21:15,370 --> 00:21:19,170
Their name comes from
German native, Doris Haug,
392
00:21:19,170 --> 00:21:22,850
who founded this cancan troupe in 1957
393
00:21:22,850 --> 00:21:26,070
and helped put the Moulin
Rouge back on the map
394
00:21:26,070 --> 00:21:28,970
with her choreographies and shows.
395
00:21:28,970 --> 00:21:32,900
In 2014, she died at the age of 87,
396
00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:36,487
but her Doriss Girls keep
on dancing day by day.
397
00:21:40,403 --> 00:21:45,153
(dancers and staff chattering backstage)
398
00:21:46,347 --> 00:21:50,597
(dancer speaking foreign language)
399
00:22:06,147 --> 00:22:08,814
(cabaret music)
400
00:22:18,010 --> 00:22:20,560
- [Translator] The first
time always feels strange.
401
00:22:23,989 --> 00:22:26,150
(bell dings)
(speaking French)
402
00:22:26,150 --> 00:22:28,820
I used to be a solo dancer for cancan
403
00:22:28,820 --> 00:22:31,983
and I did this job for four
years at the Moulin Rouge,
404
00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:37,160
but then the girl who did the
snake show left and asked me
405
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:40,323
if I wouldn't want to try it,
possibly take over the act.
406
00:22:43,448 --> 00:22:47,281
(dramatic instrumental music)
407
00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:08,461
It's strange to jump in
a pool full of snakes,
408
00:23:08,461 --> 00:23:11,800
but in front of an audience
with all the rhinestone
409
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,950
and the light, you tend to forget the risk
410
00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,813
even though it's not really dangerous.
411
00:23:20,974 --> 00:23:24,807
(dramatic instrumental music)
412
00:23:37,850 --> 00:23:40,193
It may sound funny, but they know me.
413
00:23:41,129 --> 00:23:43,700
There are some snakes
that become very calm
414
00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:44,800
when I work with them.
415
00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:49,304
If I'm not there, due to
vacation, for example,
416
00:23:49,304 --> 00:23:52,033
they're much more busy and nervous.
417
00:23:56,198 --> 00:23:58,810
There are 15 snakes in total
418
00:24:00,310 --> 00:24:02,563
and they're changed for the evening shows.
419
00:24:04,470 --> 00:24:05,573
It's like a rotation.
420
00:24:07,820 --> 00:24:09,549
Some are really lovable and you build
421
00:24:09,549 --> 00:24:11,333
up a relationship with them.
422
00:24:14,328 --> 00:24:18,578
(audience cheering and applauding)
423
00:24:25,740 --> 00:24:28,690
When I jump in, they're
already in the pool,
424
00:24:28,690 --> 00:24:32,080
but when the pool closes I
take them out of the water
425
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,340
and give them to the animal handler.
426
00:24:34,340 --> 00:24:35,810
They can't stay in the water the
427
00:24:35,810 --> 00:24:37,630
whole time and neither can I.
428
00:24:39,872 --> 00:24:43,622
(staff chattering in French)
429
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,170
- [Translator] Everything okay?
430
00:24:50,170 --> 00:24:51,980
- [Translator] Yes, how about you?
431
00:24:51,980 --> 00:24:53,630
- [Translator] Everything's fine.
432
00:24:55,460 --> 00:24:56,867
- [Translator] Got it?
433
00:24:56,867 --> 00:24:58,450
- [Translator] Yes.
434
00:25:19,550 --> 00:25:20,520
- [Translator] The animals can feel if
435
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:24,533
you're afraid so it's better not to be.
436
00:25:26,210 --> 00:25:28,150
- [Translator] Everything's
perfectly organized.
437
00:25:28,150 --> 00:25:31,240
The animal handlers arrive
shortly before the show starts,
438
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,480
bring the animals in,
and take them away again.
439
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,490
The snakes are treated like stars.
440
00:25:35,490 --> 00:25:38,645
Animals at the Moulin Rouge
can consider themselves lucky.
441
00:25:38,645 --> 00:25:40,987
I can imagine that they
talk among each other
442
00:25:40,987 --> 00:25:43,520
if there are still some vacancies.
443
00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,715
There should be auditions for
them, like for the dancers.
444
00:25:46,715 --> 00:25:49,382
(cabaret music)
445
00:26:11,900 --> 00:26:13,113
- [Translator] When I worked as a dancer,
446
00:26:13,113 --> 00:26:16,173
we had two big horses that got onstage.
447
00:26:17,290 --> 00:26:19,893
Today it's six, but they're small ponies.
448
00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:27,783
They have their space here
before and after their show.
449
00:26:34,110 --> 00:26:35,351
I believe they recognize us.
450
00:26:35,351 --> 00:26:38,001
I'm not sure, as I've never asked them,
451
00:26:38,001 --> 00:26:40,333
but every evening we
say hello to each other.
452
00:26:59,047 --> 00:27:02,589
(gowns rustling)
453
00:27:02,589 --> 00:27:05,740
- [Narrator] Times change, the costumes,
454
00:27:05,740 --> 00:27:07,200
the program, the music.
455
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,640
Everything evolved
during the past decades,
456
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,493
but still, there is
always a hint of nostalgia
457
00:27:12,493 --> 00:27:16,550
inside the Moulin Rouge,
all around the stage.
458
00:27:16,550 --> 00:27:19,455
Back there is also the space
where the approximately
459
00:27:19,455 --> 00:27:24,455
1000 hand-sewn costumes for
all the shows are stored.
460
00:27:24,820 --> 00:27:29,223
It's a colorful realm of
feathers, rhinestone, and sequins.
461
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:33,673
- [Translator] How are you?
462
00:27:33,673 --> 00:27:34,700
- [Translator] Good, thanks.
463
00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:36,590
- [Translator] Great to see you
again, did you bring photos?
464
00:27:36,590 --> 00:27:38,060
- [Translator] Yes, photos from back
465
00:27:38,060 --> 00:27:39,720
when I started working here.
466
00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,042
This is from my early beginnings in 1965.
467
00:27:43,042 --> 00:27:43,990
- [Translator] Frenizille.
468
00:27:43,990 --> 00:27:45,600
- [Translator] You really remember that?
469
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,530
I can't recall all the names.
470
00:27:47,530 --> 00:27:49,188
- [Translator] I'm sure it
was Frenizille, when was this?
471
00:27:49,188 --> 00:27:51,670
Do you remember the choreography?
472
00:27:51,670 --> 00:27:53,340
- [Translator] Sure, the small ones.
473
00:27:53,340 --> 00:27:54,290
- [Translator] The diagonal.
474
00:27:54,290 --> 00:27:55,475
- [Translator] We had to tilt our heads,
475
00:27:55,475 --> 00:27:58,842
but it was really difficult
as we had our hats on
476
00:27:58,842 --> 00:28:01,840
and we couldn't really
do it because the hats
477
00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,053
were so heavy and often fell down.
478
00:28:06,461 --> 00:28:08,203
- [Translator] I love this one.
479
00:28:09,190 --> 00:28:12,500
Do you remember the
rehearsals for this one?
480
00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:15,470
- [Translator] Do you
see where my leg goes?
481
00:28:15,470 --> 00:28:17,403
- [Translator] You did
that every evening, right?
482
00:28:18,350 --> 00:28:19,390
- [Translator] Bye then.
483
00:28:19,390 --> 00:28:21,270
- [Translator] It was great
to see you, take care.
484
00:28:21,270 --> 00:28:22,510
- [Translator] Bye.
485
00:28:22,510 --> 00:28:23,673
- [Translator] See you soon.
486
00:28:26,010 --> 00:28:28,434
- [Translator] Later I switched
to a job doing costumes.
487
00:28:28,434 --> 00:28:30,079
It's something quite different,
488
00:28:30,079 --> 00:28:33,670
but I could stay in the same surrounding.
489
00:28:33,670 --> 00:28:35,150
- [Translator] And this was the premiere?
490
00:28:35,150 --> 00:28:37,123
- [Translator] Yes, in 1965.
491
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:43,153
Great.
492
00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:45,693
It was my first revue.
493
00:28:47,345 --> 00:28:49,520
- [Translator] What a beautiful hairdo.
494
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:50,726
- [Translator] I had to be careful
495
00:28:50,726 --> 00:28:53,150
as it could tear out my hair.
496
00:28:53,150 --> 00:28:54,090
- [Translator] Really?
497
00:28:54,090 --> 00:28:56,166
- [Translator] It was quite
heavy and as there was wire
498
00:28:56,166 --> 00:28:57,943
in the back I lost a lot of hair
499
00:28:57,943 --> 00:29:00,523
in the middle and the back of my head.
500
00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:03,000
- [Translator] Because of the hair slides?
501
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,400
- [Translator] Right,
they held it all together.
502
00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:09,571
- [Translator] But I'm sure
it made quite an impression.
503
00:29:09,571 --> 00:29:12,050
And look at that face, oh la la!
504
00:29:12,050 --> 00:29:14,100
It's still the same picture.
505
00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:17,000
- [Translator] Yes, by
Toulouse-Lautrec, it's still there.
506
00:29:17,876 --> 00:29:21,543
(upbeat instrumental music)
507
00:29:35,250 --> 00:29:37,520
- [Translator] Great memories, right?
508
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,450
- [Translator] Yes, I brought
them for you to look at.
509
00:29:39,450 --> 00:29:41,710
- [Translator] All those cancan revues.
510
00:29:41,710 --> 00:29:43,260
You worked here for 50 years.
511
00:29:43,260 --> 00:29:45,540
You're a true celebrity
at the Moulin Rouge,
512
00:29:45,540 --> 00:29:46,950
everybody knows you.
513
00:29:46,950 --> 00:29:50,890
- [Translator] It's been 50
years, but not 50 years onstage,
514
00:29:50,890 --> 00:29:53,840
but I worked onstage as long as I could.
515
00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:54,684
- [Translator] Every evening.
516
00:29:54,684 --> 00:29:56,916
How was the atmosphere back then?
517
00:29:56,916 --> 00:29:59,193
- [Translator] It was great, wonderful.
518
00:30:00,580 --> 00:30:02,710
I remember the string tangos.
519
00:30:02,710 --> 00:30:05,110
When I started working in 1965,
520
00:30:05,110 --> 00:30:08,220
there were these costumes
that were called la neige.
521
00:30:08,220 --> 00:30:09,405
We wore knickers underneath,
522
00:30:09,405 --> 00:30:12,720
but if we moved a lot and
swung our legs in the air
523
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,230
at the beginning of the
show, the knickers somehow
524
00:30:15,230 --> 00:30:17,573
slipped between our butt cheeks.
525
00:30:19,510 --> 00:30:22,824
So I told Ouineverge who
still works with the costumes,
526
00:30:22,824 --> 00:30:26,340
listen, why don't you
attach a string there
527
00:30:26,340 --> 00:30:28,740
and it would make things a lot easier?
528
00:30:28,740 --> 00:30:31,853
She did and that's how it is still today.
529
00:30:35,060 --> 00:30:36,810
We used to party a lot up there,
530
00:30:36,810 --> 00:30:38,830
but that's forbidden today.
531
00:30:38,830 --> 00:30:40,473
- [Translator] Yes, that's right.
532
00:30:41,350 --> 00:30:43,120
- [Translator] We celebrated
all the birthdays.
533
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,093
There was always cake and champagne.
534
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,420
- [Translator] That's
according to my taste.
535
00:30:48,420 --> 00:30:51,720
- [Translator] You only have
cake now and a bottle of water.
536
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:52,742
- [Translator] Water, that's right.
537
00:30:52,742 --> 00:30:54,083
- [Translator] That's sad.
538
00:30:57,230 --> 00:30:59,380
Sometimes I was a naughty girl.
539
00:30:59,380 --> 00:31:01,930
Those birthday parties were fabulous.
540
00:31:01,930 --> 00:31:04,453
I invited them all and they came over.
541
00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:07,853
I'll watch the show tonight.
542
00:31:10,570 --> 00:31:13,880
- [Translator] We'll give our
best and lift our legs high.
543
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:15,083
Lift our legs.
544
00:31:17,150 --> 00:31:19,450
- [Translator] No, I don't dance anymore,
545
00:31:19,450 --> 00:31:21,566
only when I'm on vacation.
546
00:31:21,566 --> 00:31:22,750
(laughing)
547
00:31:22,750 --> 00:31:24,795
- [Translator] Those were the
golden days, do you remember?
548
00:31:24,795 --> 00:31:27,468
There were so many venues in Paris.
549
00:31:27,468 --> 00:31:30,135
(cabaret music)
550
00:31:40,707 --> 00:31:44,700
People went from one theater,
from one cabaret to the next.
551
00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:46,000
- [Translator] I remember
that there were girls
552
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,225
who danced on the stage
at the Casino and then
553
00:31:48,225 --> 00:31:50,505
went straight to work at other cabarets.
554
00:31:50,505 --> 00:31:53,314
They worked until five
o'clock in the morning.
555
00:31:53,314 --> 00:31:55,981
(cabaret music)
556
00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,486
- [Translator] We worked a lot back then.
557
00:32:13,486 --> 00:32:18,056
The girls still do, but we
also did many TV appearances,
558
00:32:18,056 --> 00:32:20,830
but it all changed.
559
00:32:20,830 --> 00:32:23,313
There's not much dancing on TV anymore.
560
00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,350
We worked with Carpentier and I even
561
00:32:27,350 --> 00:32:32,350
did an appearance with
Jean Noir, do you know him?
562
00:32:34,496 --> 00:32:36,374
- [Translator] I also
think that the dancing
563
00:32:36,374 --> 00:32:38,363
forms have changed.
564
00:32:39,604 --> 00:32:44,593
There are more movements
and it's more complicated.
565
00:32:47,076 --> 00:32:49,743
(cabaret music)
566
00:32:54,206 --> 00:32:57,130
- [Translator] If you compare a 1970s show
567
00:32:57,130 --> 00:33:00,620
with one today, it still
follows the same principles.
568
00:33:00,620 --> 00:33:02,693
It's still the same revue,
569
00:33:02,693 --> 00:33:05,650
but still it's completely different.
570
00:33:05,650 --> 00:33:08,330
The rhythms, the melodies
have changed, the movements,
571
00:33:08,330 --> 00:33:11,790
the stage decoration, but
it's still the same show.
572
00:33:11,790 --> 00:33:14,120
The Moulin Rouge is an undying idol.
573
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,920
As long as there's Paris there
will be the Moulin Rouge.
574
00:33:18,900 --> 00:33:20,017
- [Translator] You worked
at the Moulin Rouge
575
00:33:20,017 --> 00:33:22,622
for three years without a single day off.
576
00:33:22,622 --> 00:33:24,543
That's really tough.
577
00:33:27,278 --> 00:33:28,920
- [Translator] It wasn't
that tough for me.
578
00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,143
I considered it rather normal.
579
00:33:32,660 --> 00:33:34,420
- [Translator] I can relate to that.
580
00:33:34,420 --> 00:33:36,718
But seven days per week
is quite something,
581
00:33:36,718 --> 00:33:38,553
but we'd gotten use to it.
582
00:33:40,930 --> 00:33:43,730
- [Translator] But to be
honest, once you had your place
583
00:33:43,730 --> 00:33:46,373
here you didn't want to leave it again.
584
00:33:47,718 --> 00:33:49,850
(laughing)
585
00:33:49,850 --> 00:33:51,480
- [Translator] That's not how it is today.
586
00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,810
People won't be allowed to
work seven days per week.
587
00:33:54,810 --> 00:33:57,293
Luckily, there are laws for that now.
588
00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:01,850
- I think they followed
the style of the society.
589
00:34:01,850 --> 00:34:05,690
Society is more modern
now, there is a rhythm.
590
00:34:05,690 --> 00:34:08,233
Everybody's connected to the planet.
591
00:34:08,233 --> 00:34:11,079
Before we had no connection
except, you know,
592
00:34:11,079 --> 00:34:11,912
in the dressing room side.
593
00:34:11,912 --> 00:34:14,911
I knew all the life of my colleagues.
594
00:34:14,911 --> 00:34:16,940
Now it's so different.
595
00:34:16,940 --> 00:34:21,070
Everybody is focusing on the smartphones
596
00:34:21,070 --> 00:34:23,534
and Facebook, whatever.
597
00:34:23,534 --> 00:34:27,201
(upbeat instrumental music)
598
00:34:34,630 --> 00:34:37,530
- That's the main difference.
599
00:34:37,530 --> 00:34:41,740
The personality, the way they behave,
600
00:34:41,740 --> 00:34:44,633
exactly the same as it's always been.
601
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,110
The aspirations, the
fears, the way the job--
602
00:34:49,110 --> 00:34:54,110
It's the same, that hasn't changed at all.
603
00:34:54,145 --> 00:34:57,228
(instrumental music)
604
00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:03,970
- [Narrator] Many dream
about being on the stage
605
00:35:03,970 --> 00:35:06,809
of the greatest vaudeville
theater in the world,
606
00:35:06,809 --> 00:35:10,020
but they're not alone there.
607
00:35:10,020 --> 00:35:13,093
They're just one star among many others.
608
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:21,940
- [Translator] It's not
easy as everyone wants
609
00:35:21,940 --> 00:35:23,660
to be the most beautiful.
610
00:35:23,660 --> 00:35:26,809
- Beautiful and you probably know it
611
00:35:26,809 --> 00:35:28,890
because, you know, you have eyes.
612
00:35:28,890 --> 00:35:30,790
You know you have maybe a better body
613
00:35:30,790 --> 00:35:33,260
and everything from other
people in the street.
614
00:35:33,260 --> 00:35:36,200
- [Translator] The most
beautiful, the best dancer.
615
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,760
You want to be better than the others
616
00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,513
and it's not easy to cope
with this every night.
617
00:35:43,210 --> 00:35:45,710
- When you come here, though,
you're going to be part
618
00:35:45,710 --> 00:35:50,710
of 70, 80 other beautiful people
so really that's put away.
619
00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:52,890
There's no point having
a big head about things.
620
00:35:52,890 --> 00:35:55,040
We have no big heads here,
621
00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:58,223
that you leave your ego at home.
622
00:35:59,460 --> 00:36:01,240
- [Translator] Nowadays
the troop of the Moulin
623
00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:02,380
Rouge is anonymous.
624
00:36:02,380 --> 00:36:04,216
The dancers with their
so-called captain don't
625
00:36:04,216 --> 00:36:06,265
get in contact with the audience.
626
00:36:06,265 --> 00:36:08,961
They enter the theater
via the staff entrance
627
00:36:08,961 --> 00:36:11,283
and aren't allowed to step into the hall.
628
00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:14,050
The audience admires them when they're
629
00:36:14,050 --> 00:36:15,960
onstage and they're completely anonymous
630
00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:17,610
when they're on the street again.
631
00:36:20,620 --> 00:36:22,158
- [Translator] If I play a major part,
632
00:36:22,158 --> 00:36:26,758
I have my own dressing
room and someone by my side
633
00:36:26,758 --> 00:36:31,583
who helps that things go
smoothly, I like that.
634
00:36:32,830 --> 00:36:35,250
You're treated like a little star
635
00:36:36,690 --> 00:36:39,673
and during the show you are the real star.
636
00:36:43,187 --> 00:36:46,675
(singing backstage)
637
00:36:46,675 --> 00:36:49,147
Actually, I sang that song once.
638
00:36:49,147 --> 00:36:52,230
(instrumental music)
639
00:37:12,042 --> 00:37:15,680
- [Translator] Nicola used to
be a cancan solo dancer, too.
640
00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:17,710
- [Translator] That's true, we both were.
641
00:37:17,710 --> 00:37:20,557
- [Translator] We
performed onstage together.
642
00:37:20,557 --> 00:37:22,480
- [Translator] I danced
for the show for 20 years
643
00:37:22,480 --> 00:37:24,250
and now I continue working as a dresser,
644
00:37:24,250 --> 00:37:26,533
so I'm still somehow part of the shows.
645
00:37:28,689 --> 00:37:33,439
(staff and dancers chattering backstage)
646
00:37:41,975 --> 00:37:44,642
(cabaret music)
647
00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:04,900
They shouldn't miss their appearance
648
00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:07,500
if there's a costume
malfunction at the last minute.
649
00:38:10,050 --> 00:38:11,480
- [Translator] Luckily
there are the dressers
650
00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:13,650
who help us and explain everything,
651
00:38:13,650 --> 00:38:15,883
otherwise we wouldn't be able to manage.
652
00:38:17,900 --> 00:38:19,386
- [Translator] I always
dream about not being able
653
00:38:19,386 --> 00:38:22,730
to get onstage because
my costume isn't ready.
654
00:38:22,730 --> 00:38:25,483
It would be a nightmare if I miss my cue.
655
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:29,827
- [Translator] It's our
duty to prepare the dancers
656
00:38:29,827 --> 00:38:32,375
for their show onstage
in exactly the costumes
657
00:38:32,375 --> 00:38:34,023
that are meant for them.
658
00:38:35,510 --> 00:38:36,710
- [Translator] They're not responsible
659
00:38:36,710 --> 00:38:38,203
for us being on time, though.
660
00:38:40,190 --> 00:38:42,750
- [Translator] The dresser
and costumer do a great job
661
00:38:42,750 --> 00:38:45,970
especially in regard to
maintenance of the costumes.
662
00:38:45,970 --> 00:38:49,400
They need to be cared for
properly as they are in daily use.
663
00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,273
That's not to be taken for granted.
664
00:38:58,090 --> 00:38:59,420
- [Translator] In order to save some time,
665
00:38:59,420 --> 00:39:02,093
we prepare each of the costumes backstage.
666
00:39:04,450 --> 00:39:06,040
It takes about 40 seconds.
667
00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:06,876
They need to change there costume
668
00:39:06,876 --> 00:39:08,663
during that period of time.
669
00:39:11,192 --> 00:39:13,859
(cabaret music)
670
00:39:34,630 --> 00:39:35,530
It's routine work.
671
00:39:38,706 --> 00:39:41,789
(laughing backstage)
672
00:39:44,131 --> 00:39:46,881
But there may be small accidents.
673
00:39:48,290 --> 00:39:49,680
- [Translator] But we'll find a solution.
674
00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:51,870
I'll go out anyhow, right?
675
00:39:51,870 --> 00:39:53,143
- [Translator] Things happen.
676
00:39:55,060 --> 00:39:56,670
- [Translator] Sometimes
you lose an earring
677
00:39:56,670 --> 00:39:59,370
during all that fuss and
it lands at the strangest
678
00:39:59,370 --> 00:40:01,497
places or even near the office.
679
00:40:03,070 --> 00:40:07,199
- Well, the first time my string came off
680
00:40:07,199 --> 00:40:10,470
and then the second time--
(dancer laughs)
681
00:40:10,470 --> 00:40:13,470
The second time, there's like these beads
682
00:40:13,470 --> 00:40:15,720
and they're attached to our
ankle and that came undone
683
00:40:15,720 --> 00:40:19,300
and I tripped over them
and kinda like fell over,
684
00:40:19,300 --> 00:40:20,760
but that's okay.
685
00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,120
It's not gonna happen tonight.
686
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:23,983
I'm gonna be very careful of it.
687
00:40:26,165 --> 00:40:27,420
- [Translator] There
have been some mishaps.
688
00:40:27,420 --> 00:40:29,363
I fell onstage during a performance.
689
00:40:31,170 --> 00:40:32,930
- [Translator] The heel of my boot cracked
690
00:40:32,930 --> 00:40:35,710
so I did everything on the ball of my foot
691
00:40:35,710 --> 00:40:38,467
trying not to show anyone.
692
00:40:38,467 --> 00:40:42,340
It went okay in the end.
(laughing)
693
00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:45,240
- [Translator] I wouldn't
mind going onstage
694
00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:46,800
with bare feet.
(laughing)
695
00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,420
- [Translator] It can be funny, too,
696
00:40:48,420 --> 00:40:49,803
you just need to improvise.
697
00:40:51,495 --> 00:40:54,995
(music playing backstage)
698
00:40:58,035 --> 00:40:59,690
- [Translator] Let me
put that on the rack.
699
00:40:59,690 --> 00:41:00,913
I'll be right with you.
700
00:41:04,095 --> 00:41:06,928
(speaking French)
701
00:41:08,510 --> 00:41:11,511
- [Translator] Jeanne, this
is one from the cancan.
702
00:41:11,511 --> 00:41:14,107
Could you exchange the zipper please?
703
00:41:17,910 --> 00:41:19,570
- [Translator] The zipper
didn't close properly
704
00:41:19,570 --> 00:41:23,500
as it was quite worn,
therefore I had it exchanged
705
00:41:23,500 --> 00:41:26,530
so that it wouldn't cause
any trouble in the future.
706
00:41:26,530 --> 00:41:30,380
It's always better to be
prepared for eventualities.
707
00:41:38,350 --> 00:41:42,080
The costumes must be of very high quality.
708
00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:44,860
The materials must be robust so
709
00:41:44,860 --> 00:41:46,993
that they don't wear out too soon.
710
00:41:48,420 --> 00:41:51,290
Two shows put quite a
strain on the costumes.
711
00:41:51,290 --> 00:41:54,280
If the seams aren't
sturdy, they may tear open.
712
00:41:58,025 --> 00:42:01,108
(instrumental music)
713
00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:17,580
- [Narrator] The Moulin Rouge isn't like
714
00:42:17,580 --> 00:42:22,580
any other workplace, it's a
dream factory that never stops.
715
00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,138
Whoever wants to be part of this carousel
716
00:42:25,138 --> 00:42:28,533
must be completely dedicated to it.
717
00:42:35,530 --> 00:42:37,960
- [Translator] At night,
we turn into princesses.
718
00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:40,076
We perform in front of
thousands of people.
719
00:42:40,076 --> 00:42:42,303
It feels almost like a dream.
720
00:42:43,406 --> 00:42:46,308
(soft vocal music)
721
00:42:46,308 --> 00:42:48,703
There are two different worlds for me.
722
00:42:49,900 --> 00:42:52,513
At home, there's my
daily life as a mother,
723
00:42:53,390 --> 00:42:56,013
but everything changes when I get here.
724
00:42:57,300 --> 00:43:00,623
I focus on myself and
become a different person.
725
00:43:02,510 --> 00:43:05,600
I put on makeup, become this character.
726
00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:08,473
I love it because of this heavy contrast.
727
00:43:13,310 --> 00:43:15,673
But now I need to get onstage.
728
00:43:16,873 --> 00:43:20,290
(costume beads rattling)
729
00:43:21,710 --> 00:43:24,070
I'm hardly ever there to put my child
730
00:43:24,070 --> 00:43:27,859
to bed in the evenings, that's tough,
731
00:43:27,859 --> 00:43:31,883
but once a week I have an
evening off, on Sundays.
732
00:43:33,770 --> 00:43:35,740
- [Translator] It
complicates life if you work
733
00:43:35,740 --> 00:43:38,550
in the evenings and raise
a child by yourself.
734
00:43:38,550 --> 00:43:41,580
I was lucky because my
mother helped me a lot
735
00:43:41,580 --> 00:43:45,840
when my kids were young and
later they got used to it.
736
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:48,853
They stayed at home or
I picked them up later.
737
00:43:50,700 --> 00:43:52,440
- [Translator] I don't
know how they manage.
738
00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:54,370
Being at home with such a schedule.
739
00:43:54,370 --> 00:43:55,573
They're real fighters.
740
00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,137
- [Translator] You need to be present 24/7
741
00:43:58,137 --> 00:44:00,333
and you need to give up your private life.
742
00:44:02,529 --> 00:44:05,983
- [Translator] Of course,
you pay for it and so did I.
743
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:09,183
My dream was to have children.
744
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:12,860
- Forget going out in the evening,
745
00:44:12,860 --> 00:44:15,340
forget meeting people at
eight o'clock in the evening
746
00:44:15,340 --> 00:44:18,267
to go to dinner, that is not happening.
747
00:44:18,267 --> 00:44:21,043
And that can be very hard
for a lot of young people.
748
00:44:22,180 --> 00:44:25,313
You know, the boyfriend, you
are not going to see him.
749
00:44:28,420 --> 00:44:29,530
- [Translator] There's no boyfriend.
750
00:44:29,530 --> 00:44:33,284
This is my family.
(laughing)
751
00:44:33,284 --> 00:44:37,201
(dancers chattering backstage)
752
00:44:45,404 --> 00:44:48,071
(cabaret music)
753
00:44:56,524 --> 00:44:59,191
(cabaret music)
754
00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:16,320
- [Translator] I already
wanted to become a dancer
755
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:18,403
when I was little, but it wasn't easy.
756
00:45:19,970 --> 00:45:23,180
My parents were against
it and told me no way,
757
00:45:23,180 --> 00:45:24,530
that's not going to happen.
758
00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:29,920
- [Translator] My parents
were okay with it.
759
00:45:31,060 --> 00:45:32,810
- [Translator] I was
afraid and didn't tell
760
00:45:32,810 --> 00:45:34,673
my parents anything about it.
761
00:45:35,810 --> 00:45:37,860
- [Translator] In Cuba,
culture has something
762
00:45:37,860 --> 00:45:39,980
of a military character, which is
763
00:45:39,980 --> 00:45:42,163
somehow related to politics.
764
00:45:43,820 --> 00:45:45,926
Even though there is a lot of dancing,
765
00:45:45,926 --> 00:45:49,550
people expect from young men to attend
766
00:45:49,550 --> 00:45:53,057
military school instead
of becoming a dancer.
767
00:45:53,057 --> 00:45:55,307
(laughing)
768
00:45:56,380 --> 00:45:59,230
- [Translator] I first performed
onstage when I was nine.
769
00:46:00,100 --> 00:46:01,600
- [Translator] My ballet teacher asked me,
770
00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,520
did you tell your parents that
771
00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:05,777
people will see you nude onstage?
772
00:46:05,777 --> 00:46:07,760
I answered, no.
773
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:09,253
You're crazy, she said.
774
00:46:10,910 --> 00:46:13,150
- [Translator] First my
sister came to see the show.
775
00:46:13,150 --> 00:46:14,756
She saw me perform for the first time
776
00:46:14,756 --> 00:46:16,860
the day before yesterday.
777
00:46:16,860 --> 00:46:18,855
She'll watch me tomorrow
doing a leading part.
778
00:46:18,855 --> 00:46:21,023
She told me that she had to cry.
779
00:46:23,810 --> 00:46:25,684
- [Translator] After the
show, I went to my parents
780
00:46:25,684 --> 00:46:27,993
to see what they had to say about it,
781
00:46:30,925 --> 00:46:32,703
but they didn't say anything.
782
00:46:34,780 --> 00:46:37,938
I waited for a reaction
and finally asked them,
783
00:46:37,938 --> 00:46:39,453
so did you like it?
784
00:46:41,447 --> 00:46:44,773
And they said you seem
to have a lot of fun.
785
00:46:46,266 --> 00:46:48,883
That was it.
(laughing)
786
00:46:52,921 --> 00:46:54,918
This was the only time they said something
787
00:46:54,918 --> 00:46:57,970
about my decision to
present myself in the nude
788
00:46:57,970 --> 00:46:59,953
onstage of a vaudeville theater.
789
00:47:02,626 --> 00:47:05,293
(cabaret music)
790
00:47:12,950 --> 00:47:16,420
You decide yourself that you
present your body onstage.
791
00:47:16,420 --> 00:47:18,208
You need to adhere to this decision
792
00:47:18,208 --> 00:47:20,543
and that's what I always try to do.
793
00:47:23,359 --> 00:47:24,990
- [Translator] It's all about the costume,
794
00:47:24,990 --> 00:47:28,300
the feathers, the rhinestone, the sequins.
795
00:47:28,300 --> 00:47:30,980
This composition is there
to promote the beauty
796
00:47:30,980 --> 00:47:34,370
of the female form, the
beauty of us as women.
797
00:47:34,370 --> 00:47:36,823
There's nothing shocking
about it, I think.
798
00:47:39,860 --> 00:47:42,770
- [Translator] And everybody's
naked today, aren't they?
799
00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:45,600
- With the nudity, I think
that's something very prominent
800
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:47,301
in all the shows, especially in Paris.
801
00:47:47,301 --> 00:47:49,840
You've got nudity, they all have it.
802
00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:51,240
I think here it's so classy.
803
00:47:51,240 --> 00:47:55,410
It doesn't seem sexual
or anything whatsoever.
804
00:47:55,410 --> 00:47:57,150
It is done in such a classy manner.
805
00:47:57,150 --> 00:47:58,463
It's really nice.
806
00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,233
- There isn't as much
nudity for the new girls.
807
00:48:03,090 --> 00:48:04,910
I guess that's an option a bit later on
808
00:48:04,910 --> 00:48:06,610
once you've been here for a while.
809
00:48:08,123 --> 00:48:09,903
I don't know.
810
00:48:09,903 --> 00:48:12,250
- Hopefully it all goes
well and eventually
811
00:48:12,250 --> 00:48:14,250
I'll get used to doing the shows
812
00:48:14,250 --> 00:48:16,093
and it'll become easier, yeah.
813
00:48:17,082 --> 00:48:19,749
(cabaret music)
814
00:48:34,469 --> 00:48:37,620
- Women are allowed to
have their own opinions
815
00:48:37,620 --> 00:48:39,700
and should be listened to.
816
00:48:39,700 --> 00:48:42,930
The rest, showing your body
wearing costumes or makeup
817
00:48:42,930 --> 00:48:44,823
really has nothing
whatsoever to do with it.
818
00:48:44,823 --> 00:48:47,612
That is just putting a
value on the attributes
819
00:48:47,612 --> 00:48:50,631
that you have that are different
820
00:48:50,631 --> 00:48:52,723
to what other people have.
821
00:48:55,362 --> 00:48:58,029
(cabaret music)
822
00:49:08,900 --> 00:49:11,983
(instrumental music)
823
00:49:28,530 --> 00:49:31,100
- [Translator] Giving up this
job was very hard for me.
824
00:49:31,100 --> 00:49:34,460
I went to Monsieur Clericourt's
office and he said,
825
00:49:34,460 --> 00:49:37,973
well then, of course, I was all in tears.
826
00:49:39,350 --> 00:49:40,680
- [Translator] You miss it.
827
00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:44,390
I'd be lying if I said that
it didn't hurt to leave.
828
00:49:44,390 --> 00:49:45,623
It was hard.
829
00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:52,000
As I wasn't really prepared for it,
830
00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:53,623
I had to face a lot of problems.
831
00:49:55,660 --> 00:49:57,140
- It's a little bit different.
832
00:49:57,140 --> 00:50:00,730
They have more opportunities now to study.
833
00:50:00,730 --> 00:50:02,290
- The Moulin Rouge giving us this chance
834
00:50:02,290 --> 00:50:04,890
to studies if we want
to do something else.
835
00:50:04,890 --> 00:50:07,930
And everybody use it or not.
836
00:50:07,930 --> 00:50:09,460
It depends of people.
837
00:50:09,460 --> 00:50:12,250
- The ones of my generation
are somewhat jealous,
838
00:50:12,250 --> 00:50:13,550
can we say, because they had
839
00:50:13,550 --> 00:50:15,300
to sort all this out themselves.
840
00:50:15,300 --> 00:50:16,960
Now, we actually help.
841
00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:18,767
- I did use like, I
already study and I know
842
00:50:18,767 --> 00:50:20,903
what I'm gonna do after the Moulin Rouge.
843
00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:23,890
- [Translator] My goal
is to continue working
844
00:50:23,890 --> 00:50:25,510
in the show business and I'd like to pass
845
00:50:25,510 --> 00:50:27,910
on all the experience I gained here
846
00:50:27,910 --> 00:50:30,093
during all those years to other dancers.
847
00:50:32,370 --> 00:50:35,220
- [Translator] I'm a bit
undecided in that regard.
848
00:50:35,220 --> 00:50:38,060
I keep asking myself this question,
849
00:50:38,060 --> 00:50:39,803
but I haven't found an answer yet.
850
00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:43,930
- [Translator] Life goes on.
851
00:50:43,930 --> 00:50:46,630
You don't always stay on the same path.
852
00:50:46,630 --> 00:50:49,540
It's important to keep your
head up and not lose your
853
00:50:49,540 --> 00:50:51,433
courage just because you're not part
854
00:50:51,433 --> 00:50:53,660
of the vaudeville life anymore.
855
00:50:53,660 --> 00:50:58,330
It may be a dream, but you
can't always live in a dream.
856
00:50:58,330 --> 00:51:01,093
Even though dreaming can be quite magical.
857
00:51:03,230 --> 00:51:04,620
- That's great what we live now,
858
00:51:04,620 --> 00:51:07,120
but we all understand that it's gonna
859
00:51:07,120 --> 00:51:11,590
finish not too far, you know--
860
00:51:11,590 --> 00:51:13,800
- [Translator] You can't turn back time.
861
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:17,223
You're not always 20.
(laughing)
862
00:51:19,090 --> 00:51:20,163
Only once a year.
863
00:51:23,832 --> 00:51:26,160
(cabaret music)
864
00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:29,060
- [Narrator] Ladies and
gentlemen, the wheel of life
865
00:51:29,060 --> 00:51:32,513
keeps on turning like the
wings of the red windmill,
866
00:51:33,900 --> 00:51:36,520
but the Moulin Rouge remains.
867
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:40,228
It seduces, amuses, and mesmerizes,
868
00:51:40,228 --> 00:51:44,460
as it has done for over 125 years now
869
00:51:44,460 --> 00:51:47,530
and maybe will do so forever more.
870
00:51:47,530 --> 00:51:51,447
(cabaret music sung in French)
67911
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