{"id":4434,"date":"2023-03-22T14:03:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-22T13:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev1.section4.dev\/cabaretdelicques\/actualites\/french-cancan-history-and-origins\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T08:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T06:54:10","slug":"french-cancan-history-and-origins","status":"publish","type":"actualites","link":"https:\/\/dev1.section4.dev\/cabaretdelicques\/en\/news\/french-cancan-history-and-origins\/","title":{"rendered":"French Cancan: history and origins"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Whether you are a connoisseur or not, the French Cancan resonates as a mythical dance, a symbol of pride for France on the international stage. A dance that was in vogue in the cabarets of Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th century, many music halls<\/b> and regional cabarets<\/a> continue to pay tribute to this quintessentially French specialty.\r\nJoin us as we step back into the 19th century in the footsteps of the French Cancan. \r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where does the French Cancan come from?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The \u201ccancan\u201d or the \u201cchahut\u201d: subversive dances<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\r\nIn the 1820s, amid the quadrille<\/b> (a highly codified choreography danced by four couples), a minute of improvisation emerged: the \u201ccavalier seul\u201d<\/a>. The aim? To perform chaotic, almost cathartic movements. Initially reserved for men, women soon began dancing solo as well, from 1829<\/a>. The prevailing puritanism condemned this movement without reservation, as it offended public decency.\r\nA subversive means of expression, this dance\u2014known as the \u201cchahut\u201d or \u201ccancan\u201d<\/b>< from 1831 (1)\u2014became a symbol of freedom and emancipation for women. Beyond that, the approach \u201copposes the authority of dance knowledge on which the system of transmission by ballet masters for theatrical dance is based<\/i>\u201d (2). The self-taught nature of the learning process is a form of \u201cmockery and provocation toward the scholarly culture of dance<\/i>\u201d. \r\n\r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t \"Carte \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Vintage postcard \/ French Cancan[\/caption]\r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The first \u201cFrench Cancan\u201d dancers: true stars<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\r\nGradually, Parisians and foreign tourists flocked to admire this provocative dance. The dancer C\u00e9lestin Magador embodied it at the famous Mabille ball<\/b>. The \u201cchahut\u201d spread to several cabarets in the capital under the July Monarchy (1830\u20131848) and would enjoy its heyday under the Second Empire (1852\u20131870) (3). \r\nMany women established themselves on the \u201cchahut-cancan\u201d scene, such as the dancer Rigolboche, who in 1857 invented the series of kicks consisting of raising and lowering the leg. A few years later, Jacques Offenbach<\/b> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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composed the \u201cGalop infernal<\/i>\u201d<\/a>, which would become the anthem of cancan dancers. In 1864, Charles Morton brought this committed dance to the United Kingdom under the name \u201cFrench Cancan\u201d. \r\nThe dance became professionalized and an opportunity to gain financial independence. Dancers now earned more than men. Joseph Oller<\/b>, one of the co-founders of the Moulin Rouge, also introduced the \u201cFrench Cancan\u201d to make it one of the cornerstones of his new venue. The star dancers then adopted names highlighting a physical trait or technical ability: \u201cLa Goulue was first nicknamed \u2018Bottle-Emptier\u2019; \u2018Grille d\u2019\u00e9gout\u2019 owed her nickname to her gap-toothed smile; \u2018Nini Pattes-en-l\u2019Air\u2019 to her ability to lift her leg\u2014without forgetting \u2018Rayon d\u2019or\u2019, \u2018Cha.Hu.Ko\u2019<\/i>\u201d (4). These nicknames contributed to their fame. \r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Codification of the \u201cFrench Cancan\u201d<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\r\nAt the beginning of the 20th century, the \u201cFrench Cancan\u201d was no longer the preserve of a few famous cabarets and music halls; it became a classic. \u201cWhat \u2018the Moulin\u2019 presents already resembles a tourist attraction that symbolizes Paris, and that is precisely what visitors to the World\u2019s Fair come to seek\u201d (5)<\/i>. This dance, which shaped the identity of several cabarets, now represents Paris and France beyond its borders.\r\nMany dancers at the Cabaret de Licques have a fascination with this wild dance<\/a>that continues to delight audiences just as much. \r\n\r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t \"3 \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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the cabaret dancers create a cathedral[\/caption]\r\n<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sources:<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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(1) Gasnault, F. (2018, January 2). Parisian nights: Chahut, cancan and galop infernal [Video]. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YGeoPOjIEbA<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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(2) Camille Paillet, \u201cThe feminization of the chahut-cancan under the Parisian Second Empire\u201d, Recherches en danse [Online], 3 | 2015, posted online January 19, 2015, accessed March 21, 2023. URL: http:\/\/journals.openedition.org\/danse\/902<\/a> ; DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4000\/danse.902 <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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(3) KALIFA Dominique, \u201cThe Second Empire, a \u2018Belle \u00c9poque\u2019?\u201d, Histoire, \u00e9conomie & soci\u00e9t\u00e9, 2017\/3 (36th year), p. 61-71. DOI: 10.3917\/hes.173.0061. URL: https:\/\/www.cairn.info\/revue-histoire-economie-et-societe-2017-3-page-61.htm<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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(4) PERAULT Sylvie, \u201cThat\u2019s Paris! The Moulin Rouge Ball and its girls\u201d, Ethnologie fran\u00e7aise, 2012\/3 (Vol. 42), pp. 493\u2013501. DOI: 10.3917\/ethn.123.0493. URL: https:\/\/www.cairn.info\/revue-ethnologie-francaise-2012-3-page-493.htm<\/a><\/span>\r\n\r\n(5) Ibid.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you are a connoisseur or not, the French Cancan resonates as a mythical dance, a symbol of pride for France on the international stage. A dance that was in vogue in the cabarets of Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th century, many music halls and regional cabarets continue to pay tribute to this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4435,"template":"","categories-actualites":[],"class_list":["post-4434","actualites","type-actualites","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrench Cancan: history and origins - Cabaret de Licques<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev1.section4.dev\/cabaretdelicques\/en\/news\/french-cancan-history-and-origins\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"French Cancan: history and origins - Cabaret de Licques\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whether you are a connoisseur or not, the French Cancan resonates as a mythical dance, a symbol of pride for France on the international stage. 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