Meet the two Irish sisters dancing can-can at the Moulin Rouge

Paris might be best known for landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century Notre-Dame cathedral, but for some 600,000 visitors each year a trip to the ‘City of Light’ is not complete without a visit to the Moulin Rouge and a journey back in time to the heady days of La Belle Époque.

It is upon the sumptuous stage of this 126-year-old Parisian institution that Dublin-born sisters Claudine and Isabelle Van Den Bergh are realising their dreams of becoming professional dancers as members of the theatre’s 70-strong chorus of high-kicking can-can dancers.

Eighteen-year-old Isabelle and her 23-year-old sister are part of the multi-disciplined Doriss Girls troupe. Named after German-born choreographer Doris Haug, the company's signature dancers have a very demanding schedule, having to factor-in rehearsals as well as providing cover for two performances every night, six days a week with just one night off a week.

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Originally from Sutton in north Dublin, the Van Den Bergh sisters shared an early passion for dance enrolling in ballet classes from at the age of two but the pair took different paths before teaming up in the 18th arrondissement.

Their parents played a big part in their success, supporting their interest in dance from the very beginning.

“We were dancing sometimes five, six times a week and that meant dropping us off, picking us up, buying point shoes, buying dance wear, coming to see shows, watching us put on our own shows,” says Claudine. “We’re very lucky girls.”

Claudine studied full-time for three years at London’s Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance while Isabelle attended the Institute of Arts in Barcelona for a year. They would meet up again to dance at the Moulin Rouge.

Opened in 1889, the Moulin Rouge remains a monument to the decadence of the France's golden-era of La Belle Époque. Entrepreneurs Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller planned for the theatre to become "a temple of music and dance".

In reality, it became anything but. Set at the edge of the “butte”, a primarily working-class district known for its revolutionary politics and raucous café and dance-hall culture, the theatre gained notoriety as a place for bawdy dancing.

The French can-can was developed in the 1920s by the choreographer Pierre Sandrini. This physically-demanding boisterous dance routine mainly features the dancers lifting their skirts along with high kicking, cartwheels, and other acrobatic moves.

Today, tourists may have taken the place of the artists, intellectuals, and writers that once frequented the bohemian district of Montmartre, but the troupe at the Moulin Rouge is no-less flamboyant than it was during the height of the Belle Époque.

The portrayal of the Moulin Rouge in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 Oscar-winning pastiche does not really resemble the reality of the Van Den Bergh’s workplace.

“That is a film, it’s a movie, you know. It’s a story, a tale; it’s not real,” says Claudine.

“With regard the music and the costumes some of the costumes in it are very nice and some of the music - you hear the can-can; but no, it is a story, a tale.”

The theatre still stands out though, conspicuously adorned by Adolphe Willette’s iconic red windmill. Its interior is lavishly decorated with crushed red velvet furnishings, lush carpets, chandeliers and draped curtains all adding to the atmosphere. But it is the extravagance of the live show that attracts most visitors.

The current act - the house musical Féerie - has been running since 1989 and features a thousand costumes made of feathers, rhinestones and sequins, a 60-tonne water aquarium and the famous French can-can. It is performed twice every night of the year.

Despite the seemingly arduous schedule, the excitement of performing in front of the audience keeps the dancers light on their toes.

“You have a different audience every night,” explains Isabelle.

“A lot of these people are only going to come once in their lives so we really want to deliver the best performance we can every time. We have 1,800 people a day to watch the Moulin and it’s really important to us that we give a good show every single show and that everyone leaves happy. You are performing to different people and you see their reaction every time. You feed off the audience so it’s really nice.”

Becoming a Moulin Rouge dancer is not easy. They are expected to have training in dance forms including classical, advanced modern and jazz dance.

Female dancers must be “slim and graceful” with a minimum height of 175cm/5’9 while the male dancers must be “well proportioned” and 185cm or 6’1 in height. Both sexes must have “great stage presence and bright personality”.

Dance auditions can be very arduous and it was no different at the Moulin Rouge.

“It took three-and-a-half hours,” Claudine remembers. “They really tested our technique; they wanted to see how strong we were.”

Upon selection, dancers then embark on an intensive four-week programme that prepares them for life at the Moulin Rouge. French classes are provided, as are classes on the style required to become a Moulin Rouge showgirl.

“Usually it’s four or four-and-a-half hours a day and you slot in after about a month. They put you in to the show fully prepared. The make-up is on. And, that’s it then; you are in the show full-time and you are working as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge!”

Isabelle has been with the Moulin for a total of two-and-a half months now and while some might find the adjustment difficult, her childhood love of gymnastics helped her to adapt. Her favourite routine is the Moulin Rouge special.

“I love the can-can. It’s really energetic. It’s only six minutes of the show, but it is really one of the most famous pieces . I love dancing it because you do cartwheels, jump-splits, kick-cartwheels, cartwheels in a square. You are always moving and it looks really great and the audience really loves the can-can. You can just feel the energy off them when they’re watching it.”

The typical working day starts in the early evening, says Isabelle.

“We come in at 7.30 and we do our make-up. We warm-up, then the first show is at 9 o’clock. The show is about 90 minutes, and then you have a little break and then you have the second show at 11pm, and you usually finish at around 1.30am.”

Having a sister who knew the ropes helped her acclimatise.

“She gave me lots of advice on my make-up. I was having a bit of trouble with it at the start. She also gave me some advice on style when I was in rehearsals. A couple of times she watched me and gave me a bit of advice.”

“I’m still watching her,” Claudine laughs.

While the show features some nudity, Claudine is not excessively concerned.

“We are covered! We’ve got a lot of costumes, we have a lot of feathers, from gloves to beads to headdresses to plumes to bras! It’s not really nudity as such. The show allows children from the age of six to come and watch.”

With 12 two-hour performances per week and just one day off, it is important for the dancers to look after themselves.

“We have rehearsals as well,” says Claudine. “There are a lot of different numbers within the show and lots of costumes, lots of changes, so all of that keeps you very fit but of course we have to keep our dance technique up as well, so it’s important to take classes to maintain a certain standard.”

“The facilities here are great,” adds Isabelle. “We have our own gym and studio where we can go and dance and warm-up whenever we want. And, we have an osteopath and physio who come throughout the week to see if anyone has problems. So, we are really well looked after.”

The hard work has paid off and after spending three years with the show, Claudine has won several roles.

“I am a replacement for the soloists and I am also a replacement principal, which is the lead. I have been very lucky. I have worked very hard. I enjoy all the roles and I enjoy the diversity.”

Now that she has finished her training and has been dancing with the live show, Isabelle is enjoying her time in Paris.

“I’ve been doing the show now for about a month and a half and had a period of training before that as well. So I’ve been very focused on that and only now I’ve been able to go around Paris, go for coffees, meet people. I meet up with the girls from Moulin, go to the pool, have dinner. I am really enjoying the Parisian food, the garlic is great!”

Claudine is living her dream.

“It is definitely a dream of mine to be here, to work on a stage that is world famous. To be part of something that famous is really an honour.”