Moulin Rouge

The cabaret known as the Moulin Rouge, or Red Mill, was built in 1889 by Jospeh Oller, owner of the Paris Olympia. Noted for its red windmill, the Moulin Rouge is known as the birthplace for the modern can-can. Originally a respected working class dance, the can-can was provocatively performed by the Moulin Rouge's courtesans and is the foundation for burlesque strip-tease. The Moulin Rouge still functions as a cabaret, and the current revue includes more than 100 artists, consisting of showgirls, dancers, acrobats, magicians, and clowns.





Painting by patron Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.