Moulin Rouge to return in September

The Moulin Rouge in Paris will be high-kicking its way back on stage in September, it announced with a flourish on May 17, after the longest shut down in more than a century.

The first cancan of the post-pandemic era is due to take place on September 10 under the iconic windmill in Montmartre.

Twelve dancers, in matching masks and feathers, braved the morning chill outside the Moulin Rouge on Monday to reveal the opening date stitched into their dresses, much to the surprise of passing motorists on the Boulevard de Clichy.

"I'm extremely happy," said 32-year-old dancer Mathilde Tutiaux.

"It feels so good to finally have a date. We are desperate to see our audiences again. The first cancan of the restart will be something else. It's a very technical number and after a break of more than a year, we will have to rehearse very hard this summer."

Like the other 60 members of the cast, Tutiaux was forced to train alone at home during the shutdown, using her kitchen work surface to stretch.

The Moulin Rouge has been shut since March 12, 2020 -- the longest closure since the theatre was destroyed by fire in 1915.

"Today, the planets are aligning. We are pleased to be working on this restart," said Jean-Victor Clerico, director general of the Moulin Rouge.

"If everything goes well, there won't be any distancing even inside. There are still some unknown factors. If one-metre (three feet) distancing is still needed, we will have to reduce capacity to 50 percent."

The other renowned centres of Parisian "nude chic" will reopen around the same time: Crazy Horse on September 9 and Le Lido on September 16.

With infection rates falling and vaccine rates rising, France is set to reopen many cultural sites on May...