For two shows every evening, 60 performers from 14 different countries twirl, kick and dance their way through the "Feerie" show, the review that is now the backbone of the Moulin Rouge's repertoire. But backstage, hidden from the 600,000 viewers who watch the show each year while guzzling their ways through nearly a quarter of a million bottles of champagne; you'll discover an entirely different kind of choreography- the sophisticated movements and methods for costume and scenery changes required to make the show go on.
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Dancers Courtney and Lacie wait for their next scene in the corridors of the Moulin Rouge as they perform in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 3 July 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Dancer Megan changes costume as she performs in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 3 July 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Dancers Claudine Van Den Bergh, 27, and Amanda warm-up and stretch before going on stage in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge, in Paris, France, 12 June 2018. Van Den Bergh has been dancing at the Moulin Rouge for seven years and has been Principal for three years. "The whole team including dancers, aides and technicians need to be very organised," she said. "A little mistake or a little delay and you can miss your entrance. You really need to be in the right place at the right time".
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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French Cancan soloist Olga Khokhlova, a dancer from ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, performs in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge, in Paris, France, 11 November 2017. Khokhlova has been at the Moulin Rouge for 12 years. "I love the adrenaline of the stage. The Moulin is a magical place where I live out my passion", she said. "When I’m on stage, I know that I am the part of the legacy of famous dancers who for 130 years have made the Moulin Rouge".
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Dancer Claudine Van Den Bergh, 27, puts on her make-up before entering the stage in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 12 June 2018. Van Den Bergh has been dancing at the Moulin Rouge for seven years and has been Principal for three years. "At the moment I rush out to the backstage, I know exactly where to go, what to do, where my next costume is for the next part", she said.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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The sunset on the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 10 September 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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A dancer performs in the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 23 July 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Jessey and Romane are seen backstage at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 3 July 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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French Cancan dancers wait to go on stage during the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 24 September 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Axelle stretches as she warms up before performing the French Cancan at the "Feerie" Review at the Moulin Rouge, in Paris, France, 19 September 2019.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Dancers attend the yearly rehearsal with choreographer Bill Goodson (not pictured) at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 10 October 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Drawings of Moulin Rouge costumes for the "Feerie" Review are seen pinned on the wall at the Clairvoy shoemaker workshop in Paris, France, 4 October 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Shoemaker Marion Leclout works on Moulin Rouge boots at Clairvoy workshop in Paris, France, 4 October 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer
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Dancers Claudiu, Harry, Reece, Samantha and Claudine are seen backstage at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France, 3 July 2018.
© REUTERS / Philippe Wojazer