Montmartres and clusters of tourists massed along the Boulevard de Clichy (18th century) parade in front of the Moulin-Rouge. On this Monday morning, they immortalized the assembly of the wings of the famous Montmartre cabaret, which fell at the end of April. The four red blades, a mixture of aluminum and steel, arrived at daybreak by truck in front of the legendary Parisian night spot located in the heart of the Pigalle district.
“This is a historic moment. When the wings fell off it was such a shock. It’s incredible that there were no injuries. This is proof that the angels are the guardians of this place,” smiles Vlada Krassilnikova, former principal dancer of the former cradle of the French cancan and photographer at Paris Match.
We owe to this Russian artist the poster displayed on the facade to compensate for the disappearance of the blades, which had taken away the first three letters of the sign, “MOU”, in their fall. The tarpaulin represents the “Doriss Girls” troupe posing, in costume, on the scaffolding erected on the upper part of the building.
Behind the bar of the café opposite, Rita is in the front row. “This morning, from 7 a.m., residents of the neighborhood gathered on Place Blanche to watch the show,” says the young waitress. “It’s not Notre Dame. But I am happy to see that the temple of French cancan has found its wings. Since it was immortalized in Baz Luhrmann’s film, it has become one of the symbols of Montmartre for tourists,” comments Frédéric, a resident of La Butte sitting in front of a café.
These temporary blades do not rotate
Fanny, a long-time resident of Montmartre, cannot help but delve into her memories while contemplating one of the wings hoisted by a crane to the terrace of the establishment gently spinning in the air. “I made a video. It’s a unique moment. This cabaret is full of history,” says the woman, thinking back to the dancers who have succeeded one another since the 19th century, including the famous Goulue, immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec. “I remember my youth when I went to La Machine, the nightclub below the Moulin-Rouge,” continues Fanny, a bit nostalgic.
“The wings were made by CMP, a company specializing in frames and metal constructions. It took two hours to hoist the first onto the terrace of the Moulin-Rouge and set it up, and an hour to install the second. The installation should be completed by the end of the morning,” indicates Stéphane Rousseau, architect and project owner present to monitor the operations.
“The tarpaulin will be removed on Saturday morning and it will take between four to five days to dismantle the scaffolding. Everything will be ready for the inauguration on July 5, at 11 p.m.,” indicates the cabaret. A fireworks display will be followed by a French cancan performed by around twenty dancers on Place Blanche, in front of the cabaret which will celebrate its 135th anniversary next October.
Le Moulin will therefore have its wings for the passage of the Olympic flame in front of the famous establishment on July 15. But we will have to wait several more months for it to find its definitive wings, which will be able to turn again unlike these blades, which are only temporary.
