The Crazy Horse Paris: Burlesque with a Modern Twist

Written by Linda Donahue

The Crazy Horse is more than a legend in Paris. Ever since Alain Bernardin, an avant-garde artist and self-proclaimed “admirer of women,” opened  the Crazy Horse in 1951, the cabaret has been one of the most popular entertainment venues in Paris. Bernardin kept up with the times, redeveloping shows to reflect the ever-changing culture of modern society. Andrée Deissenberg, who took over the cabaret in 2005, wanted to give a bit more soul to this cult venue by using big-name artistic directors. So ten new mini-shows have been created under the artistic direction of the talented choreographer Philippe Decouflé. This new revue, Désirs, previews on September 21st, and artistically explores the ageless theme of femininity.

Désirs calls upon the Crazy Horse’s choreographic heritage, but with a contemporary interpretation. Classically trained dancers perfectly integrate sensuous choreography with their spectacular physiques, moving around the stage bathed in richly colored and textured lighting. The colors and images from these lighting effects makes it almost impossible to determine where the dancers’ skin ends and the visual reflections begin. Performers with names like Zula Zazou, Jade Or, Psykko Tico and Nooka Karamel make up this unique revue, with music by composer Fred Pallem perfectly complimenting the set design by American Hilton McConnico.

The show’s manager, Volga Moskovskaya, is herself an ex-Crazy Horse dancer. “Le Crazy is really part of my life,” she says. “It’s where I learned everything: femininity, seduction, setting. This new Crazy experience is extraordinary. The world is changing and we are changing with it.”

Over the years, the Crazy Horse has been visited by some pretty famous names, among them Bono, Beyonce, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Tyler, Naomi Watts, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jean-Paul Gaultier and, of course, Hugh Hefner. Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra have made guest appearances, as has famed nouvelle burlesque queen Dita Von Teese.

Here are some other fun facts about the Crazy Horse:

• Over 58 years, almost 650 dancers have come on stage.
• Each dancer is given a stage name when she joins Le Crazy Horse
• Some of the greatest couturiers have contributed to the costume design, including Karl Lagerfeld, Emmanuel Ungaro and Christian Louboutin
• Since its inception, the Crazy Horse has been visited by more than six million people, who’ve watched over 45,000 live performances
• The Crazy Horse has had a permanent show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas since 2001

For more information on the Crazy Horse and its newest revue, visit their website (itself a moving performance) at www.lecrazyhorseparis.com.