Talks
Skirt dancing, Can-.Can and the invention of "Gay Paree" - 1840-1914
by Jonathan Conlin
Date: Thursday 20 February 2014
A closer look at the history of the "French national dance" reveals a story of cross-Channel exchange and London's forgotten contribution to the invention of "Gay Paree".
The can-can dancer remains an abiding visual cliche of Paris as Europe's capital of pleasure, traditionally associated with music halls such as the Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergeres.