▲Aside from its world-famous monuments, Paris is also known for its spectacular nightlife. A unique part of that nightlife is the French capital's famed cabaret houses, where sizzling burlesques and sultry dance shows are performed every night of the week. Cabarets like the mythical Moulin Rouge, the sumptuous Lido, and the exquisite Crazy Horse have mesmerized audiences with daring dance routines and red-hot choreographies from the days of Belle Époque-era Paris to today. Click on and marvel at the most stunning photos taken during that time!

▲The most famous of all the Parisian cabarets is, of course, the Moulin Rouge. It first opened its doors in 1889 and has become a world-renowned and enduring symbol of bohemian life.

▲Pictured here are painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Mr. Tremolada, assistant to Mr. Zidler, one the Moulin Rouge's founders. The photo was taken in 1895 and the men can be seen admiring one of the painter's billboard designs.

▲The life-sized model elephant in this photo taken in 1900 had been acquired from the 1889 Paris World Fair. It stood in the cabaret's garden until a disastrous fire in 1915 burned everything to the ground.

▲Famed stage actress, dancer, and vaudeville performer Paulette del Baye at the Moulin Rouge, looking her best while posing for a photograph.

▲The Moulin Rouge in 1925.

▲The Moulin Rouge in 1929, its front illuminated and advertising 'Paris Qui Tourne,' an immensely popular show at the time.

▲French-born American opera singer Lily Pons bows to the audience after performing at the Moulin Rouge in 1953.

▲Legendary jazz singer Lena Horne stuns with a riveting performance at the Moulin Rouge in '54.

▲The French can-can being performed in 1955 at the Moulin Rouge, where it was conceived.

▲Between the lights and the shadows, famed dancer Régine performs in front of an audience at the Moulin Rouge 1955.

▲Another photo of iconic dancer Régine, this time in a loving embrace with her young daughter.

▲The can-can was quite physically demanding, though the girls at the Moulin Rouge make it look easy. This is photo was also taken in 1955.

▲The front of the Moulin Rouge by daylight (1955).

▲Christianne Gaulthier, dancer and ballerina at the Moulin Rouge, poses in empty Parisian streets in 1955.

▲Gaulthier poses again on the Champs-Élysées, with the Arc de Triomphe in the background.

▲Renowned Austrian-born film actress Romy Schneider (right), her mother Magda, and American actor Fess Parker standing in front of the Moulin Rouge in 1955.

▲The Moulin Rouge can-can girls give it their all while performing around a gigantic bowl filled with water in 1956.

▲Another image of the can-can show in 1956.

▲A young man intently reads about an upcoming competition at the Moulin Rouge in November of 1956.

▲Poet, author, screenwriter, and all-round French cultural icon Jacques Prévert posing in front of the Moulin Rouge in 1977.

▲French New Wave actor Jean-Claude Brialy surrounded by the Bluebell Girls dance troupe after being voted the "most elegant man of the year" at the Lido in 1979.

▲Brazilian singer Watusi performing at the Moulin Rouge in January of '79.

▲Shimmering among the neon lights of Paris at the dawn of the eighties...

▲Legendary American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. performs at the Lido in 1981. The straw hat is in homage to legendary French entertainer Maurice Chevalier.

▲The Lido after its 1925 revamp by René-Félix Berger. In its early days, the Lido was seen more as a leisure spot than a proper cabaret.

▲Another shot of the Paris Lido interior from 1925.

▲A Bluebell Girls dancer being fitted in the Lido dressing rooms.

▲German twins Ellen and Alice Kessler were very successful entertainers in Paris in the 1950s, during which time they were also part of the Lido dancing troupe.

▲Here they are touching up their makeup in between shoots in 1955.

▲The iconic Bluebell Girls on stage at the Lido in 1959.

▲Two showgirls on the Lido stage in 1963.

▲Director Jean Yanne in 1965 accompanied to the Lido by actress and his future wife, Mimi Coutelier.

▲German actress Sabine Hettlich starring in the Paris Lido revue show 'Bonheur' in 2005.

▲This show featured 23 musical numbers, some of which were performed on ice and others in water.

▲A 'Bonheur' dancer mid-performance at the Lido.

▲Getting ready to go onstage at the Lido in 2005.

▲The dressing room at the Lido with preparations for the night's performance of 'Bonheur' in full swing.

▲In 2014, the Lido got a new artistic director, Franco Dragone.

▲In 2009, burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese performed her show 'Le Bain Noir' dressed in Elie Saab at the other famous Parisian cabaret, the Crazy Horse.

▲The Crazy Horse is an icon in the world of cabaret, and the brand has been exported all over the world, including the US.

▲Dita Von Teese in 2007 performing at the Crazy Horse at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

▲French actress Arielle Dombasle sensually posing at the Paris Crazy Horse, also in 2007.

▲A snapshot of a typical show at the Crazy Horse, from 2009.

▲This photo was taken during a performance of 'Crisis? What Crisis!' which was inspired by the 2008 financial crash, created by Philippe Decouflé.

▲French model and actrice Noémie Lenoir performing at the Crazy Horse in 2013, in a show titled, 'Noémie Lenoir au Crazy Horse.'

▲Conchita Wurst has also performed at the Crazy Horse more than once. Here she is in 2014!

▲Over the years, many great names have been involved with different shows at the Crazy Horse. For instance, the high heels worn by the ladies for the show 'Feu' in 2012 were Louboutins, courtesy of the high-end fashion house itself.

▲Iconic French lingerie designer Chantal Thomass took over artistic direction at the Crazy Horse from 2016 to 2017, with a show called 'Dessous Dessus.'

▲Great shot of a showgirl preparing for a performance at the Crazy Horse in Singapore in 2017.

▲Iconic Crazy Horse dancer Gloria Di Parma showing off her props to the Singaporean press in 2017.

▲The Crazy Horse posing in Brussels' main square to promote their show 'Forever Crazy' in 2011.

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They even got to pose with the European capital's former mayor, Freddy Thielemans!

The fascinating world of Parisian cabarets

From the Moulin Rouge to the Lido by way of the Crazy Horse

20/06/20 por StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE France

Aside from its world-famous monuments, Paris is also known for its spectacular nightlife. A unique part of that nightlife is the French capital's famed cabaret houses, where sizzling burlesques and sultry dance shows are performed every night of the week. Cabarets like the mythical Moulin Rouge, the sumptuous Lido, and the exquisite Crazy Horse have mesmerized audiences with daring dance routines and red-hot choreographies from the days of Belle Époque-era Paris to today. Click on and marvel at the most stunning photos taken during that time!