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Can-can facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The can-can is a lively and energetic stage dance. It's usually performed by a group of female dancers. They wear special costumes with long skirts, fluffy underskirts called petticoats, and black stockings. These outfits look like the fashion from the 1890s.

The can-can first appeared around 1830 in popular dance halls in Paris, France. By the 1890s, dancers like La Goulue and Jane Avril became very famous. They performed at places like the Moulin Rouge and were well-known for their exciting shows. The female dancers of that time developed many of the can-can's signature moves.

The most famous music for the can-can is the "Galop" from Jacques Offenbach's opera Orpheus in the Underworld.

Lautrec la troupe de mlle eglantine (poster) 1895-6
An 1895 poster showing can-can dancers.

Images for kids

  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 031

    Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril Dancing

  • M'lls. Morlacci and Baretta dancing the Can Can Dance (Boston Public Library)

    Giuseppina Morlacchi introduced the can-can to American audiences in 1867.

  • Cancan en l'air

    A dancer performing a high kick, called a pied en l'air.

  • HenriDeToulouse-Lautrec-AtTheMoulinRouge-TheDance-1889-90-VR

    The Moulin Rouge, a famous venue for the can-can, shown in a painting by Toulouse-Lautrec.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cancán para niños

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Can-can Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.