The sails of the red-painted windmill on top of the Moulin Rouge, the most celebrated cabaret in Paris, have begun turning again, restoring the home of French can-can to its full glory more than a year after they tumbled inelegantly to the ground, reports The Guardian.
In a profusion of red feathers, members of the Montmartre institution’s 90-strong troupe performed its signature dance on the road outside to mark the occasion on Thursday night, after the second of two daily performances that draw 600,000 visitors a year.
The 12-metre sails collapsed in April last year after a mechanical failure, injuring no one but sparking an outpouring of emotion including from the Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, who called the cabaret a vital part of the capital’s cultural heritage.
“The sails have always turned at the Moulin Rouge, so we had to restore this Parisian symbol to Paris, to France, and to the state it was in before,” said Jean-Victor Clérico, the cabaret’s managing director. The sails will now rotate daily from 4pm to 2am.
“The whole troupe is very happy to find our sails again – these are the sails of Paris,” said Cyrielle, one of the 60 dancers who took part in the street celebration, which was illuminated by a specially commissioned firework display.
Read more of this report from The Guardian.