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There are Egyptian relief's that depict
the fundamental Can-Can high kicking above the audiences heads.
The Catatonian's and Parisian women (French)
are also depicted kicking the hats off of the gentlemen spectators.
The "Triori" of 1549 from South Brittany was very similar
to today's cancan, the women danced alone, lifting their dresses
up in front and kicking their legs up to the ceiling. The dancers
or "High-Kickers " as they were called, emerged
over time and ended up in Paris, France. In the late 19th. Century
Paris was still the dance center of the world. It was later introduced
to England at the Oxford Music Hall sometime in the 1860's by the
proprietor Charles Morton who introduced the "Can-Can,"
with a troupe headed by Imre Kiralfy and his brother Bolossy along
with their sister Aniola.
The Can-Can is a hybrid of the Polka
and the Quadrille
and was said to be first danced in 1822, and by 1830 was being outlawed
for a number of years as |
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immoral and indecent and prohibited by the police. It has been said
that "Chicard " invented the Can-Can, but very
doubtful (He more probably named it). The Can-Can's first
American public stage performance (not a saloon) was in
the "Black Crook " at Niblo's Gardens in New York,
September 12th., 1866, this production was a milestone in dance
and theatre and helped to start Burlesque
theatre (the Folies Bergere in France opened in 1869).
Originally, the word Can-Can in French
meant "Scandal, " or Edge , since they usually
danced on the edge of the stage. The Can-Can is said to be the start
of public nudity, because of the bare legs above the stockings to
the frilly panties, which at the time was very indecent. Eventually
the Can Can costume consisted of sporting fishnet stockings, high
heels, bustier's, feathers and frilly skirts. The word Burlesque
first came into use in the 16th. Century in an opera of the Italian
Francesco Berni , who called his works burleschi. American stage
burlesque (from 1865), often referred to as "burleycue
or "leg show, began as a variety show, characterized by vulgar
dialogue and broad comedy, and uninhibited behavior by performers
and audience.
Later the public tolerated the dance and it became
very popular around 1830, mainly because the ladies would wear long
black dresses and kick their legs up in the air, thus the men could
see the knees and legs of the ladies (at the time was "Oo-La-La!).
The Popularity lasted till around 1844, after this time the dance
mainly was used in revues and musical comedies, especially in France.
In 1845, La Princesse Celeste de Mogador (Morocco?),
Introduced the Can-Can Eccentrique at the Bal Mabille, Bal Montesquieu,
Bal de la Citb dAntin and the Bal Valentino. It was performed by
all walks of life. By 1848, it was frowned upon by the police as
being too risqué.
In the 1890's the Can-Can was done to March and later
Ragtime music. The Can-Can was originally a group (Line type)
dance done by both sexes with the Tiller
Girls and Rockettes
as an off shoot of the Can-Can. Leading dancers would eventually
perform the Can-Can for audiences. The ballet
by Massine (b.1894) was an excellent example of the
Can-Can, titled "Gaite' Parisienne " (1938), which
later was made into a movie, "The Gay Parisian."
While both sexes originally danced the Can-Can, now
however, the French Can-Can is now danced only by women. Most Americans
are familiar with the Can-Can as portrayed in many Hollywood Westerns.
Michael Jackson can be seen using a variation of the Can-Can in
his dance routines (Lifting the Leg and circling it around).
The characteristic movements include:
1) "Circling the Legs" (lifting one leg and rotating
only the lower half, thus forcing the derriere to wobble)
2) The "Pigeon
Wing " (bringing the bust into play by leaping forward,
kicking high and throwing the shoulders back while "carrying
on the arm" (holding one leg up against the cheek while hopping
lightly on the other leg).
3) The grand finale (was the splits, generally done from a running
start with a yell to the audience).
The "Kicking Polka " (has a similarity
to the Can-Can) was introduced in the "Queen of the Moulin
Rouge " and was considered more provocative than the infamous
Apache
Dance.
As a side note:
a Guinness record of 8,005 high kicks were performed by Veronica
Evans (-Steen), in 4 hours and 40
minutes in London , 1939. |
Ballrooms
