Much of the world is chiefly familiar with Moulin Rouge from either Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 movie or the recently opened production on Broadway. But the inspiration for both—a Parisian cabaret celebrating its 130th birthday this year—is still very much alive and (literally) kicking. Every single night, 80 artists from 14 countries perform two shows at this venerated haunt.
While all of the troupe is classically trained in dance and magnificent to watch, it is hard to tear your eyes off of principal dancer Claudine Van Den Bergh, who started dancing at two years old and has been with the show since 2012.
We caught up with the dancer while she was in New York to celebrate the premiere of Moulin Rouge on Broadway. She only gets one day off a week, on Mondays, but Van Den Bergh, who lives and works in the vibrant neighborhood of Montmartre, makes the best use of her free time. We talked to her about her favorite spots for everything from mojitos to dancing.
You live in Montmartre, close to the Moulin Rouge. What do you love about it?
It's a young kind of neighborhood. There are a lot of restaurants and some great bars. If you go up toward Sacré-Cœur, there are cobblestones and it's got quite a romantic feel around that area. And because I'm working six nights a week, I prefer to be close to the theater so that a lot of my day isn't taken up traveling back and forth.
What is a typical day like for you?
I normally get up around 11:30 a.m. because we finish up about 1:15 a.m. [the night prior]. In the morning, I might do a pilates, yoga, or dance class. At lunchtime, I have two dogs, Whiskey and Guinness, and what's great about Paris is that I can bring them in and out of cafes. Around 1 p.m., we have rehearsals; they could be regular, or lighting rehearsals, which are after a revamp of the costume. They want to make sure that it looks right under set lights. I go into makeup around 7:30 p.m.; I do it myself. I'm very quick now and can do it in 20 minutes. After the end of the second show, I need to unwind. I don't go to bed until about 3:30 a.m. or 4:00 a.m.
What are your favorite places for a drink?
There is this bar and restaurant called Mama Shelter Paris East, it's quite young and modern inside. They do excellent cocktails, but they also have lots of different types of food. I also like Terrass Hôtel, which is actually quite close to the Moulin Rouge. It has a lovely terrace and it's nice to have a glass of champagne there and see the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles on the hour. I also love to go and sit on Rue Montorgueil. It's a lovely road. Sometimes on my day off, I go to Bianco there, which does a fabulous happy hour. Their raspberry mojito is amazing.
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What about for a night of dancing?
Aux Trois Mailletz. That's a really fun place that has live music and you really connect with whoever is in there. They get everyone up and dancing and having a good time. I also go to Orphée, which is a hidden bar in the 18th arrondissement. They have live music there as well, and then after hours it turns into a kind of disco.
And for the next morning: favorite hangover brunch spots?
[I like] Hôtel Particulier Montmartre. It has a beautiful brunch and the hotel is kind of hidden; you don't even see it from the outside. It's very Parisian and they do a good eggs Benedict. For pizza I like Ober Mamma. They're quite generous with the truffle, for truffle lovers like me.
