Cabaret de Paris brings the glamour of the Moulin Rogue
For Alix Bruun-Hammond, being a dancer was always her goal — but the opportunity to become a showgirl opened the doors to a life she could never have imagined.
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For Alix Bruun-Hammond, being a dancer was always her goal — but the opportunity to become a showgirl opened the doors to a life she could never have imagined.
“I’ve been dancing ever since I could walk,” she said.
Her talents took her from Ermington to the glittering lights of the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
She was selected to join the elite institution about a decade ago, donning the signature feathers and sequins.
“I thought I’d be there for a year and I ended up being there for about six years,” she said.
As a youngster from western Sydney, she said the experience was life changing.
“I’d never been on a plane before, I’d never travelled before besides the drive to Byron Bay every couple of years,” she said.
After Paris, she spent time in Germany and worked on a cruise ship and described her experience in Europe as “amazing”.
“I feel like in a lot of ways I grew up there more than I grew up here, it’s those early adult years where you kind of figure out your life,” she said.
Bruun-Hammond, now 29, said she always wanted to dance but “I didn’t know how to turn it into a career”.
“Turning from what could have been just a dance career into becoming a showgirl was something I didn’t expect,” she said. “I didn’t think it could happen but I’m so, so happy it did.”
In Australia for the Parisian-themed revue Cabaret De Paris, Bruun-Hammond’s attention is focused firmly on the homegrown show, with fellow Australian and legendary Moulin Rouge dancer Marissa Burgess.
Burgess, the longest-serving star in the Moulin Rouge’s history, said the Cabaret De Paris includes dancers, aerial artists, magic and, of course, the Can Can.
“It’s a variety show, so expect a lot of fun. There’s a hint of burlesque, a bit of dark cabaret, and a glittery, grand scale Parisian revue,” Burgess said.
“The show is very glamorous, but approachable. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take our work dead seriously.”