Olympic torch relay: Paris route includes stop at Moulin Rouge cabaret
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00:00I kept my can-can shoes at home, Jeannie.
00:02Yes, it was pretty impressive to see the dancers.
00:06We had 22 dancers from the Moulin Rouge, including Ali here,
00:09who we're going to talk to in a second, who came out and did the French can-can
00:12as we saw that Olympic torch relay.
00:15The Olympic torch is on its second day in Paris after featuring prominently
00:19in the Bastille Day celebrations yesterday.
00:22It's going to make its way to the Arc de Triomphe in the 17th arrondissement,
00:25then go to the Boutchemont Park in the 19th arrondissement
00:29and end the day at Place de la République before returning to the French capital
00:33for the opening ceremony on the 26th of July.
00:37Ali Goodbun was one of the dancers who performed, and we can speak to her now.
00:41Ali, great to have you here on France 24.
00:43What was it like being part of the can-can this morning?
00:46Absolutely incredible, to say the least.
00:48This is something all of Paris has been waiting to do, not only us here at the Moulin.
00:52As you can see, everybody's out on the streets here, so excited to celebrate
00:55the Olympics coming to Paris this year, and this is just the start.
00:58It's amazing to see the flame, and we're so honoured to have it here at the Moulin Rouge.
01:01And you, of course, are meeting all the fans who've gathered and taken pictures with you,
01:05and meeting them in the broad daylight, because you normally perform in the evening.
01:08Exactly. It's very different to be performing during the day, for sure,
01:12and of course an early morning for us, but it's so worth it, and we're so happy to be here.
01:16Now, I spoke to the general manager of the Moulin Rouge, and he was very tight-lipped
01:19when I asked him if dancers from the Moulin Rouge will be featuring at the opening ceremony.
01:24You're not going to tell me yes or no, you can blink.
01:26We can't speak on that yet, but you'll have to wait and see.
01:30But you will be, he said that there's some bicycle event that you guys will be performing,
01:35things that are happening through this part of town in Paris.
01:39Again, we can't speak on anything that's happening with the Olympics,
01:42but for now, the flame is what we're celebrating today, and we're so happy to be here, to be doing this.
01:47And you said most of the troupe is very international.
01:50You told me that there were dancers from Australia, the UK, Canada.
01:54What's it like being part of an international community,
01:57and being in the city right now as it gets set to host the Olympics?
02:00I absolutely love it. As a Canadian myself, I feel at home with other Canadians here in Paris,
02:04and we're all in the same boat. We're experiencing life abroad,
02:07and being able to dance nightly at the Moulin Rouge,
02:09we don't only feel like we live in Paris, but we're also a part of the culture.
02:12And there's rumors Celine Dion may be performing as well at the opening ceremony.
02:15I hope. I think all of Paris hopes, all of France hopes.
02:18Thank you so much for joining us.
02:19Thank you for having me.
02:20So there you have it, Jeannie.
02:22It's been really impressive to see that Olympic torch relay take place.
02:26Of course, we have hundreds of tourists and locals who gather to witness this historic moment here.
02:32Of course, security was really high.
02:35We had a huge police presence accompanying the Olympic torch,
02:40as well as gendarmes around us here keeping this event safe, of course.