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FACT SHEET CRAZY HORSE PARIS L’art du Nu
Located in a 275-seat basement theatre on Avenue George V in Paris, the Crazy Horse cabaret is one of the top tourist night spots in Europe. Crazy Horse remains true to Bernardin’s original vision to create a beautiful show in the French tradition of “Art Vivant”, mixing dancing, painting and sculpture. Bernardin and his partner, Pierre Restany, were heavily influenced by the New Realism art movement in Paris during the late 1950s. They were also keen observers of the fashion scene, listing designers such as Paco Rabanne, Azzaro and Alaia as their friends. Bernardin was also interested in all the techniques of live performance art, focusing his attention on the stage music and lighting. Combining his flair for business and his love for good taste, Bernardin managed to raise the nude form to the status of a genuine art. Over the past fifty years, Crazy Horse Paris has evolved to become immediately synonymous with elegance, aesthetic eroticism and sophistication. The show today is world class performance art, beautifully choreographed to specially composed music, and performed by some of the most talented dancers in the world. The show uses spectacular costuming and lighting effects in a celebration of “l’art du nu” (the art of the nude). The troupe of Crazy Horse Paris dancers numbers 18, although only 12 are on stage at any one time. They are all classically trained and are recruited from throughout Europe, mainly France. Competition for places in the company is strong and the selection process is rigorous. In addition to their dancing and performance abilities, the Crazy Horse Paris dancer must have a physical structure close to Greek classical norms and exemplify the standards of physical beauty the show reflects. They must be a minimum 1.66 metres tall and a maximum of 1.72 metres.
In 2004, the company produced a film titled Crazy Horse, Le Show. The film accounts the story of the Crazy Horse cabaret’s past, present and future. The DVD, which was shot in high definition by the young talented director Laurent Bergers, takes an offbeat backstage look at the cabaret, providing a glimpse into the private lives of the dancers. The same year also marked the birth of Taboo, a brand new show designed by renowned choreographer Sofia Balma. Crazy Horse Paris and its matchless “l’art du nu” is forever young, always ahead of its time – and in a word, timeless. |