Irish dancer kicks her last can-can at Moulin Rouge

Amy StewartBBC News NI

• Claudine Van Den Bergh Cooke, from Dublin, became the first Irish principal dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris
• The 31-year-old has danced her last can-can
• After achieving a first class honours law degree, she has left the iconic show
• The dancer hopes to become a solicitor

Claudine Van Den Bergh Cooke, from Dublin, made history when she became the first Irish principal dancer in the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris.

But the 31-year-old has danced her last can-can under the famous red windmill.

In between many high kicks and splits performing six days a week, she gained a first class honours law degree - and now she's leaving the Moulin Rouge to become a lawyer.

For Claudine, being the first Irish person in the role at the historic Montmartre venue has been "incredible".

Created in 1889, the Moulin Rouge - where the French can-can was invented - is celebrating its 134th anniversary.

In that time it has consistently drawn in the crowds - but the 2001 film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor took it to a whole new audience.

Unsurprisingly for someone whose mother is a classical ballet teacher, Claudine caught the dancing bug early, starting out when she was just two.

Dance became her focus during her teenage years, with Claudine travelling to London to attend the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance to complete a degree.

Because of her stature she thought Moulin Rouge - with its minimum height requirement of 5'9'' for its female dancers - might be a good fit.

She landed a gruelling audition in 2012, testing everything from her classical ballet skills, lyrical and jazz chops to acrobatics for the French can-can.

"That's an eight- minute dance. It's full of jumps, jump splits, cart wheels, somersaults, backwards walk overs, frontwards walk overs.

"It's really impressive dance - and it's what we're very famous for here at the Moulin Rouge," she added.

She landed the gig - and six years ago was promoted to principal dancer. Her journey along the way has seen many career highlights, including playing La Goulue, the muse of famous artist Toulouse-Lautrec, who opens the can-can.

"To be part of the legacy here is incredible - especially being an Irish principal dancer - I'm really proud to have to achieved that," she told BBC News NI.

Sister act

Claudine is one of only two Irish dancers at the Moulin Rouge - the other is her sister Isabelle.

"We're just very lucky to be here living our dream - and we hope that many more Irish dancers audition in the future," she told BBC News NI.

"I've enjoyed every minute working with her - I have my own dressing room, and she's in the dressing room I used to sit into before I got my promotion to a principal dancer.

"I'll often spend actually more time going in to see her backstage then my own dressing room," she said adding: "We're always close by."

"Isabelle will definitely miss me - but I think we understand that the time we had this was very special and very precious, and it's something that we'll definitely cherish forever."

Their mother - and number one fan - still lives in Ireland, where Claudine still visits often.

One Sunday, on her last performance, family and friends from Ireland came over to send her off in style.

"Other friends come from Dublin and their husbands, and we just had an absolutely wonderful time.

"They were treated so well and spoiled with champagne. It was a brilliant night.

"I literally had a van load of flowers - I was almost overwhelmed - it was an excellent send off."

First class

For her next journey it's "hopefully a successful legal career".

Claudine decided to start taking law modules when she was made principal dancer - she enjoyed them so much she continued on to a degree.

"It's got to a point where I need to take a little step back from Moulin Rouge and take a step forward into my legal career and devote all my time to it now, with my solicitors qualifying exams and Masters.

"I feel delighted to have been able to do them alongside each other and been able to succeed a both," she added.

She studied virtually through the Open University - often with her two Pomeranians, Whiskey and Guinness, for company.

There may not be any toe taps in the court room, but for Claudine there are similarities between the world of law and the "very disciplined" world of dance.

"There's a lot of work behind the scenes in dance that the audience doesn't see - rehearsals, our constructive criticism that we need to implement immediately for the show and teamwork.

"If you look at law it's a similar thing - it's being diligent about being disciplined by working hard with teamwork and professionalism.

"It's been a massive leap away from a very rich and exciting career.

"I hope the next career can be as exciting for me as the one I've had because the career I've had here has just been absolutely beautiful."

• Claudine Van Den Bergh Cooke was the first Irish principal dancer in the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris.
• The Dublin woman is leaving to pursue a career in law after gaining a first class honours law degree.
• For Claudine, being the first Irish person in the role at the historic Montmartre venue has been "incredible".

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