I remember the first show I have attended

It has legs longer than its body. (...) She has eyes to empty a convent of Trappist in five minutes. "Boris Vian, speaking thus of Zizi Jeanmaire, singer and leader of journals, does not find most beautiful formula for Aurora, twenty-five years, one of the dancers of the journal"Happiness"of the Lido that has the cap of the 2,000 performances.

His clear blue eyes make want to drown in a lagoon, and his legs, which are in its metre eighty, evoke those famous "compass" which Charles Denner spoke in "The man who loved women", by Truffaut. Aurora makes up to the ice. The lodge, obsolete and low ceiling, contrasts with the size and brightness of the dozen of Bluebell located there. In this shambles mingle elements of "real life" and the outfits of fireworks. The flesh-coloured strings, there are a few moments, waiting clinging to the mirror of each dancer, such as powdered bats, are now "solid forms.

"I always wanted to dance here," says Aurora by putting final touches to his makeup, which makes it unrecognizable. When I was fourteen years old, I lived in a corner lost of Lorraine. I came to see the show with my parents. I immediately wanted to come and work here as soon as I would have my tray. "On a floor mat, it stretches. After having tasted to contemporary dance, it is part of the bare Bluebell, "topless" in the jargon, for four years. "When I took the casting, it warned me that it was to be topless, she says.". Here in the Lido, this doesn't interfere me with. I remember the first show I have attended. I was overcome by the room, the costumes, sets... The fact that girls danced skinned was completely secondary. "Most of the girls agree to dance topless. Stéphanie, the principal dancer (1.82 metres, including a neck that ends not), has a kind of crystal chandelier. Did us weigh: 3 or 4 kilos at least. "You see, it's only my string and the necklace that I must put to the final!, she exclaims.". With such weight on me, I do not have the feeling of being naked! "A few Artic Crystal at the top and bottom are enough to irradiate the body of these goddesses leucopyges catalogue.

Fifteen nationalities

The pace is frantic: troop 12 dancers (the boys) and 46 dancers from 15 different nationalities work six days a week, from 8: 30 to 23 pm evening where there is only a show and up to 1 hour in the morning about where she goes with half an hour to beat in the meantime. The salary Approximately 2,400 euros gross, what plus various bonuses and supplements: for the "topless" for the "swing" (dancers that can switch on several positions) for the successor (which can take the place of the leader or the principal dancer), for the galas, the passages on television...

Aurora stretches again. Let the on its heating mats to meet other dancers to relax on the stage. It is easily lose in this maze of narrow corridors from share and on the other, but also above and below the scene. All hooks and clothes that hang, colourful Feathered caps. Above each hook, a piece of adhesive tape bears an inscription for us mysterious: "Final P", "47", "Hindu Warrior 41", "Waltz"... This volatile review still remember us birdie: "my tip in zoiseaux feather/feathers / Z ' animals / my tip feathers / is very malin/nothing in its hands the kidneys coup."

It is 20 h 45. The other side of the stage curtain, a singer and his Orchestra interpret wisely jazz standards, accompany the dinner of the spectators. Cynthia, already masked, engages in stretching exercises. Thirty-four years, it is one of the oldest of the troupe. With its meter soixante-seize, it is also one of the smallest. She returned from maternity leave, more thin and sculptural yet as before. The seeing if tiny, it barely imagine that it is a high-level sports: horse riding, triathlon and, especially, cycling. She was champion of France continued in 2000 and two years later, she carried out the women's Tour of France. It has become topless in the Lido eight years ago after having spent seven to Crazy Horse.

Cynthia is nothing like Aurora. The Lido, the girls must not be "formatted": single size, identical weight, breast shape or similar volume (impossible to integrate the Lido with rebuilt breasts, it seems). What is to be to be dancer to the Lido "Be very large, more than in some other reviews, meets Shay, Australian thirty-two years." You must have long legs, lovely breasts. Elegant body and a silhouette is obviously important. We must play a role while dancing. It must be also an actress. To summarize, I would say that one must be able, almost bare, communicate!

Altier port captain

Cynically, "Find me cute dress!", said Pierre - Louis Guérin, the former Director General and artistic magazine, to Miss Bluebell, Director of the post-war ballet. Later dancers virtuosos, but musculeuses and dry classical dance, the Bluebell resemble a vision fantasy (by men) a female (physical) ideal. Except for size. Behind the scenes of the Lido, below 1.80 metre for a man, it is just a dwarf. Of course, the dancers are still great. Already made up, Denis, thirty-five years, altier port, powerful arms, heats from Cynthia. It is the captain of the Lido Boys. Dance here for ten years and appreciates the review "Happiness", created by Pierre Rambert in 2003. "We dance more and are less the tenure of the dancers," it said. But wear, it's use: "even if they are fine and very well made, they weigh their size!"

Heating ends. Of

the other side of the curtain, the Orchestra heals his last notes. It is 21 h 15 and technicians are asking us to leave the stage to prepare for the first table. The dancers then spread in corridors to make their first outfits. If they are sophisticated, they are designed to be coated in a few seconds, with 20 of dressers. 21 h 20. Last cigarettes, last soft drinks in the cafeteria... And it's gone! Here is dawn and Cynthia, two volatile of exception, that fly on stage and join the lodge of the rapid changes. Three staples, a few scratches, and, seconds later, Denis, too, is ready for the next stage. Meanwhile, other fairies, Shay, large PomPoms in feather-coated pink ostrich is dégourdissent the compass in cadence. They leave in turn. Enter funny bird, Aurora and Cynthia are, Cap Leopard and feathers of pheasants, guêpière minimum bustier and garter belts. Behind the scenes, rather than between, are as pupae for dancers and dancers, which metamorphose ten times by show and are, in total, almost 600 costumes.

While the dressers, the head between the breasts of the Bluebell, help them in pace to be a complex holding, we climb to the level of the régie, a floor above. We pass a corridor which toured the scene to attend Diana flight, the cheerleader magazine, ready to embark on a small plane, which, by a set of air track, will land on stage. Diana will descend from the gateway in a few seconds, hosted by boys more sexy and less covered than ADP employees.

The secrets of the temple

We descend the Régie to spin in the bowels of the Lido, where emerge, and where to place different trays of the Lido (swimming pool,... ice skating trail), and the drawers in a gigantic chest of drawers. A kind of temple (Hindu maya) folded on itself arise soon on stage, deploying in a few seconds. While an Acrobat (one of the four attractions of circus) completes its number, dawn and three other topless, such of great Hindu, arrive, bare, adjust their outfits and their shiny collars, and then to put in place in the temple. Twelve other Bluebell are positioned on the sides of the building begins to climb. It is one of the strongest scenes of the show. It barely has time to understand how all this works that, already, the temple down. Without losing a second, girls themselves are stripped, ready to take the next holding rhinestones and sequins.

We go back behind the scenes and other girls out of scene, not unhappy with shed their imposing Shiva prosthesis with two pairs of artificial arm. "It is the heaviest holding, breath Shay, who is defeated." In addition, we carry the with high heels. I very careful, because we need to take a passage close to arrive on scene. There is a great vacuum that the public is not, with the pool below. A small challenge every time!

(Without hair) dancers, such a brigade of Flash Gordon, dévêtent their holding of Sinbad. During this time, Cynthia, Shay and a few other Marvel public dancing and part of the jets of water. It looks like curtains opens and closes forever. Girls out of scene, the head of profile to avoid their giant Cap-shaped heart upside down (unless it was Pikes) take in some elements of decoration. It is the turn of a new Acrobat, playing superbly throughout sheets falling chandeliers.

Since a few minutes, a horse made the hundred, almost alone, behind the scenes. Between two scenes, one of the Bluebell him chatting in her stroking the nose. "There is many men who would be réincarnés in the Lido horse!", a member of the team while on stage, the leader of the journal, Diana, singing live a beautiful version of "mein herr" fun. The horse will perform very well in its number of dressage between of Bluebell "packaged" in vast cloaks of red velvet relating of entries in homage to Fellini.

Without leaving the audience time to catch their breath, a skating rink arises from the bottom of the Lido to host the parade amoureuse and poetic a pair of skaters. Behind the scenes, three dancers recovered motorcycle helmets and pose in fun for a portrait of Group of the genus "naked with full helmets."

Final bouquet

We approach the end. In changing a umpteenth time, the dancers and the dressers play in English, Italian, German... Here is the last scene twenty-third set of the show designed as a final bouquet, dancers in blue suits and dazzling dancers given blue feathers. Strass and feathers army which had invaded the scene 90 minutes finally folds. It will be up to the assault in half an hour for the second show.

It is 23: 07 pm. The public goes, the stars and the roundness full eyes. Each leaves his room chilled spectators who made the tail on the Champs-Elysées. Liminal is too long for some, who are afraid to cool down, and too short for others who want to quench, swallow some snacks and retouch their makeup...

It was not until an hour and a half in the morning, at best, that taxi ordered by Lido will bring back the dancers home. Paris, dawn will arrive before Cynthia, who lives in Saint-Mandé. As Denis, it will be at his home near Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, steps of time. It will then find the sleep. Aurora does not without difficulty. Often she writes songs. Denis sometimes extends the night to prepare breakfast for his wife and three children. Cynthia will be certainly awakened by his daughter... Lying while Paris awakens, they still sleep at the time you read these lines.

Tonight, the dancers will still turn the head of the women and dancers will always dream men. Réécoutons Zizi Jeanmaire: "my tip in feathers/it is dream/but it is sacred / should not touch.".