Reporter
matthew.chin@guardian.co.tt
Rebecca Chan has spent years training as a dancer, adapting her feet to the styles of jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance. However, when she was chosen to be a showgirl for the coveted Parisian cabaret of the Moulin Rouge, her life got a major update.
Earlier this month, before the 25 year old professional dancer left her tropical Maraval home for the city of love, baguettes, and croissants, aka Paris, she had spent two weeks liming with her family and friends and taking a short trip to Tobago. Before departing for France, the dancer sat down with Guardian Media at her Maraval home to share her journey and goals for the next five years.
Looking back at 2022, Chan auditioned for the Moulin Rouge cabaret in London, which she said was a fun experience, despite its challenges. Two weeks later, the company called asking her to join the Moulin Rouge in Paris. She was in shock.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all; it was a huge shock–I had two weeks to move to Paris! My family and friends were all in shock as well. People were like, ‘Oh my God, Moulin Rouge?’ Everyone was super excited,” she said.
The Moulin Rouge was founded in France in 1889 allowing both the wealthy and poor to enjoy colourful spectacles of both dance and song in addition to extravagant décor.
Living and working underneath the Parisian lights for almost two years now, she loves the city for its architecture and ease of travel, allowing people to move about with minor headaches.
“I can bike somewhere or walk wherever I need to go. And the architecture there is beautiful, the building façades, it’s all very old and preserved, it’s not modern at all and I love that about it. I’m very grateful to live there,” Chan said.
She also noted that she is the only Trinidadian in the cabaret, with most of her peers from Australia, England, and Canada. Interacting with them, Chan recalled moments when they would be confused about Trinidad and Tobago’s location on the map and how she even arrived in Paris.
Chan explained, “It was like, ‘How did you end up here (Paris)? You’re from Trinidad,’” adding that their curiosity stemmed from there being no auditions for Moulin Rouge in the Caribbean.
While many of us may view the dancer’s scored fortune with the iconic cabaret that is Moulin Rouge, the professional dancer, now turned foreigner in Europe, admitted that the glitz and glamour of the job does not erase the self-doubt that dancers like herself can face.
“The adrenaline rush you get on stage is amazing. But there are times when you doubt yourself. As dancers, you take it very personally if you’re getting a lot of corrections or not getting the spots you want. You have to remain confident in yourself and remember you’ve done the training,” she said.
Describing her role, she said the showgirl technique was akin to “learning a new style of dance” which is specific to the show.
“It’s almost like its own type of dance. It’s similar to jazz but it is its own thing. At Moulin we do the cancan, frilly skirts, the red, white, and blue, kick our legs, and do kart-wheels; it’s a high-intensity dance originating in Paris and that itself is its own technique completely,” she said.
Chan’s favourite move to perform on stage in the cabaret is the jump split.
When she was five years old she started training in ballet at the Bentley Potter School of Dance until she was nine. She also attended the Caribbean School of Dancing/Metamorphosis Dance Company where she trained for four years from the age of 14 to 18 years old before earning her bachelor’s degree in Theatre Dance in London, England, at the London Studio Centre.
Reflecting on her younger days to where
she is today, however, Chan revealed that the art world had always been her friend, holding her hand throughout life.
“I’ve always been artsy,” she said, “I would say the main two things I’m into are drawing and painting. I also love yoga and pilates, anything with body movement,” Chan said.
Following ballet, there was jazz and contemporary dance. Her first job as a dancer was in the Thursford Christmas Spectacular in Norfolk, England. She also toured special needs schools performing with Interplay Theatre, which is a theatre company based in Leeds, England, before dancing at the London Cabaret Club. And then accepted by the Moulin Rouge in 2022, where she has been working for a year and a half ever since—six days a week!
“My job is very hardcore and rigorous. I work six days a week, two shows a night. You need to be fit, you need carbs for energy, take care of your body, and eat properly. This is your whole career. I don’t take any supplements, I just eat a lot of food. I would need a good bowl of pasta or stir-fry,” she laughed.
With any profession or prospects a person may have for themselves, it is not uncommon for others to be opinionated and judge what makes another person happy.
That is why, according to Chan, when it comes to dancing, some doubt whether the art form is a “real” job.
“A lot of times people don’t see dancing as a real job, they’re not aware of all the opportunities dancers can have. Also, they’re not aware that dancers are out there creating work for themselves,” she said. “I think, honestly, that’s the most fulfilling way to be a dancer.”
When asked what she thinks her dance career in the next five years may look like, she said she was open-minded to whatever comes her way, with teaching and choreography as the main two areas she’s considering pursuing. Furthermore, when she returns to Trinidad, she said she may be inclined to start her own dance company, teaching local dancers the lessons of what it takes to be a creator, both on and off the stage.
“I want to start creating myself, instead of just dancing, creating my own choreography, maybe my own show; these are just dreams and ideas that I have for myself,” she said.
“I’ve been training in dance for so long, and I know I’m good. I just need to remember that I got this job. I’m here for a reason.”
