1. Louise Weber “La Goulue”
Videos:
- Moulin Rouge cancan (1952)
- older “La Goulou” at home

2. - French cancan dancer, also a laundress, model for painters and photographers
- Father returned from French-German War of 1870 with both legs badly injured, he later died, and she was sent to a orphanage run by nuns
Danced at small clubs around Paris
Known for her dancing skills and audacious behavior, did not mince words, a little crass

3. Danced at the Moulin Rouge when it first opened (had a partner, but she quickly moved beyond him)
Signature moves - raising her dress to show her underwear, kicking off a man’s hat with toe, drinking other customer’s drinks, jumping and landing in the splits
Became synonymous with the Cancan and the Moulin Rouge, also immortalized especially in Toulouse-Lautrec’s portraits and posters
Highest paid entertainer of her time

4. 1895, decided to strike out on her own, parted from the Moulin Rouge, but her business venture was a failure.
She was depressed and drank heavily and quickly went through her savings.
Returned to Montmartre in 1928 – sold peanuts, cigarettes, and matches near Moulin Rouge, but no one recognized her.
Died poor in 1929

5. Jane Avril “La Mélinite,” Jane la Folle, L’Etrange

6. Born as Jeanne Beaudon
Daughter of a courtesan, ran away from an abusive home at age 13
The following year, she entered a treatment center to be treated for a nervous disorder.
Started dancing at one of the hospital’s balls, and found her cure and vocation

7. Joined Moulin Rouge at the age of 20
1890 star of Moulin Rouge
Alluring style and exotic persona

8. To be successful, you needed a clear image (La Goulou had one) – Jane Avril could sing, but she was a solo dancer, choreographing her own routines and designing her own dresses
Also known for (and easily identified by) her bright red hair

9. Toulouse-Lautrec’s friend, Paul Leclercq:
‘In the midst of the crowd, there was a stir, and a line of people started to form: Jane Avril was dancing, twirling, gracefully, lightly, a little madly; pale, skinny, thoroughbred, she twirled and reversed, weightless, fed on flowers; Lautrec was shouting out his admiration.’

10. Subject of much of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work
She was one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s greatest friends, and many of his portraits of her show her as a private individual rather than as a performer.
After Toulouse-Lautrec’s death, she was briefly a stage actress and then faded into obscurity.

11. Jane Avril is seated with her back to us; “La Goulou” is dancing with her arms raised behind the table.