They “don’t know the words”, so they dance. Around 25 Lido dancers staged an action on Saturday avenue des Champs-Elysees to protest against plans to transform one of Parisian night’s most iconic institutions.
“I don’t know the words. It was my mother’s dream, and it was my home. I have been there 10 years. It’s not my job. It’s part of me,” Eve Jourdan, the “dance captain” at the cabaret which employs over 150 people, says with emotion.
Today, we marched in front of @LidoParis along with all its artists and employees. Despite the layoffs imposed on us by the Accor Group, the Lido is a historical place in Paris that must be preserved!
The team carried signs that read “the Lido in Paris”, “give back our feathers”, referring to the famous accessory worn by the dancers. They performed a few steps under the cabaret music and received cheers from the crowds. It was also an opportunity to encourage walkers and the curious to sign the petition against the change. “Dancers and technicians: we love cabaret. Simone Cristofaro, a dancer, stated that she wants to be there to help you achieve your dreams.
More than a dozen dancers from Moulin Rouge, another well-known Parisian cabaret are “in solidarity” among the many spectators and passers-by. “My parents were there, and so was I. We support each other as best we can. This is a landmark, an iconic part of Paris. Rye Carpenter says it’s “heartbreaking”.
Paris without the Lido is not Paris. It’s like a monument. It is like a monument.
The employees were still pessimistic about the future despite being mobilized. “We are in testimony. We know exactly what is going to occur, and we cannot stop it. It cannot happen in anonymity,” said Ludovic Herveou (CGT union representative). The negotiations on the future employees of CGT are set to close on August 12.
