CNN
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Paris’ famous Moulin Rouge windmill has been fitted with new rotor blades, almost three months after they fell off the landmark.
According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, around 500 spectators watched the inauguration of the rotor blades on Friday evening and greeted the installation with thunderous applause.
Jean-Victor Clerico, general director of the Moulin Rouge Paris, said the aim is to have the blades reinstalled before July 15, when the Olympic flame will pass the venue on its way to the opening of the Summer Games.
About 20 cancan dancers performed to celebrate the installation, BFMTV reported, adding that the windmill’s blades are currently not turning because mechanical work could not be completed before the inauguration date.
Olympia by Maismont/AFP/Getty Images
The new rotor blades were lifted onto the windmill with a crane.
It is unclear why the windmill’s blades fell from the iconic dance hall in April.
The venue subsequently stated that it had ruled out any “malicious act” and the Paris fire service told BFMTV that no one was injured.
The shows went on even though the blades were missing.
Founded in 1889, the Moulin Rouge in the Paris district of Montmartre is one of the most famous cabaret clubs in the world.
The distinctive red windmill has been a fixture at the venue since its inception, although the original building burned down in 1915. The current windmill was built in the 1920s.
Over the years, the venue has had to endure fires and undergo renovations to maintain its splendor, according to the Moulin Rouge website.
The unveiling of the new Moulin Rouge windmill coincides with the closure of another iconic Parisian venue.
Chez Michou, a Parisian drag cabaret club that has hosted singers such as Liza Minnelli and Serge Gainsbourg, held its last show on Sunday night and was forced to close its doors due to financial difficulties.
