My friend Layla is holding a glass of champagne and has a huge smile on her face. A French cancan performance has just begun, with much leg-kicking from under tricolour ruffled skirts. It’s a noisy dance, made even louder by trilling screeches, and makes the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle buzz with energy.
The dance has feminist origins – from the 1830s it was used as a protest by Montmartre laundresses against the menial tasks they were expected to perform without pay. It feels fitting for Layla’s first baby-free trip abroad, particularly since she is also a keen dancer. She danced right up until giving birth, four months ago.
