Old Time Flamenco

There were a few occasions when old-time Flamenco Dancing rivaled the Cancan in terms of sheer exuberance and exhilaration. The similarities between the two dance-forms can hardly be denied (though Flamenco is generally performed by a duo while CC is more often an ensemble effort). Some superb examples of classic Flameno were offered (believe it or not) by Disney Studios way back in the day:

Japanese Shows of the 1970s...

While we're on the subject of  dancing and whirling skirts, TISA and I came across an intriguing set of images (see below) during our travels around the web, apparently relating to an early Seventies variety show:

Anyway, we ran a couple of searches and managed to locate at least one online source. The photo(s) came from a Japanese twitter account devoted to fashions of the 1970s. The caption reads as follows:

ゴーゴーガールのスカートめくりゲームや水着濡らしゲームが人気だったという1971年放送の「夜の大作戦」って番組、観てみたい…

Speaking for myself, I couldn't make head nor tail of the translation, other than the program's title being  "Daily Daisakusen". Fortunately, TISA had considerably more success deciphering the message:

As you say, this scene was broadcast on a program called "夜の大作戦". This is a viewer participation game. Viewers vote for one of the five dancers in advance, then one of the dancers shows her pants via the breeze. A free gift was sent to the viewers who voted for the dancers who played パンチラ. 

The name of this segment was "ショークリメ". "ショー" of "ショークリメ" is "show". "クリメ" is an expression  that reads "turning up" in Japanese. This name seems not to be used outside this program.

I think our Japanese compatriots were way ahead of the curve in this instance: if memory serves correct, there were no game shows like this on UK TV back in the 1970s (though Spain and Italy might have mimicked the idea during the 80s). The "viewer participation" angle seems particularly ingenious from where I'm standing. Many thanks to TISA for solving this mystery.

Benny Hill: The Great British Dance Finals

Ballroom dancing might seem an unlikely target for parody and satire given its seemingly moderate reputation during the postwar era. However, Benny Hill and company mercilessly lampooned the popular genre in "The Great British Dance Finals" (circa 1974), in which the audience gets the "low angle" on  two of the female contestants:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLq5IINQaTk

Cartoons and Comics

Depictions of the cancan in mainstream comics tend to be few and far between, but they turn up every now and again, sometimes in the most unexpected of places. Our first example comes from Archie Comics, where Veronica visits the Yukon and is mistaken for a chorus girl (my apologies for the low resolution scans, they're the only ones I could locate on the web).

I think the sequence was drawn by Dan DeCarlo, the artist who more or less defined the Archie Comics' "house style". DeCarlo also drew gag cartoons for various adult magazines and was well-known for his risque sense of humor outside of his mainstream work.

Next, we have  Le Petit Spirou by Tome and Janry, a popular Belgian/French comic strip, (though practically unknown outside Europe). While the main protagonists are mostly young children, the humor is more squarely aimed at adults:

One might think that French comics would be literally bursting with the cancan, but once again, such images are comparatively rare. Chorus girls sometimes turn up in Maurice De Bevere's Lucky Luke, though their costumes often lack the distinctive skirts and petticoats common to the classic ensemble:

On the other hand, a more traditional outfit can be found in some of the animated adaptions of the character, as suggested by this hand-painted cel from 1971's Daisy Town:

And of course, there's the famous Royal Flash gag from 1944's  Stage Door Cartoon (OK, I admit to cheating here a little; I used photoshop to edits Bugs out of the picture):

PS: Will post more as I find 'em. If anyone knows the original source of those Archie Comics pages, please leave a message; I'd be very interested in posting some high-res scans.

Tricolor Angels: The Three Graces

In ancient Greek mythology, The Three Graces were the daughters of Zeus - Joy, Splendor and Ecstasy. In Tricolor Angels, they are the cousins of Jessica, the Muse of Dance. When Lily and Ava descend to Hades in search of their lost friends, Jessica summons the three Graces to help them find their way. In common with Jessica, the Graces are expert dancers, inspiring happiness in even the lowest pits of hell. They eventually join Ava and Lily, dancing before Pluto during the Final Contest.

古代ギリシャ神話では、三美神はゼウスの娘-喜び、素晴らしさ、エクスタシーでした。トリコロールエンジェルでは、彼らはジェシカのいとこです。リリーとアヴァが失われた友人を探してハーデスに降りるとき、ジェシカは3人のグレイスを召喚して彼らが道を見つけるのを助けます。ジェシカと同じように、グレイセスは熟練したダンサーであり、地獄の最も低いピットでさえ幸せを刺激します。最終的に彼らはファイナルコンテスト中にプルートーの前で踊り、AvaとLilyに加わります。

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm35520679

Screencap Gallery

Benny Hill: A Damned Good Show!

Whatever else may be said about Benny Hill, the man knew how to put on damned good show, and the finale to Sauce at Benito's was one of the best ever presented. The amount of detail poured into this fast-paced routine is truly astonishing: set in a Victorian music hall, the sequence combines nostalgic humor with modern day sensibilities, topping it off with a blockbuster cancan number that is a wonder to behold.

The cancan scene from "Sauce at Benitos" is available on Youtube, though it may be blocked in some countries for copyright reasons:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VH9W0by08

Benny Hill Show: The Nurses' Cancan

As many of you doubtlessly recall, the "Hospital" sketch from 1973 ends with an impromptu cancan. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to find a video-clip of this scene anywhere online. Guess we'll just have to settle for our imaginations (and a few selected screencaps):

UPDATE: Our good friend TISA has uploaded a good quality copy of the Hospital sketch to NicoNico, link provided below:

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm35538206

Screencap Gallery

 

OK, this definitely isn't the cancan, but I thought you might like to see it anyway...