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Can-can

Dance
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A high-kicking, energetic music-hall dance associated with nineteenth-century Paris.

Detailed Definition
The can-can is a fast and exuberant dance known for high kicks, skirts, cartwheels, and comic defiance, especially in the cabarets and music halls of nineteenth-century Paris. In poetry, it can signal spectacle, urban pleasure, or a rebellion against decorum. Its flashing legs and rapid tempo may be used to disrupt a sober scene, while its theatrical associations allow poets to examine performance, class, gender, and the gaze of an entertained crowd.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The city kicked up its heels in a can-can of neon” uses the dance to convey exuberance and spectacle; A poet may invoke the can-can’s high kicks to describe fountain spray or flying laundry; “At midnight, the chorus line began its can-can of umbrellas” gives a rainstorm comic energy; A poem set in a cabaret can use the can-can to examine performance, daring, and the audience’s gaze
Additional Notes
The Can-can is famed for vigorous kicks, high energy, and its association with Parisian music halls. In poetic reference, it may imply spectacle, comic defiance, scandal, theatricality, or exuberant public performance.
Also Known As
Cancan French Cancan
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