Moulin Rouge Performer STACEY KENEALY talks candidly with DanceLife about her time with the world famous Cabaret and her experiences on their recent tour of Australia at The Melbourne Cup Racing Carnival. Stacey has been combining her dancing and modeling expertise for several years. She has appeared for lucrative brands including Nike, Diesel, Coca Cola, Australia’s Next Top Model, Tony and Guy, Rebel Sport, Adidas, GHD, Supre, V8 Super Car, Westfield, Schwarzkopf, Redken and Speedo. Stacey has also performed with Ricky Martin, Ricki Lee Coulter, Jessica Mauboy and worked on XFactor and appears in the current So You Think You Can Dance TV Commercial!
– Can you the our DanceLife readers about your experience with The Moulin Rouge?
“I’ve been performing with Moulin for nearly 5 years now. I have done 2 solid years based in Paris where we would do 12 shows a week (2 shows a night, 6 days a week), and have since toured with them to Moscow, Italy, Malta, Belguim and now Australia.
“Even though it is an extremely glamorous job, it is also quite intense on the body. Starting off with a solid 1 month rehearsal period when first arriving in Paris, you learn the 2 hour show along with the techniques of famous French Can Can. It is very strenuous on your body, especially your legs and specifically your hip flexors so taking care of your muscles and joints is really important. Even though the rehearsal period is tough, once you begin to try on the incredible feathers, crystals and couture costumes you seem to forget everything else and just get lost in the beauty of the show! 🙂
“Living in Paris and working at the Moulin has definitely been one of the highlights of my career. It really is the most beautiful city in the world. I truly feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience the culture, language and lifestyle of a Parisienne.”
– What was the audition process for you to get into The Moulin Rouge?
“Once a year the Moulin tour Australia auditioning hundreds and hundreds of budding showgirls and boys. The audition process is quite intense. A long audition where you’re a given a whirlwind of choreography from the show.
“If I could give any advice to girls aspiring to book a Moulin contract, I would say make sure you go to audition looking fresh and fabulous! Slick hair, a good chorus heel you are comfortable dancing in, and a really high cut leotard or 2 piece. Wear something colorful that will make you stand out, and I always think a bright lip makes your smile pop!”
– You’ve recently done a tour with The Moulin Rouge in Australia, what did that entail?
“We toured in partnership with G.H. Mumm Champagne to perform in the Birdcage at Melbourne Cup Carnival. We performed 3 shows a day on each of the main race days of the carnival in the La Maison G.H. Mumm marquee which had a taste of The Moulin Rouge’s glamour, heritage and incredible couture. We brought over 1 million dollars worth of costumes – which equals around 1500kg! (Just a little bit of excess luggage!)
!It was incredibly thrilling to be at the carnival adding to the excitement and frivolity of the celebrations and festivities.”
– Can you tell our readers about your training?
“I grew up on the Gold Coast and trained at Paradise Performers Academy under the direction of Peta Mckenney (Todd Mckenney’s mother). As Peta had a wealth of knowledge of the industry, PPA was extremely performance focused school and from an early age we were encouraged to train in every style of dance and facet of the entertainment industry. I was trained in Jazz, Tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, Acrobatics, ballet, musical theatre, singing and acting.”
– What advice can you give to our dancers regarding the path they should take if they want a career in dance?
“Make sure you don’t focus on one style in particular but push your boundaries and excel in all genres. Being an all-rounder opens doors and creates MANY more opportunities for professional dancers later on. Also, having a successful career as a dancer is as much about being a good business woman/man as it about being a good dancer. The Industry is a close-knit circle, so always conduct yourself and behave in a way that best represents the person that you are. Be humble, kind and be respectful of your peers and anyone you work with/for. As well as this, make sure you keep your CV and head shots up to date and always be on time and look fresh!
“Last but not least, (and this is something I wish someone passed onto me when I was starting out) always trust your gut instinct! Whether it be about contracts, friends or any life decision in general, never underestimate the power of intuition. It will always lead you down the right path!”
Interview by Amanda Woodbine
