Stock market fluctuations and share price curves may cause hearts to flutter, but rarely do they inspire people to strip all their clothes off. The Crazy Horse cabaret theater, near the Champs-Elysees and an institution since 1951, is bringing a topical flavor to its famous nude revue as part of new show by star choreographer Philippe Decoufle that launches next week.

Decoufle, designer of spectaculars including the opening ceremony of the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 2007 Rugby World Cup, has overhauled the traditional strobe-lit routines with numbers including a Wall Street-themed "Crisis? What Crisis?."

The number starts with statuesque dancer Fiamma Rosa, fully dressed in businesswoman attire, sitting at a desk against a backdrop of neon orange, relentlessly falling stock prices.

As she begins her strip routine, the stocks begin to rise. The prices start to turn around the more Rosa reveals, and by the end of the number they have risen some 90 percent.


Dancers perform during the press presentation of the new revue at the Crazy Horse in Paris September 14, 2009 directed by Philippe Decoufle, new Artistic Director for Crazy Horse Paris.[chinadaily.com.cn/agencies]

'Crisis? What Crisis?' seems to mirror Crazy Horse's clientele, who have defied the economic crisis to watch athletic women dance amid colored lights and sequins.

"We have not been affected at all this year, and we hope to give things a boost with special performances such as Dita von Teese," said Andree Deissenberg, general manager at Crazy Horse.

Celebrities including Madonna and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier have nestled in the dimly lit theatre's ruby velvet chairs and line-ups have featured sex sirens such as Carmen Electra and Pamela Anderson.

"I have been interested for a long time in working on a show about nudity. I don't know why," said Decoufle, who said he had been careful to respect and adapt the Crazy Horse's distinctive look of stylized movements and fluorescent wigs.

Decoufle's previous creations include routines and costumes which modified body shapes, and as time went on he became more interested in the process of revealing the body rather than covering it up.

"I was more and more interested in what is the body itself and how to take off your clothes," he said after a preview of the show to journalists.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn/agencies