Early Modern · Architecture

Crazy Horse

Paris

Crazy Horse is a cabaret located at 12, avenue George-V in the Champs-Élysées district of Paris. Founded in 1951 by Alain Bernardin, it opened as the Crazy Horse Saloon on the right bank of Paris on 15 May 1951. The venue was conceived as a cabaret based on American strip-tease, combining eroticism with sophisticated aesthetics. Its name is the English translation of the Sioux chief Thašunka Witko's name.

The cabaret’s decoration at opening was intended to be in western style, and its hall was designed to resemble an 1870s saloon. Over time, Crazy Horse developed a distinctive identity through traditional cabaret numbers, stage names for its dancers, and a recognisable visual style. Its shows have featured guest stars and various artistic collaborations, while maintaining the venue’s emphasis on visual presentation and stylized performance.

Map showing the location of Crazy Horse in Paris
Location of Crazy Horse in Paris

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Origins and Design of Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse is a cabaret located at 12, avenue George-V in the Champs-Elysées district of Paris. It was founded in 1951 by Alain Bernardin and is recognized for its unique shows featuring absolute aesthetics. The name Crazy Horse is the English translation of the Sioux chief Thašunka Witko's name. At its opening, the decoration was intended to be in western style, and the hall was designed to resemble an 1870s saloon.

Opening and Early Style of Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse Saloon opened on 15 May 1951 on the right bank of Paris. It was established at 12, avenue George-V, in a bourgeois Haussmannian building. The cabaret was based on American strip-tease, combining eroticism with sophisticated aesthetics. Its programs also included traditional cabaret numbers, among them performances by Charles Aznavour. A distinctive part of its identity was the use of stage names for each dancer. Over time, the cabaret developed the Crazy myth through performers such as Lova Moor, Rosa Fumetto, Polly Underground, Diva Terminus, and Fifi Standby, and through a recognizable visual style of false lashes, high heels, pasties, lipstick, and wigs.

Later Developments and New Productions

After Historique's death in 1994, Crazy Horse was inherited by Didier, Sophie, and Pascal. His children directed the venue until April 2005, when it was bought by Philippe Lhomme's group. From 2006 onward, Crazy Horse periodically featured guest stars, beginning with Dita von Teese. Among the guest performers named at the venue through 2025 were Arielle Dombasle, Pamela Anderson, and Clotilde Courau.

The venue also developed collaborations and new productions. In May 2014, Crazy Horse partnered with Aubade to create the exclusive lingerie line My Crazy Collection. Later that year, it premiered the show Desirs on 8 October 2014 in Paris. The final melody for Desirs was composed by Philippe Katerine, and the poster was designed by Hilton McConnico.

Further stagings followed in the next years. From 10 October 2016 to 1 January 2017, Christian Louboutin was involved in the staging of several tables. Crazy Horse then hosted Dita von Teese with Dita's Crazy Show from 15 to 27 February 2018. In late 2018, it presented its first guest designer, Chantal Thomass, for Dessous Dessus from 12 November to 31 December 2018. A new show, Totally Crazy!, began on 3 September 2019 and was under the artistic direction of Andree Deissenberg and staged by Stephane Jarny.

Cultural references and costume design

Crazy Horse has been cited in several works of popular culture. Culture populaire states that cabaret appeared in Crazy Horse films by Alain Bernardin in 1977, and also in Les Anges gardiens by Jean-Marie Poire in 1995. It is also mentioned in the song Girls, Girls, Girls by Motley Crue. In addition, Culture populaire states that the dancers of Crazy Horse are considered the sexiest women in the world. The cabaret's visual identity has also been shaped by costume designer Antoine Kruk, who designed many costumes for the Forever Crazy and Desirs revues. Kruk later dedicated a tribute book to Crazy Horse, titled Crazy par Antoine Kruk and published by Editions Eyrolles, with one hundred illustrations.

International Expansions of Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse expanded beyond Paris through a small number of projects that were described as connected to the original cabaret. Between 2001 and 2012, a similar cabaret operated at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, presenting a show inspired by the Paris cabaret. The organization also inaugurated a third permanent cabaret at Clarke Quay in Singapore. That venue had 450 seats and included a bar, restaurant, and shop. However, it was later closed after failing to meet attendance goals.

Crazy Horse also produced a second show, Forever Crazy, which toured internationally. The tour included performances in Geneva, Madrid, London, Vienna, Montreal, and Moscow. The organization acknowledged only the Singapore venue, the MGM Grand Las Vegas location, and the international tour as being connected to the Paris Crazy Horse. Other entertainment venues bearing the Crazy Horse name were described as having only a distant resemblance to the original cabaret.