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Louise Thomas
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Paris's famed Moulin Rouge cabaret got its red windmill back Friday during a special ceremony that featured can-can dancing on the plaza outside.
The mill's huge sails inexplicably collapsed after a show earlier this year at the iconic venue, an emblem of the surrounding Montmartre neighbourhood.
Part of the cabaret's illuminated sign also crashed to the ground as a result of what its director called a technical problem. No one was hurt, and the mayor of Paris' 18th district said the structure was not in danger.
The Moulin Rouge scrambled to repair the damage before the Olympic torch relay passes through the area July 15, expected to draw big crowds.
The windmill was first illuminated on 6 Oct 1889 at the opening of the Moulin Rouge.
The cabaret, marking its 135th anniversary this year, is a major tourist attraction and was celebrated in the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film musical starring Nicole Kidman.
Cabaret management says its performers represent 18 nationalities and it receives 600,000 spectators a year.
