“Moulin Rouge” Dancer in Paris Details Crazy Schedule, Says She Wakes Up at 1 P.M. and Eats Dinner at 3 A.M. (Exclusive)

Meredith WilshereSat, June 27, 2026 at 8:29 PM UTC

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Allie Goodbun in 'Moulin Rouge'Credit: Philippe Wojazer -

Allie Goodbun moved from Canada to Paris in 2021 to perform at the iconic Moulin Rouge cabaret

Her schedule includes 1 p.m. wake-ups, late-night performances, and balancing work as a business owner and content creator

Goodbun advises aspiring dancers to train in multiple styles and seize every opportunity to pursue their dreams

Allie Goodbun doesn't have a typical workday as a dancer in Moulin Rouge.

The Canada-born dancer has been part of the Paris cabaret show since 2021, and tells PEOPLE that the pace of everyday life in France was one of the biggest culture shocks.

"In Toronto and in Canada, everybody is 'go, go, go.' Everybody's got their coffee on the go. They're on the metro at 7:30 a.m. to get to their job at 8. It's hustle and hustle and hustle back in Canada, whereas it's a different kind of hustle here in Paris," Goodbun, 27, shares.

After moving to the City of Light, Goodbun had to adapt to the lifestyle change while also managing a new schedule, finding an apartment, getting a new phone number and learning an entirely new dance routine.

While her days are still full and busy, her schedule has shifted drastically.

Allie Goodbun in 'Moulin Rouge'Credit: Sandie Bertrand - Moulin Rouge

"I need to have my peak energy at 9:00 p.m. every single night, if not, maybe even later," Goodbun explains. "That was definitely the biggest change in my day-to-day schedule and the speed of everything."

While her workday starts later, Goodbun admits that, at first, she hit the ground running a little too hard during the mornings.

"Because I had all day, every day, you think Paris is your oyster, you can do whatever you want during the day," she explains. "I knew I had to be at the theater every night at 7:30 to do my hair and makeup, get ready for our 9 p.m. show, and then again our 11:30 show after that. I had to find that happy medium of having a day to yourself but not doing too much so you still have energy at nighttime."

Nowadays, Goodbun usually wakes up around 1 p.m., prioritizing getting eight hours of sleep over waking up early.

After waking up, she typically meets some friends at a cafe for coffee before heading back home around 3:30 p.m. for a meal.

Goodbun is also a business owner and content creator, so she'll work on both before 5:30, when she leaves to go grocery shopping and cook dinner. Around 7 p.m., Goodbun heads to the theater and starts her warm-up.

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When she arrives, she finds out what she will be performing that night and then does her makeup and hair, which she can now do in under 20 minutes. Then, she is on stage for the first curtain at 9 p.m.

"Our shows are about an hour and 45 [minutes] to two hours, depending on when we start," she explains. "We have about 45 minutes between shows to reset all our costumes, fix our hair and makeup, and have a snack, then we get back on stage at 11:30 for our late show."

"We usually wrap up around 1:15 a.m. I shower at work, and then I'm not home till around 2 a.m.," she continues. "Then, I have another dinner, close to 3 a.m., which sounds crazy. I FaceTime my family back in Canada, and then I'm off the bed around 4 a.m."

While she knows it's "such a backward schedule" for most people, she emphasizes that "it works for me."

"It's something that took some time getting used to for sure," Goodbun admits.

For those who have never been to a Moulin Rouge show, Goodbun says, "it's one of the best shows I've ever seen, and it's an iconic show."

"It's the most famous cabaret in the world. It's a show where people don't know what to expect. Coming to the original Moulin Rouge, there's nothing like it," she tells PEOPLE. "The word to describe our show is the ultimate 'wow' factor. It's got the costumes, colors, visuals, it's got the dancing. There are over 65 artists on stage every single night, dancing amongst each other."

"It's so impressive to see how big our costumes are and how we're able to maneuver and dance among one another on a stage that size. Overall, the show is incredible and a must-see. It's a once-in-a-lifetime show, and if you are in Paris, it's the must-do thing for sure."

Allie Goodbun in 'Moulin Rouge'Credit: Philippe Wojazer - Moulin Rouge

Ever since sharing her life online, Goodbun says more and more of her followers have been asking how they can join a cast like Moulin Rouge, or dance professionally elsewhere.

"Something I always say is take every single opportunity that comes your way, and if the opportunity's not sitting there, you have to create it, and you have to find a way to make sure that it does happen," she shares. "My Moulin Rouge audition was on the other side of Canada, on a Saturday when I was in university. I knew that, to make the opportunity work, I had to book a flight and go over there and give it a shot. I literally flew over there on the Friday night after school, slept at a hotel downtown, got up, went to the audition the next day, and then that night got on a plane to make sure I was back for Monday morning."

She emphasizes that it's important to "make sure that opportunity works and if an opportunity does come your way, make sure you give it a shot because it's better to know that you tried than to know what could happen if you wouldn't have taken it."

She also shares that aspiring dancers need to continue their training and "have a variety of dance styles that you're comfortable in."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”