The cancan is a soft-porn, high kicking dance which originated during the 19th century in the polka grdens of the Rue de la Grande-Chaumiere, in the Montmart region of Paris, France, but which became famous after being staged in the Moulin Rougedance hall. Tame by today's standards, at the end of the 19th century the sight of lady dancers revealing their frilly underwear was a shocking and exciting spectacle to the spectators. Research Cancan