The actual life of a showgirl, with Allie Goodbun

For this week’s MVP, we’re chatting with Allie Goodbun.

Born and raised in Woodstock, Ont., 27-year-old dancer Allie Goodbun is now based in Paris (France, obviously) where twice a night, six times a week, she transforms from regular person into sparkling showgirl.

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At the 137-year-old institution Moulin Rouge, Goodbun landed an almost unheard-of permanent, full-time dancing gig. Plus she’s danced in opening ceremonies like the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the 2026 World Cup in Toronto. But she’s far too wise to depend entirely on a precarious profession where burnout, broken bones or inevitable aging could spell the end. With all that in mind—and no shade to Swift in her bathtub of diamonds—here’s how a real showgirl enjoys the stage and plans for the future.

Bonjour all the way to Paris! Tell me about the moment you tell your parents you want to be a professional dancer when you grow up.

I’d been dancing competitively my whole life. Picture Dance Moms, with competitions every week and training seriously every night. So I grew up in that world.

The conversation really came up when I was choosing what to do after high school. I’d spent so much time and money and effort and energy toward dance throughout my entire life, so I knew I wanted to do something with it professionally. I thought I’d graduate high school and go straight into dancing.

My parents, having logic behind them, said, “You have to go to school.” They said I could dance on the side and book whatever I wanted—but at the end of the day I had to be going to university.

You ended up in kinesiology at the University of Toronto. Were your parents ultimately right?

Having a degree behind me is a good feeling, of course, and probably the thing I’m most proud of. All it takes is twisting your ankle or hurting your knee for a dance career to be done in a second.

I love knowing I have a backup plan, just in case, especially now that I’ve met so many dancers who don’t. I can sense the stress in their eyes about what comes after a dance career, especially if you start one at 18 and you haven’t had an adulthood or career experience outside of dance—ever.

Do you think of your career with an end date?

I used to, but I don’t anymore. For the longest time, I thought I’d spend my 20s trying to get the dream job and then I’d stop dancing the day I became a parent and started a family.

Since moving to Paris—and especially from my experience at Moulin Rouge—I see a lot of dancers backstage who are a little bit older and a little bit more mature.

It’s opened my eyes to the possibility of becoming a mom one day and still continuing dancing—if my body still feels good and I still enjoy it.

I don’t have an end date in my mind now, because I’ve realized I can do both and lots of things.

How do you make a living as a showgirl?

In the past, I’ve done gigs and seasonal work with a start date and an end date, like a Broadway show. Moulin Rouge is unique because it’s forever ongoing and open 365 days a year. As a dancer, I do two shows every night and work six days a week. We don’t have “off” months, so the years just roll into the next.

From a money perspective, that means I’m on a full-time contract instead of a part-time job. You can definitely support yourself on our salary, which is very unique as a performer, where often you’d want a backup job that will cover for those off months.

You don’t need that, but you have one anyway?

I actually have three jobs. By night, I’m a Moulin Rouge showgirl, but during the day, I’m a content creator on social media. I never thought of doing content as a job until I came to Moulin Rouge, when I downloaded TikTok because I wanted to find cafés and restaurants and things to do in Paris. I realized lots of people were filming day-in-the-life videos, and I thought it’d be fun to film a day in the life of a Moulin Rouge dancer.

One night, I filmed and edited a two-minute video. I posted it before I went to bed. The next morning I woke up and it had over three million views.

I did more videos, like a showgirl-makeup tutorial. About six months later, I was approached by my now-manager. She took me under her wing and helped me monetize my content through brand partnerships for the brands that authentically fit. I film on my iPhone, so Apple works. And I use Shopify to sell my clothing brand, Ready Freddie—cozy onesies for dancers needing to wear something backstage that isn’t a robe.

I love how all your jobs feed into each other while being so uniquely you.

They’re all interconnected, yes. And though it’s been such a whirlwind, it’s been so cool to learn about different things from different sides. I’m hiring influencers for Ready Freddie now and I’m able to see both the influencer and the brand’s print of view. I’m able to translate and obviously use both sides to my advantage. It’s a very interesting lifestyle, for sure, and I’m very fortunate to be living it.

Photo by Renée Roozendaal.

Read more from this issue of The Get:

1. When social media complaints serve as scammer bait
2. Stop the impulse buy: How to spend less at Costco Canada
3. The cold tax: How to save on cold and flu meds in Canada
4. How can I raise my credit limit in Canada?