Lautrec was a regular at the Moulin Rouge nightclub, a hub of modren Parisian entertainment. Although he painted this work in his studio, his familiarity with the club and its attendeed - many of the figures depicted here are Lautrec's close friends - infuses it with a sense of spontaneity, inviting us into the nightly spectacle.
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A handwritten inscription on the back of the painting, probably added by Lautrec, identified the scene as "the training of the new girls by Valentin 'the Boneless.'" A Moulin Rouge celebrity, Valentin was known for his extraordinary flexibility.
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