A pole dancer stole the show at a funeral performing for an exhumed nightclub boss and his recently deceased wife.
The unusual send-off was in tribute to a couple who ran a legendary nightclub in Amsterdam’s red light district.
Footage showed the erotic dancer writhing on the pole to Queen’s ‘The Show Must Go On’ in front of mourners.
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The husband, who died in 1993, was exhumed so the couple could be reunited at Amsterdam’s De Nieuwe Ooster Crematorium.
Funeral director Iede Hoorn shared the video on Instagram with his 89,000 followers.
“The pole dancer was not meant to shock, but was a loving tribute to two people who together ran a legendary nightclub on the Wallen,” he told Need To Know.
“It was precisely as they wanted.
“As a funeral director, I thought I’d seen it all, but then came the phone call from a couple asking if we could exhume the wife’s father – buried since 1993 – and have him cremated so that he and his wife could be scattered together.
“An unusual request, but far from the most remarkable part of this funeral, as it turned out.
“The family had run a well-known nightclub in Amsterdam for generations – one built around erotic entertainment.
“A true family business, spoken of with pride, even though they had always kept work and private life carefully separate.
“When I gently asked whether something of the parents’ life’s work might be reflected in the funeral, they hesitated.
“But a few days later, I got a call – they’d decided to hire a pole dancer.”
Hoorn said the dancer’s “intimate, dignified performance” was “meant for no one but the two people who had passed”.
He added: “The professional dancer – who, as it happens, was terrified of death herself – delivered a striking tribute to the couple who had built their lives around exactly this craft.
“It was moving, brave and heartfelt – and, to me, it was proof that a funeral never has to be ‘standard’.
“A farewell can be just as unique and personal as the life that came before it.”
Hoorn said: “This video is just one of many extraordinary farewell stories I share on Instagram.
“My account offers a unique look at how funerals can become deeply personal celebrations of life, showing that every farewell can reflect the unique person being remembered.”
The video has gone viral on Instagram with 3.6 million views and thousands of comments.
One person joked: “Please respect our culture. We do this with every funeral. Its tradition.”
Another person added: “Iconic!”
A third person said: “The show must go on.”
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