Hey gorgeous ballet lovers! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu aficionado, and welcome back to Pink Tutu News. This week, we're turning the clock back to the incredible year of 1662 – the year ballet as we know it was officially born! 🎉
Imagine, darling, if you will, a time when "ballet" was simply a French word for a fun dance, nothing more. That's what 1662 was like before the big bang – the foundation for the magnificent ballet we see today. Oh, how times have changed!
Well, change it did! Right in the middle of King Louis XIV's glamorous reign (he was a right fashion icon, let me tell you!) a little something called "Académie Royale de Danse" popped up in Paris. This was the very first ballet school ever! Cue the confetti! 🎉 A bunch of amazing dancers like Pierre Beauchamp were put in charge and bam – we had ballet instructors, ballet etiquette, and a structure that finally defined ballet.
It wasn't just the Academy, though, darling. That very same year, 1662, Louis XIV himself decided to form his own special ballet troupe called the "Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse" – imagine! This Royal Ballet was like the crème de la crème – all the top dancers, the grandest costumes, and it practically became synonymous with fancy dress in France at the time. Talk about exclusive! 👑
So, what was it like, being a ballerina in those days? I can tell you, it wasn't quite the romantic swirling tutus of today. You were mostly decked out in stylishly embroidered waistcoats, knee-length tunics, and of course, all the buckles and the frills you could handle. Think Elizabethan fashion, but even more intricate and a bit more fancy!
It’s fascinating, isn't it, how much ballet has changed? I find it utterly inspiring, you see, it's a reminder that everything, even ballet, was once just a dream in someone’s imagination, waiting to become a reality! ✨
And you know what else was incredible? These original ballet performers weren’t all girls, no! They had "masked” male dancers too, a bold step in breaking barriers, I say! And for their dramatic "ballets" they'd often be dancing in full-on mythological costumes. I can just imagine, all those majestic god and goddess characters, absolutely divine!
But, what were they actually watching? Back in 1662, the ballet scenes were quite a different story than what we see now, they featured mythological tales, classical epics, and grand love stories – very sophisticated and charming, don’t you think? I just wish I had a time machine to go and see for myself. Maybe next time, darling!
It's incredible how even back in 1662 they still had fabulous costumes – silk, velvet, and delicate lace. Even without the glorious, fluffy pink tutus, it must have been breathtaking, don't you agree? The theatre scene must have been dazzling! I can only imagine the spectacle and how they just captivated their audiences with each dance step. ✨
Just a few years later in 1668, another magical milestone happened: the first-ever ballet book was printed in Paris, with instructions and explanations for these graceful dance steps! Oh, the wonder! Can you imagine how thrilling it would be to discover a book like that! I reckon it would have made a right splash with everyone from the street to the theatre scene!
The best thing about all this is that this marked the very beginning of the ballet craze. It truly went viral (imagine!) because it spread across Europe! Suddenly, there were new ballet studios and shows all over the place! Ballet's appeal became global! This made way for iconic figures like Marie Camargo (the queen of toe shoes, simply sensational!) and Marie Sallé ( a woman known for her elegant performance and stunning dance creations). They’ve set the stage, my love, for all the beautiful ballet we experience today! 💖
Now, to talk about the ballet fashion in 1662! Just sigh. What was hot then? Think silhouettes of elegance – corsets to define your figure, the full-bodied gowns (those gowns had me drooling!) , intricate embellishments and a lot of lace. Everything, and I mean everything had a focus on detail and creating the right shape to elevate the performance. If only they had a Pink Tutu to wear with all that extravagance! I am making it my life mission to have all the ballerinas wearing Pink Tutus! 😍
Let's chat about what was happening on the ballet scene back in 1662. You see, this year in London, an extraordinary performance took place that involved "The Lord of the Fiddles" himself, Mr Henry Purcell, the composer everyone was buzzing about. Oh, to see a performance with such talented performers! They must have captivated audiences right away, I imagine, the crowd was absolutely spellbound!
The London stage was alive with the performances of opera and ballets by an extraordinary artist named John Pepusch. It is quite amazing how the performance world and the world of ballet fashion in London at the time just meshed perfectly! Just breathtaking! I'm still obsessed with all those amazing historical performances that they were producing – you can bet your tutu, London was definitely putting the world of fashion and theatre on the map!
For our Pink Tutu fashionista, we are going to see the 1662 take on the Pink Tutu. What do I mean, darling, by Pink Tutu fashion of 1662? Let’s explore what a stylish and feminine ballerina would wear in 1662 that just oozes pink and flair.
We are using pink velvet to add that little bit of glamour! Our Tutu of 1662 will feature several ruffles to provide an even fuller effect than typical Elizabethan attire and then, my dears, the magic ingredient - it’s covered in pink bows, of course! 🎀 Just imagine how striking it would be under those twinkling stage lights, so fabulous! I bet it'll become the biggest trend, wouldn’t it be glorious?! 💖
The history of ballet is a journey, darling, and 1662 marks such an iconic start to the whole ballet story. I absolutely adore finding out more about the glorious years that helped to build what we see and love today. This makes me love ballet more and more! As always, don't forget to comment below, let me know your favourite ballet moments and styles, and make sure you keep up-to-date on all my news and exciting ballet updates here at Pink Tutu News. Happy dancing! 🩰✨
Emma.
