Hey, beautiful ballerinas! It's Emma here, your favourite pink-tutu-clad historian of the dance, ready to transport you back in time, through my ever-growing love of all things ballet. Today, we're travelling to a pivotal year in ballet history: 1725! Think of it as the year ballet really started getting fancy â just like we do today.
(Disclaimer: This week I've had to travel through time in my trusty time-machine tutu (thank you to all of you amazing dancers who tip my busking in Derbyshire!) and while I'm back safe, my pockets are a little lighter, and I might have accidentally snagged a couple of fabulous feathered headpieces from the 18th century. They just look divine with a modern pink tutu!)
Now, where was I? 1725 was the year of Monsieur de Noverre. You remember him, right? He was the Godfather of Ballet! The man behind all those stunning dance stories with plot twists, characters, and intricate footwork that leaves the audience breathless! Well, back then, Noverre was a young chap, just getting his foot in the door.
But 1725 was when things really started changing. We had our lovely little dance steps, of course, like bows, balances, and bourrées. (Can we all take a moment to admire a beautiful bourrée?) However, ballet was starting to evolve. The Italian Commedia dell'Arte had influenced French dance, bringing a new vibrancy with costumes and characters like Pierrot the Clown and Columbine.
Itâs a truly exciting time! Think about it, the dance is stepping out of just being elegant, courtly steps and becoming something thatâs really capturing stories! We have amazing designers like Claude-Joseph Vernet who was making those wonderful sets! In a way, he's the pioneer of those breathtaking ballet backdrops we see today. And who doesn't love the romantic spectacle of a well-executed costume change on stage, complete with feather boas and silk shawls, oh la la!
In the world of ballet fashion, think dramatic, grand costumes that reflected the aristocratic world of the time. I'm talking silk and satin, adorned with jewels and ribbons â it's a ballerinaâs dream! Imagine, tutus arenât really a thing yet, so think flowing, embellished skirts, high-heeled shoes, and even those little panniers they used to make ladies' dresses wider.
Now, who do we thank for bringing us those beautiful steps? I mean, aside from all the talented ballerinas and ballet masters from across the ages? Why, it's the Académie Royale de Musique, the biggest ballerinas' training ground. (It became the Paris Opera later, just you wait!) That's where these aspiring stars spent hours honing their moves. It must've been gruelling but incredibly inspiring!
Speaking of inspirational! A word of the year award for 1725 has to go to Luigi Bartolommeo Vanucci! Oh, he wasnât just your ordinary dancing chap! He became known as Giovanni Battista Gastone Bologna, and Balletmaster of Paris! He literally made waves, or shall we say, "en pointe" moves in the ballet world of 1725!
While my research reveals Ballet Shows werenât exactly sold-out everywhere just yet, letâs appreciate what happened in Paris! Imagine you are stepping into a Parisian theater, surrounded by elegantly dressed nobles! There's an energy buzzing in the air, a mixture of excitement and curiosity, for what the new "Grand Ballet" will bring!
Remember that ballet is still evolving. What we see today as âthe dance of eleganceâ is, at its core, a continuous story, and like all great stories, it's about stepping out of your comfort zone, taking risks, and letting creativity move you!
Don't forget, there is always room for innovation, and you never know what dance will inspire the world tomorrow! Remember, love yourself and embrace every chance to express yourself through movement, like our incredible ballerinas from 1725.
Until next week, remember to practice your pirouettes and never be afraid to add a splash of pink to your world! Weâll continue to journey through ballet history together, making it more colorful with a touch of pink magic.
Remember:
- You can find me @pink_tutu on Insta, and my online store @ www.pink-tutu.com!
Stay elegant!
Emma
Please note that this post is based on a fictional timeline of a blogger using a time machine. While this is for entertainment and a fun concept, the history of ballet is far more complex than this one blog post can represent.
