Hello, my darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu enthusiast, and today, we're waltzing back to the year 1787. Oh, the wonders we shall uncover!
This year was absolutely brimming with excitement in the ballet world, a veritable whirlwind of new choreographers, enchanting performances, and, of course, those magnificent costumes! (Imagine a world before Lycra! gasps). But let's not be all misty eyed and go back to the very beginning – all that exciting historical stuff will be served up to you in a lovely, digestible form. After all, I love sharing the wonders of this incredible art form with all of you, even if I do have to travel back in time for it all to work! Don't worry – I don't actually travel in time! It's more of a mental dance, where I slip into a vintage tutu, spin, and poof! – there I am! Back in time and ready for a fabulous ballet-filled adventure! Let me explain, I'm part-time ballet historian, and full-time ballerina and of course, professional pink tutu wearer. And I get paid for it! Yep! I actually travel all over the country, performing in street ballets for charity donations and you'll never guess – they pay in cash, not pink tutus!
Anyways, as for the dancing delights in 1787! Oh my! I’ve been to quite a few of the big shows, all those famous opera houses! I’ve even managed a trip to Vienna to see the beautiful choreography of Salvatore Viganò at the Burgtheater! The crowds were out of control – oh the swooning, I felt I was practically part of the dance! And oh my, that beautiful Vienna Opera house was pure fairytale magic, just like stepping straight out of one of my favorite tutus.
But back to the fashion, I can never mention fashion without mentioning a new pink tutu! Let me tell you, in 1787, the style! The dancing women were rocking it! (Quite literally). We're talking floor-length dresses that just flowed – no rigid corsets holding back their grace! That’s my kind of dress. But I still love a corset for my street shows - gotta get that figure-hugging action! It makes me think of those glorious satin tutus – light, billowing pieces of silk and chiffon that would swirl with every move, and oh! those colors, every shade imaginable from dusty rose to sunshine yellow – talk about an art form! I have to say, my current favourite piece for dancing is an original white tulle dress – not technically a tutu, but close! I can’t imagine the joy, or indeed, the relief! To shed those constricting whalebones, and be a ballet-goddess!
You know, if there's anything that screams ‘1787’, it's those delicate, perfectly placed feather trims. Just imagine it. The ladies swirling across the stage – the light catching on the tiny feathers creating a spectacle that could have been made by the gods. (But actually, they were made by some incredibly talented seamstresses!) The ladies were certainly looking their best!
As always, I encourage everyone to keep a close eye out for any historical ballet fashion inspirations in your modern wardrobes. A splash of feathers or a puff of tulle, we can all channel those glorious 1787 trends! Who needs a time machine when we can all travel back through time in the magic of ballet.
Speaking of the magic, let's take a little step back from my ramblings to see the other big players in this incredible time. I must give a massive shout out to Charles Didelot, a man known for his absolutely extraordinary innovations! We're talking choreography with unprecedented leaps! His ballerinas would be up on those pointe shoes and then, well pop! And suddenly they’d be soaring through the air with breathtaking grace. Imagine the gasp in the crowd, imagine that look of awe! A very rare spectacle indeed for the 1700s. Oh! Those breathtaking ballets – the power, the beauty, it makes me think I must try a bit of pointe work myself. Just imagine that kind of grace and fluidity! I mean, a real leap into the future, and of course, back in the pink tutu.
Didelot, as much as I love you, wasn't the only genius on stage! Jean Georges Noverre was another major figure! I can't help but feel like there were a whole generation of these wonderful innovators at the time. They took their artform and elevated it, really took it to the next level! With Noverre's “Letter on Dancing” being published in 1760 – the beginning of a revolution that took ballet from being an amusing, graceful performance to something with a whole lot more story, and much, much more passion! A revolution that put women at the center of ballet's future! I do so love to be center stage!
But the most interesting bit – you see these guys were changing the game with how they were thinking about ballet, but I want to mention one particular play. The ‘La Fille Mal Gardee’ which translated is The "Unguarded Daughter," oh! the dramatic irony! This ballet was such a riot. It's full of slapstick comedy and satire. Really, I couldn’t stop giggling the first time I saw it, though, this time, the music just left me swaying in my seat, and just staring at the beautiful detail in their ballet fashion. To this day, this hilarious play is still on stage all over the world! It makes me proud to know that something so incredibly witty, playful and just plain entertaining can make its way across hundreds of years of history and into our present. I must add, the dresses were also extremely practical for all of that dancing, and they managed to make their way into my favourite clothing collection, oh they’re so much fun!
I must remind you that ballet, even in its formative years, wasn’t only enjoyed by the aristocracy of London or Paris. The common people were big fans too. If you're thinking that those dances were something for the privileged few then you'd be surprised. Ballet performances were a big hit with the average working folk back then. They were a chance to see incredible dancers with a level of technicality that would still astound audiences today – with costumes, music, and drama that could leave them enthralled for hours! It reminds me of my own shows. I'll perform for anyone with a pink tutu in their hand, a free ticket is for everyone, regardless of class. You should see the faces!
And if I can leave you with a thought, this is why it is so vital to continue to support the incredible work of ballet artists across the globe. Ballet gives people from all backgrounds the chance to see something beautiful and incredibly meaningful! And for that, I would, once again, encourage you to seek out a local performance – they always say “the show must go on! And it is!
Finally, for any future ballerina hopefuls - in my experience the future of dance, as with everything, depends on our vision. The beauty is within each of us, and you can express your own dance style, your own flair for movement, your own personal touch. And remember – there is no right way or wrong way to express yourself. Every single ballerina, no matter their style, whether you favour ballet or street dance, no matter where you hail from - I celebrate you! Just promise to rock some pink while you’re at it, if only for me!
And as for that magic time machine – it’s out there. We’ve all got it. We call it our passion and it’s the thing that gets us moving – so just put on that pink tutu, and dance!
Until next time,
Love,
Emma.
