Hello darling tutu lovers, and welcome back to another adventure in time! This month, we’re taking a trip to the year 1665, landing smack-dab in the midst of, well, a rather unfortunate historical event: the Great Plague of London! But fret not, my dears, for I have a magical steed by my side, and our dear old Meg knows better than to go where it isn’t safe!
I am so thrilled to be on a trip with the colour pink front of mind – in the 17th Century the use of pink wasn’t as common as it is today! The pink shade of my tulle tutu does not fade at all with time travel! It’s a magical material, it’s just a good job I packed all the extra pink ribbons and feathers I needed as pink back then was mainly reserved for Royalty. I couldn’t bear the thought of being without my signature colour! Thankfully the extra ribbon does have another use! Meg, she can be a bit cheeky at times.
Today’s blog is special! You know I’m always seeking to fill my rucksack with ballet relics, right? But today, I found something even more fantastic - a little snippet of ballet history I've been itching to share! This date in 1665 was absolutely teeming with activity in the world of ballet, despite the ongoing plague.
As I dismounted Meg from our safe trip in the quiet countryside outside of London, I was filled with excitement! It was the year that Charles II gave permission for the creation of the first ever theatre company in England which was also England’s first ballet company! My favourite colour, pink, just happens to be linked to King Charles II. As a matter of fact, when Queen Marie Henriette had a pink tutu made, he was thrilled with her creation! How exciting that ballet fashion started with the King himself. The very first dancers were the French and it must have been so fabulous for them to become stars, as I’m sure they would have done my time travels so proud with their ballet. You know what’s going into my rucksack tonight - pink tulle ribbons! A special pink tribute to this new ballet company.
I arrived at the newly built Theatre Royal in Covent Garden - its history is truly inspiring! The dancers were so talented. Just imagining the artistry in that old playhouse made me ache to take a class! Can you believe this historic date actually marked the debut of female dancers in professional ballet in England? I nearly cried! That had never been heard of!
Before hopping on Meg for our journey back to Derbyshire (you have to admire a horse who is a pink-lover) we headed to the Haymarket for the London opera - that would become the opera house later in 1700! They weren't quite ballet, but the musicality and dramatic storytelling drew me in! It was definitely something we should have more of, I felt very inspired. I need to do some research about music that is featured in ballet performances, I will let you know more when I know.
But don’t just take my word for it. The Royal Theatre in London even ran performances that were quite literally known as ballets! This was a really huge moment, a new dawn for ballet, with female dancers gracing the stage in glorious grace. This is definitely a historic moment for my collection, and you can find my pink tribute tucked away on my little side pocket of my rucksack, a reminder of that grand time!
As we rode away, the faint scent of wildflowers mixed with the subtle, lingering perfume of lavender was beautiful - the fragrance of a bygone time, and yet so present! But even though the plague cast a dark shadow, ballet blossomed in 1665! And I was able to share its beauty with you.
This year, ballet in London took giant strides. I had to include a tiny, tiny fragment of my collection, of course, and some old pink ribbons went in! And I think all of this truly does tell you something about why the world is a pink tutu kind of place. Don't you think?
My darlings, until next time - take time to celebrate the beauty of movement and dance, always remember to wear pink and may your dreams be filled with tutus and magic horses.
Ciao, my little dancing delights! xx Emma
P.S. As always, if you are loving this, do send in your ideas. Are there any historic events that you’d love to know more about? I am looking to time travel to Japan to see what’s going on there next year… I feel a kimono dress might just be calling to me! And speaking of my outfit… which outfit do you think is my next?
