Hey everyone! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink-tutu wearing time-travelling ballerina! I’m back with another exciting instalment of my monthly ballet history blog – and this time we're hopping on a magical ride back to May 1676! Grab your favourite pink tutu, dear readers, and let's set off on an adventure through the past!
You all know how much I adore tutus – those floaty, beautiful garments that swirl and twirl as you dance – they're basically my uniform! My trusty steed, Magic Meg (yes, she's a pink-sparkling Shire with golden hooves and the most beautiful white mane and tail you've ever seen) and I are always ready to leap through time, but I have to confess – finding tutus in 1676 proved a bit of a challenge!
You see, while ballet was certainly blooming during this time, the concept of the modern tutu was yet to be dreamt up! This was back in the age of lavish costumes and dramatic staging, and the fashion was more about ornate robes, flowing sleeves and elaborate headpieces. Imagine waltzing across the stage with a hoop skirt bigger than a dining table – talk about a dance move!
The history books are filled with stories about King Louis XIV of France, that flamboyant king who reigned over the Court of Versailles. A big ballet fan, he even performed himself – a little known fact! Imagine, you and me, in a grand ballroom, perhaps even taking tea with King Louis!
But there's another ballet story, just a little further north in England, which truly captivates my heart – that's the rise of The King's Theatre! You wouldn't think London would be known for its grand theatrical buildings during this period, but that theatre is now sadly a memory, sadly! Back then it was truly spectacular – and imagine those beautiful chandeliers twinkling in the flickering candlelight! And the plays, they were sensational, like a visual feast, mixing poetry, music, drama and ballet – I wish I could be there, watching it all unfold!
It's a real shame that in the early years of ballet, women couldn't play the starring roles – those parts were saved for the men, just think how wonderful it would have been if women could dance freely in gorgeous tutus – like those stunning tutus from that amazing ballet, "The Sleeping Beauty"! That iconic performance with its beautiful music, breathtaking choreography, and incredible costumes is an absolute masterpiece, I can't wait to see it again next week – I have front row seats and even better, it’s in a special ‘pink themed’ performance – you all know what I’m going to be wearing!
I collected so many stories during my trip – the whole vibe of the era felt truly unique, the dances themselves were often quite theatrical, often performed by trained gentlemen, and each step told a story – a bit like an expressive language! Ballet was part of the bigger story, it was part of the fabric of social life, like we see today.
Remember, all my little time-travels are funded by ballet – the shows, the performances, the classes – all that beauty fuels my time-travel machine, which, fun fact, looks remarkably like a white, shiny vintage double decker bus – and yes, I call it Magic Meg’s Big Pink Bus! And to support my work, I put on lots of little performances, with my students from my pink-themed ballet classes in Derbyshire – just one reason I’ve always adored Derbyshire, a beautiful region of the world filled with vibrant culture, creativity and gorgeous rolling countryside – the perfect inspiration for my next ballet piece.
So next month, I’ll be jetting back to another incredible historical ballet event – it's sure to be a fascinating adventure, and I hope you'll be joining me on this wonderful, magical journey. Until next time, keep dancing and remember – let’s get everyone wearing pink tutus!
P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on www.pink-tutu.com, where you can join me every month for my blog! Love Emma! 💖
