#BalletHistory during 1677 08 August

Hello darling readers, welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travel! It's your favourite ballet-loving, pink-tutu-wearing, time-traveling blogger, Emma, here with another enchanting journey into the world of ballet history. And guess what? This month we're celebrating a momentous occasion – the very first Royal Ballet performance in 1677! That's right, dear readers, let's pop the champagne (or perhaps a rather fetching pink sparkling lemonade!) and raise a toast to this historic milestone.

As always, my trusty companion, the magical Meg – a dazzling shire horse with golden hooves and a mane and tail the colour of freshly fallen snow – is ready to whisk me away. Meg’s coat shimmers like a thousand pink diamonds in the sunshine as she waits patiently, adorned with a delicate pink ribbon in her flowing mane. My leather rucksack is packed, ready to collect precious ballet moments and stories from this bygone era.

Ready for the journey? Buckle up, darlings! This is going to be an exquisite voyage back to the era of elegant courtly dances, powdered wigs and breeches, and yes, the very beginning of what we know and love today as ballet.

The year is 1677, the 8th of August, and we find ourselves in the heart of London, amidst the vibrant pulse of the bustling city. But today, dear readers, our destination is not the streets brimming with activity, but the grand halls of the newly built Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The air hums with excitement, with whispers of grandeur, of elegance, of something altogether new.

King Charles II, our charming monarch with a passion for all things continental, had a grand vision for a truly spectacular ballet performance. He commissioned French ballet master Pierre Beauchamp, known for his graceful movements and innovations, to bring his expertise to the English court. This performance marked a turning point in British ballet history. Imagine, dear readers, the sheer joy of witnessing the first Royal Ballet performance. What a historical moment, what a dazzling debut!

The theatre pulsates with the sounds of anticipation. Fashion, as ever, is the talk of the town. Ladies sport lavish gowns and elaborately styled wigs. Gents are dapper in their finest attire. The English, you see, were greatly influenced by French fashions, and what better occasion than this grand event to display their impeccable style. The women's hairstyles are towering structures, bedecked with jewels and feathers. Men are adorned in fashionable breeches and elegant waistcoats. I've packed my rucksack with an assortment of exquisite illustrations from the time, from a French publication known as the Mercure Galant. Such a captivating window into fashion history, darling! It's easy to understand why my collection grows so quickly.

The stage lights flicker on, illuminating the intricately designed set. The curtain rises to reveal a world of dazzling artistry. The Royal Ballet dancers grace the stage with a finesse and grace unlike anything seen before in England. They pirouette, they leap, their every movement imbued with beauty and artistry. This is the debut of ballet in its purest form. We see the foundations of the classical ballets that we know and adore today, being laid right here in front of us.

I must confess, dear readers, my eyes are glued to the ballerinas. Their costumes are exquisite, richly decorated with jewels, feathers, and silks. I’ve tucked several pieces of fabric from that era in my bag – silk, velvets, the remnants of fabric of gowns like the one a Parisian ballerina donned on this momentous night. Just imagining the graceful ballerinas on stage, so perfectly capturing the essence of grace, beauty and art! What an unforgettable experience to witness such a transformative moment in history, the beginning of what we call The Royal Ballet!

As the performance ends, the theatre erupts in a sea of applause. King Charles, a known ballet aficionado, beams with delight. He throws a generous donation to the dancers – and oh, the joy in their eyes! Such moments, dear readers, truly fill my heart with warmth.

And how much are those silks worth today, darling? Well, my dear reader, I do have my fingers crossed that my bag one day finds its way to an auction house, for such a treasure trove of historical ballet fashion would make for a phenomenal price tag, perhaps just a shade of pink. But let's not get greedy! It is, of course, the history, the sheer excitement of time-traveling, and collecting such remarkable snippets from history, that truly fills my soul with delight.

I find myself on Meg’s back, riding away from the magnificent Theatre Royal, my rucksack feeling fuller and my heart feeling even more filled with joy. The air, dear readers, smells sweet from the pink blossoms that grow in a cottage garden we're passing. I look back, Meg’s tail shimmering pink in the evening sunlight, and see the building, where it all began, standing tall and proud, as a symbol of an enduring tradition of dance, artistry, and elegance. The Royal Ballet continues to delight generations today, a legacy that this extraordinary first performance ignited.

And so, my dear readers, we take another grand leap through time, this time back to the present day, leaving this magical evening behind us, but never forgetting the enchantment of this landmark ballet debut in London. I must rush back now to write this blog for all of you, my dear ballet enthusiasts, but I’ll leave you with this little gem, something to ponder: What would you do if you were in a time machine, a pink sparkling horse like Meg, and you got the chance to attend the first Royal Ballet performance?

Don't forget to visit my blog www.pink-tutu.com and share your thoughts! As always, you can join me every month for another magical journey into the history of ballet. But until then, wear a pink tutu with pride, darlings! The power of pink and a graceful dance is the secret to happiness, and remember, time travel is an adventure we all get to experience by falling in love with ballet! Until next time!