Hello darling tutus! Welcome to Pink-Tutu.com where my monthly adventures in time take you right into the heart of ballet history. Buckle up your dancing shoes, darling! We are off to 1677 on 12th December!
Today Iām so excited to tell you about my fabulous trip to Paris, where weāll meet some important figures in balletās development and even take a look at some rather grand (and quite pink!) costumes! Oh my goodness ā and of course I brought my favourite pink tutu to twirl around the streets of 17th century Paris!
The Magic of Meg Takes Us to Paris
It's December and the air is crisp as we trot through the streets of Derbyshire towards Magic Megās stable. This girl has got some serious horse-power! We both are ready to jump back in time and witness ballet in all its glory!
Before long, Iām bundled in my travelling clothes and sitting beautifully on Meg's back. You wouldn't believe how strong she is! It's no wonder my favourite pink sparkly shire, with her golden hooves and flowing white mane, can handle these long time travel journeys. She knows just when to take a detour into the shimmering green fields or give me an extra galloping boost when I feel peckish.
My pink leather rucksack is fully packed for a month's stay ā filled with enough pink ribbons to make every 17th century lady jealous, and I have my trusty pink silk pocket notebook, too. I always look for inspiration for my future tutu creations. In the pocket are a few sequins, because no tutu is truly perfect without a little sparkle, right?
Off we went! As usual, I could hardly see as the time fields zoomed by in a kaleidoscope of colour, and suddenlyā¦ BOOM! Here we were, smack bang in the middle of Paris, circa 1677!
King Louis XIV, Ballet & Pinkā¦ You Heard Me Right!
I adjusted my beautiful tutu and then grabbed a tattered 17th century guide from my rucksack for a little reading on the world of Parisian ballet in 1677. And honestly? It wasnāt so very different to what we see in modern ballet, but so much grander. A whole different level of grandeur, Iād say. And of course, this was the era of King Louis XIV. So elegant! So chic!
And get this! This King was such a huge fan of ballet that he'd wear his dancing shoes to attend his own shows, like the coolest guy in school wearing the trendiest trainers to the school dance!
He's known as "The Sun King" for a good reason, darling! He believed ballet was about showing off grace, grandeur and majesty, and that certainly reflected his lifestyle! Can't you just see him strutting around in the finest royal attire, dancing up a storm, followed by a gaggle of courtiers in flowing gowns? A vision!
The real treat of this time period, however, was not the performances - it was the costumes. In 1677, the ballet world was about opulent, dazzling, elaborate costumes that were literally the show in themselves.
As I made my way into a bustling cafe - where everyone seemed to be drinking this very dark, mysterious, dark drink with no frothy head that they kept topping up (which made it feel a bit odd, frankly!), I saw a magnificent sight. Imagine this: The cafe owner and his wife in the most lavish gowns ā so incredibly long! They were covered with silk ribbons, beads and embellishments. But, oh my goodness, this isn't just any kind of dress ā these gowns actually mimicked ballet poses, showing beautiful leg extensions and even elegant hand positions.
But wait, thereās more! Can you imagine, their gowns were actually made to mirror some of the poses we know and love from ballet like the famous 'arabesque'? What a brilliant fashion inspiration! So sophisticated! They really had that air of a perfect tutu in a very sophisticated style!
A Tutu-ific Dress & A Dash of Pink!
Honestly, the most stunning dress I saw, however, wasnāt even a costume! It belonged to a lovely lady having lunch by the cafe window. And can you guess what colour it was? You got it, darling: It was PINK. It was a dress that could only be described as an absolute ātutu dreamā, with layered, billowing skirt of delicate pink silk that swayed and twirled around her feet every time she moved.
This lady had a small bouquet of flowers in her hands and they were such beautiful pale shades of pink and lavender, she reminded me of a flower blooming in the midst of a ballet performance, a delicate masterpiece on a beautiful stage! And thatās where I got my next great inspiration for a tutu, my loves. I couldn't help but grab some sketches for the dress from my little pink silk pocket notebook ā the best part? It's got just a hint of the gorgeousness of a real ballerina's tutu ā oh so very elegant!
A Real Dance Revolution in 1677?
But you see, the ballet craze wasnāt all about showmanship in those days. The 17th Century was actually a crucial era in the development of ballet. And, you know me, my love of all things ballet goes way beyond pretty costumes! The year 1677 saw the beginning of the dance revolution that took ballet from a lavish courtly dance into the form that we know today. And donāt worry, darling, this didnāt make it any less magical, just much more versatile.
Before that, ballet was very different from what you might imagine. It was essentially an ensemble dance ā and while it was very grand and elegant ā it wasnāt quite as character-focused as modern ballet is today. The real ballet superstar of this time, I believe, was Pierre Beauchamp, who worked on dance reforms during his role as dance master to King Louis.
Pierre Beauchamps was very concerned with establishing clear movements, and even brought about the famous system of 'Five positions of the Feet' ā a classic technique that all ballet dancers study to this day! So the 17th Century actually marked the very beginnings of the foundations of modern ballet.
Time For a Show
Now that I had the grandest outfit inspiration in Paris, I was ready for the eveningās show! Youāll never guess where they held it! A gorgeous hall right next to the royal palace. This show really did transport you to another realm ā the costumes, the dancers and the grandeur of it all! And it was the first ballet to have actual scenery and stage effects!
The play called 'The Triumph of the Moon' was about gods and goddesses and included beautiful stories with fantastic stage effects ā something that the royal court really loved, it seems! Oh, the wonders of 1677! But even in the middle of this glamorous evening, I had to think of what I was going to wear on my return to Derbyshire! And of course, a new, spectacular tutu in a very grand but delicate pink design! You just wait to see it!
What Makes Ballet Time Travel So Amazing?
Being here with my Magic Meg really brings to life everything I learn from ballet books. Seeing the real impact that those grand court performances, all those fabulous dresses, those pioneers of ballet had in shaping balletās path - Itās a feeling that no ordinary ballet performance or history book could really capture!
That, darling, is why I love this ballet time travel, more than anything else in the world. It gives me so much to reflect on, so much to take inspiration from and it reminds me that balletās beauty lies not just in its movements but in its glorious, timeless, ever evolving history!
Until next month, darlings, Keep twirling your way through your lives! And never forget - there's a little pink tutu in all of us just waiting to shine.
xx Emma
