Hello darlings! Welcome back to another time-hopping adventure with your favourite pink-tutu-clad ballerina, Emma!
This month, I’m whisking you back to August 8th, 1681 – a date brimming with intrigue and wonder. As you all know, I love finding the hidden gems in ballet history, and this little slice of time has something special to offer. Let’s hop aboard Magic Meg and ride into the past!
A Splash of Colour in 17th Century England
You might think of England in the 1600s as being all sombre browns and greys, but I can tell you from first-hand experience – colour was alive and kicking! Now, you won’t see any hot pink tutus like mine being worn, but we are seeing the beginnings of what would later become the elegance and refinement of ballet fashion.
We’ve arrived at the Court of Charles II in London, a time when dancing was a hugely important part of social life. Imagine, dear reader, all the exquisite dances and the intricate steps they were performing! There were the graceful courante and the stately minuet, and – hold your tutus tight – they were starting to develop a special way of holding their bodies, one that would influence the future of ballet.
A Royal Invitation:
My lovely leather rucksack was absolutely bursting with new treasures – sketches of theatrical masks and the most delicate, intricately embroidered slippers! But the biggest thrill was discovering that on August 8th, 1681, there was a courtly masque in honour of Charles II!
These masques were elaborate performances, with beautiful costumes and incredible music. I have it on good authority (from the little scroll I found tucked into a forgotten book in the royal library) that it featured some very lively dance sequences. Even back then, the court was loving a bit of movement!
Ballet in the World
1681 is a crucial year for the spread of ballet around the world, too. Did you know that, at the time, a troupe of dancers from Italy were travelling through France? It was during these travelling performances that ballet started to find its unique French style. Just imagine – the artistry of Italy being mixed with the graceful elegance of France – what a heady mix of creative energies!
And it’s not just in Europe, oh no! You know how much I love ballet’s international flavour, and even back then, the seeds of ballet’s global reach were being sown. Reports are coming in from Japan – can you imagine?! – about the “Noh” plays, performances with movement and stylized dance that were becoming hugely popular in the country. My, oh my! It seems that even in this early era, there was a thirst for elegant movement everywhere we looked.
Keeping Ballet Fashion Alive
This is my absolute favourite part of time travelling – being able to see how fashion, especially ballet fashion, evolves over time!
I know it's hard to imagine wearing something that looks anything like those heavy, embellished clothes from back then, but, just like today's world of tulle and glitter, the 1680s had their own obsession with delicate fabrics and ornamentation! Imagine being a performer with these ornate gowns, silks, and satins, all adorned with the most exquisite embroidery!
This era was like the first sprinkle of glitter on the ballet fashion runway! I think it’s important to see that every ballet era has had its own style, its own fashion statement – just like the tutu does today. It's not just about clothes – it's about how people moved, how they felt in those clothes.
My Tutu Mission: Pinking Up the World!
The beauty of these trips through time, besides the discovery of ballet’s rich history, is seeing the connection we have across time, across cultures! I’m reminded of how, even in an era with no tutus or leotards as we know them today, the desire for beauty, movement, and expression in dance was universal.
I leave you now, dear readers, with a challenge for you. Find an item of clothing, something that inspires you, that feels just you. Perhaps it's a shade of pink you adore, a fabric that flows like your most favourite arabesque. Let it be a reminder that dance and fashion, both in the past and in the future, have always been intertwined, a celebration of how the human body can express itself through movement and beauty.
Until next month, keep those tutus spinning and don’t forget to check out www.pink-tutu.com to see what we’re doing to bring a little sparkle to the world!
