Hello darling ballet bunnies, and welcome back to Pink Tutu, your monthly dose of ballet history and a whole lot of pink! It's your girl, Emma, here, back from a rather swashbuckling adventure. This month, we’re tiptoeing through the cobblestones of 1684 – think billowing breeches, powdered wigs and oh, the intrigue! Let's step right into the time machine, shall we?
Oh, it was simply divine. Today, we went galloping through time on my favourite steed, Magic Meg. You know how much I love pink, so you can imagine my glee when a sparkly pink shire horse with golden hooves popped up to take me on this historical escapade! I even managed to get Meg to wear a delicate pink ribbon on her glorious mane. I always love matching, even with my beloved steed.
With my leather rucksack strapped to my back, ready to collect some fascinating ballet stories, off we trotted into the heart of the 17th century. Remember how much I adore a good tutu, especially pink ones? Imagine my absolute delight when I realised that ballet itself was still fairly new during this time period! It's hard to believe that back then, ballet was still finding its feet.
Let’s hop right into it. As you all know, I love my research, so I did a little digging. It seems that this particular day, 2nd February 1684, wasn’t particularly bursting with balletic activity. However, hold your horses – there’s still much to discover.
France, ever the champion of dance, was already making waves in the world of ballet. I could picture myself waltzing through the streets of Paris, my pink tutu fluttering in the air, amidst all the grandeur. Ballet, still a bit nouveau then, was growing rapidly in popularity in royal circles. There were no dedicated ballet companies in England at this time. Can you imagine that?! No regular performances, just a scattering of private presentations – quite a change from our jam-packed theatre schedules today, isn’t it?
It got me thinking, what could be the story behind that little seed of ballet that was starting to bloom in England back then? And what would a dance lover do if they were in a time period with only whispers of the art they adored? This journey sparked some exciting ideas. I decided to whip up some speculative ballet performances for my own, pink tutu time capsule. You can imagine, it was absolute joy to create!
For the sake of fantasy, imagine you were in England in 1684, a budding ballet lover desperate for a dance fix. I was picturing myself in a cosy private chamber, with candlelight shimmering on silk damask walls, the tinkling notes of a harpsichord playing a melody inspired by folk tales, and I just knew what had to happen next. We needed to bring the dance back!
So, my darling readers, take a moment to imagine this with me:
The year is 1684. We’re in the heart of London, perhaps within the grand halls of an estate, perhaps a tucked-away courtyard within a quaint village. We would have a stage made of painted canvas and some makeshift set pieces. It wouldn't be about lavish costumes. I imagine a vibrant combination of the everyday attire of the era: velvet and linen dresses, perhaps a touch of lace, combined with elements of ballet.
I envisioned a troupe of young, passionate dancers. I know how exciting it is when young people get their hands on ballet, it's always full of such heart and passion. They'd perform pieces based on folklore, the spirit of English history – like Robin Hood, the legends of King Arthur, Faerie Queen. Oh, wouldn't that be so fabulous? Imagine those fantastical creatures and legends coming to life! And we'd have our audience spellbound! I'm pretty sure we'd be whisked away to another world, much like our pink-tutu-time-machine whisk's us away today!
As the music swells, I can picture the elegant choreography:
A duet: The young man in breeches dances with a woman dressed in a graceful linen gown, adorned with lace and velvet.* Their movement reflects the passion and struggle of Robin Hood, perhaps an encounter with Maid Marian herself! And you know I just have to sneak a little tutu detail in here! A blush pink fabric skirt added over the gown, ahem in true Pink Tutu fashion, of course. Imagine the swish of a fabric tutu in the midst of that incredible setting! What a moment!
An ensemble dance: A group of dancers would use *graceful, courtly gestures, reflecting the history of the time, bringing to life a Faerie Queen, complete with beautiful fabric butterflies attached to their dresses, perhaps fluttering their wings with subtle elegance, as they danced. This would be quite breathtaking with all the subtle detailing we would achieve. And yes, the colour pink wouldn't be lost! Imagine their velvet dresses in soft pastel pinks. You know, the shades of a perfect ballerina's tutu! I love that these delicate details transport you into the era while highlighting how the magic of ballet never diminishes.
I am imagining our performance to end with an absolute masterpiece of dramatic, sweeping poses, a reflection of the English countryside, green meadows, and rolling hills, using elegant movements and gestures to highlight those landscapes, which we all love. A silent plea from the young dancers, urging us to remember the stories and myths of our beautiful, fascinating country, their pink tulle tutus blending with the velvet and silk dresses – and as always, reflecting that feminine magic. Oh my gosh, darling bunnies, I'm shivering just thinking about it!
As always, my adventures with Pink Tutu have not been without their little snafus, you know? We all have those days! It seems, in this day and age, the term "ballet" hadn’t really entered common use just yet. So, trying to get a bit of gossip from a local about "ballet" didn't go down as smoothly as one might think. It was funny - I tried saying "dance," "dancing", even twirling a little bit, trying to get my meaning across!
Finally, after a rather intense game of charades and pantomime, it occurred to me: the world of dancing back then might be more concerned with "courtly dances", rather than "ballet", even if it's quite similar! Oh dear, perhaps the language barrier was an additional layer to the historical journey! I'm a little rusty at those old-fashioned expressions and vocabulary! You can see, dear bunnies, we time travellers have our work cut out for us!
Despite that delightful linguistic mishap, I managed to discover so many treasures in my rucksack this month: a small leather-bound book of courtier dances, some historical sheet music with hand-drawn notes for what looks like a waltz (perhaps even an ancestor of the famous Waltz of the Flowers, imagine! Gasp) and most fascinatingly, a few delicately penned verses describing the beauty of a young lady "dancing like a bird" – you just know there’s ballet spirit hidden within those words. That’s why I absolutely adore the magic of discovering old treasures - there is a ballet spirit embedded in even the most unsuspecting sources.
All in all, it’s a fascinating reminder: no matter the era, the power of dancing is universal. I truly believe the spirit of ballet is something we all have within us, regardless of the time or the place.
And who knows, my dearies? Perhaps someday, I'll find myself right back in the world of 1684. Maybe next time, I’ll even try my hand at designing those beautiful, historically-inspired dance garments. If it involves the glorious twirl of a tutu and an inspiring splash of pink, I'm in!
See you next month, ballet bunnies! Keep twirling!
Love,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
