Hello my darling ballet-lovers,
Welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travels, your monthly dose of pirouettes through history! This month, my sparkly steed Magic Meg and I are venturing back to December 12th, 1685 - buckle up, lovelies, because it's a doozy!
Now, before we step into the time machine (aka, Megâs shimmering mane), let me just say: December 12th, 1685 was a huge date in the world of ballet. No, not in terms of world-renowned ballerinas debuting, but a momentous moment in its evolution, shall we say.
On this day, you see, the first ever ballet was staged in Paris - yes, Paris, that city of romance, fashion, and, oh, did I mention, ballet?
And what ballet, you ask? Le Triomphe de lâAmour, or, âThe Triumph of Loveâ! Now, darling, this wasnât just a little rehearsal at a local hall, it was a grand spectacle - royal spectacle! A royal ballet! Performed in the Salon de l'OpĂ©ra at the Palais-Royal!
Can you picture it, my dears? Think opulence, chandeliers sparkling like a thousand tiny diamonds, gilded walls, ladies in exquisite gowns, gentlemen in finery⊠and, right there on stage, these wonderful dancers twirling and leaping! I can practically feel the excitement building, just thinking about it.
You might be wondering - no pink tutus? Sadly, not in 1685. Oh, how I wish! Though imagine if they had! Picture a shimmering ballet of pink on that stage. Now that would be a triumph, indeed!
My bag is packed with spectacular pink tulle - just in case! My motto, lovelies, is *never be without a pink tutu, wherever, whenever!
Anyway, Le Triomphe de lâAmour, oh what a show! With its beautiful dances and grand sets - a symphony of emotions, really. It tells the story of a love triangle: The Queen, her admirer, and the Duke, all in love with each other! Talk about drama, darling! I do adore a good love story. It sounds truly exquisite, a timeless theme.
Of course, there were no tights back then, oh no! They were all about ribbons and ruffles, quite glamorous, really. It was all about movement though, which I think we can all appreciate. This ballet, my lovelies, truly ushered in a new era of dance - and yes, eventually, even the pink tutus made their way into the world of ballet!
After our Triomphe de lâAmour experience, Magic Meg and I will be spending some time in London, oh my, you must see what all the fuss is about! It seems 1685 was a year for dancing, darling! The opera houses were absolutely bustling with ballets, featuring court dances and masquerade scenes, absolutely fascinating, my dears. You just must imagine yourselves gliding in amongst the courtiers at such gatherings! Oh, how I adore the magic of such moments!
And who were the choreographers for this spectacular ballet? Charles-Louis Beauchamp and Pierre Beauchamps - true legends of ballet, those two! It was the first time a ballet ever focused solely on dance. Such a feat! Imagine the buzz around town back then - like when a new ballerina sensation graces the stage, it must have been exciting! And guess what? The Madame de Sévigné, the Queen of Letters, a woman whose own brilliance still inspires us, even hundreds of years later, actually attended this performance. Now that is a bit of a legacy, darling! A truly magical evening for everyone.
My leather bag is filled with lovely silk ribbons, delicate flowers for my hair and of course, some little bits of trifles I'll be sampling on this trip - maybe I can even sneak some to take back home, for you dears, of course. We'll need those when we get home so that we can re-enact the era, right?!
And remember, my dear, you donât have to time travel to enjoy the magic of dance. Join a ballet class, see a show - the ballet world is waiting to embrace you with its open arms! And donât forget, the power of the pink tutu - it really does spark joy. It is the ultimate fashion statement, even today. I truly believe we need a âWorld Tutu Dayâ, darling, how splendid that would be? Wouldnât you love to join me for it, my dears?
Keep twirling, my lovelies, and until next time!
Much love, Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
Please Note: This blog post is a work of creative fiction and does not reflect any factual information.
