Blog Post Number 339: A March Tour of The Past
Hello dears, and welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travel! It's March, and that means spring is just around the corner, bringing sunshine, daffodils, and… yes, a brand new pink tutu to wear! 💖
This month, we're going back in time to 3rd March, 1689, just when everything was changing in the world of dance! I'm so excited to tell you all about it. Let me just grab my trusty leather rucksack – it’s stuffed full of fascinating ballet facts and trinkets – and I’ll jump on Magic Meg, my pink sparkling shire horse (she has golden hooves and a mane and tail as white as fresh snow, of course!), and off we go! 🐎✨
Now, it might surprise you to know that ballet wasn’t actually what you might imagine back in 1689. Forget pirouettes and grand jetés. The "dance" in that period was really more like an elaborate show. Think costumes decorated with jewels, lots of elegant movements, but all a bit more rigid than today’s ballet. Even the dancers themselves weren’t fully professional; actors did most of the performing! Imagine that… no professional ballerinas at all! Shocking! 😱
But, and here’s where it gets exciting! *The year 1689 is actually huge in the history of dance because it’s when King Louis XIV established The Academy Royale de Dance in Paris. * Isn’t that just brilliant? It’s the birth of official ballet education! A place to train the best and brightest and create amazing performances for all to enjoy. I’m picturing it now… dancers practicing their grand allegro and their en pointe skills. (Although that wouldn’t come along for another century or so!). The world was on the brink of something extraordinary… a truly global dance sensation! 🩰 🌍
Of course, no trip back in time would be complete without a proper Pink Tutu shopping spree! Thankfully, this era saw a big explosion in beautiful, embroidered silks and fabrics – ideal for a pink tutu, if I do say so myself! Just imagine the beautiful colors and designs! It would make a tutu to truly be envious of.
And then, of course, there were all those amazing hats! Feathers, ribbons, and elaborate embellishments… all very Pink Tutu friendly! You just had to make sure it matched your costume! They even wore fancy tights back then – just imagine how stylish a dancer would look. A perfect look for a Pink Tutu ballerina. 👒👠
And to see this amazing dance history unfold, I took a trip to Paris itself, and boy was it exciting! There was so much happening on the French scene back then. The theatre world was buzzy and filled with lots of talented artists. The best dancers and musicians were performing, and there were beautiful costumes and ornate sets – everything a budding ballerina could ask for. 🇫🇷 🎭
Oh, and you know me – a true Pink Tutu traveler loves to support those up-and-coming dancers whenever I get the chance. So I took some of my favourite tutus to France and, of course, held a small, but fabulous performance at the palace. They seemed very amused. The King seemed particularly excited! 💖 💃👑
That night, back at home in Derbyshire, England, I felt so energized. What an amazing trip! Time travel and dance… my perfect combination! And I was so inspired to get even more pink tutus out in the world!
I really do hope you've enjoyed this time travel adventure, and I can’t wait to tell you all about my next month’s exciting trip, all on Pink Tutu Time Travel on the www.pink-tutu.com website!
Have a great time practicing and see you next month dears.
💖 Emma 💖
