Hello darling ballet bunnies! 🩰 It's Emma here, and you've found your way to Pink-Tutu.com once again for a delicious dive into the past, all from the comfort of my fabulously pink tutu! This month, my gorgeous Meg and I have travelled back to 5th May, 1697 - a date you won't want to miss, especially if you adore a little royal theatre! 👑
It's all about the courtly life in the grand salons of Paris this time. We've waltzed back to the Hôtel de Guise and, let me tell you, this time trip had all the chicanery you could ever want, with more than a hint of political drama.
The Hôtel de Guise - well, it’s more a magnificent mansion - was in full swing with the Dauphin of France, the king-to-be Louis, Grand Dauphin, *putting on a stunning spectacle, and it was a spectacular time to be there! He hosted a gala performance, bringing to the stage *Pierre Beauchamp - you know, the name when it comes to ballet choreography - along with his compagnie.
My dear Meg, as she tends to, just couldn't contain herself when we landed amongst such exquisite theatre. Imagine - real history, and the elegance of it all just had her snorting in appreciation, her sparkling hooves a little too excited. But shush, darling readers, nothing stopped me from soaking in all the grandness - just wait until you see what I have in my little leather backpack from this adventure!
My oh my, but the entire ambiance just made me want to dance! You see, it's a big year for this Dauphin; he had just come back from a whirlwind tour, winning everyone over with his charm and prowess - especially a certain royal lady, Mademoiselle de Blois! I mean, can you imagine meeting this incredibly handsome and royal prince, being his intended bride and attending his theatre performance? What a heady mixture, oh yes, such delightful excitement!
You see, the ballet they performed was called Le Triomphe de l’Amour et de Bacchus, ou Les Plaisirs des Champs, ( Triumph of Love and Bacchus, or Pleasures of the Country). The court loved it, *oooh la la , but then it was quickly banned because a certain madame who was not so pleased about all of the whispers about a love-at-first-sight scenario in this show between the dauphin and a beautiful, young lady - rumour had it that he fell utterly smitten - and he, I tell you, could have made the whole audience swoon!
But that wasn't the end of it! The ballet, itself, was revolutionary in the truest sense of the word - this particular piece is credited as one of the first, and a key part in developing ballet from just a courtly fancy, into something far grander - it introduced a story and dramatic plots, which in those days was unheard of ! Think The Swan Lake of its era, only it included the chicanery of real-life court scandal. You’ll see, these little hints of history really spice things up.
Speaking of 'chicanery', French King Louis XIV - this is getting scandalously interesting! He really, really, liked Mademoiselle de Blois; there were even rumours that they had children together! And it was her that the Dauphin adored, while, to complicate matters further, he also needed to maintain a 'good' political relationship with his mother, the Dauphine Maria Anna - you can see the problems arising. All the courtly drama - the King’s mistress, Mademoiselle de Blois, the dauphin and the King’s wife (yes, they were technically family, how complicated!) in the same space! I hear all of these beautiful and sophisticated people would engage in scandalous gossiping whilst munching fancy, rich pastries and drinking hot chocolate!
There's more, ladies and gents - in these salon balls, everyone was all about looking extra fancy. These boudoirs were practically dripping with the very latest fashions, ooh la la, and **jewelry, and silk fabrics!
But even then, there were trends... a popular fancy amongst the upper echelon of society was to wear long, extravagant gowns (just a wee bit too similar to our tutu style - cough!) all in these soft, luxurious fabrics with embellishments - we're talking about ribbons, bows, pearls and other intricate froofrofs to elevate those stunning silhouettes.
I am practically swooning over the possibilities! It’s something my little dress-making fingers and feet can't resist... imagine a Pink-Tutu show dedicated to the French Salon, full of ooh la la dancing and frivolity! Perhaps I'll invite the Dauphine herself... oh, to see that expression when she sees me waltzing on stage in my version of a Salon gown, with pink ribbons!
Speaking of fancy boudoirs ... you must absolutely read Margaret Cavendish's * *The Blazing World. This amazing, bold lady dared to write a whole book imagining the adventures of a lady escaping her captivity and sailing through the universe on a winged horse to a mystical planet full of sparkling castles, floating islands, flying dragons and fabulous flora and fauna. Just imagine... a perfect example of how, centuries ago, a bold mind, in all its ingenuity, embraced the extraordinary. What a visionary she was. *Margaret Cavendish, with all her feminist notions, should be celebrated, right down to our dancing toes and all our bright tutus. I *adore this story - it's like Pink-Tutu in a dream!
That reminds me! This time, my precious rucksack has the best new treasures - the finest, most extravagant lace for a fancy-dress ballet performance! I’ll be able to add a little bit of authentic French elegance to a tutu. I already know what a fabulous stage outfit that will make! I can’t wait to make this fabric sing.
My darlings, what more can I tell you? This time, we’re bringing French chicanery, a bit of history and all those fancy fashions, directly to Pink-Tutu.com - the pink* ballerina world has never been more thrilling. Au revoir until next month when we're setting out for our next trip, on another adventure to see the past come alive!
