Dearest ballet-loving beauties,
Welcome back to Pink Tutu Travels! I hope you're all feeling twirly and full of graceful energy! Today, we're off on a little adventure, and it's a particularly exciting one, because we're stepping back in time to a very important year in the world of ballet â 1709! My sparkly steed, Magic Meg, is already pawing the ground excitedly, her golden hooves shining in the sunlight.
Before we gallop off, let's get settled into my little corner of www.pink-tutu.com. You're all probably dying to know where we're headed! Well, picture this, darlings. We're going all the way back to the heart of ballet's birthplace, oh, my favourite place â France!
The date is February 2nd, and my oh my, are you in for a treat! 1709 was a banner year for ballet, particularly in the Parisian theatre world, which is of course, where all the hottest fashion and performances were happening! I mean, just imagine the opulent costumes and exquisite choreography! And just try not to swoon, you'll need to have some energy left for a little pirouette once we get to Paris!
Itâs also quite funny, as I have it on good authority, the French love a good spectacle - which obviously makes them ballet lovers! After all, where else can you get your fill of fancy frills, graceful movement, and maybe even a dash of drama all in one? The whole world is talking about ballet in 1709, especially this incredible thing called âcomĂ©die-ballet".
Itâs Like⊠But Better!
Now, I know what youâre thinking â "comĂ©die-ballet, what's that all about?" Let me break it down for you, lovely. Imagine your favourite ballet, then imagine a play mixed into it â bam, that's your comĂ©die-ballet! These dance-dramas were all the rage back in 1709, and boy, were they full of drama. There was love, loss, comedy, tragedy â pretty much every human emotion was expressed through graceful leaps and perfectly executed arabesques.
I mean, who needs words when you can speak through your dancing?! That's why I have to admit â the early ballet pioneers were onto something quite magnificent!
Speaking of pioneers, this journey brings us to one of my absolute heroes in the world of ballet, the fabulous Louis de Cahusac. His talent was extraordinary! He was not only a dancer, choreographer, but he also wrote about the wonderful world of ballet, documenting everything from dance techniques to performance traditions.
Now, this little piece of knowledge will come in very handy, as Louis was involved with something called the â ComĂ©die Italienne", an acting troupe from Italy!
Can you believe, dear readers? These talented Italians actually helped shape the early French ballet! How fun is that? Talk about a multicultural ballet scene! The best part? They introduced this awesome style called commedia dellâarte, a unique type of comedic theatre featuring clown-like characters with big personalities! Imagine dancing with characters like Pierrot the loveable fool, Harlequin with his mischievous tricks, or Columbine the lovely beauty, each character full of funny situations, vibrant costumes and the wildest theatricality. How incredible, donât you think?
I even heard rumour that there are shows happening at the OpĂ©ra at the moment and, lucky for us, theyâre performing "The Misanthrope." Isnât that the coolest thing ever? Even the very title says "ComĂ©die-ballet" right in its name, so, that means dancing AND drama, like I told you before! I am totally thinking of joining Magic Meg to explore this production!
It's definitely on my to-do list while weâre in Paris - see, not only are we taking ballet class every week, going to all the amazing theatre performances, but I do travel, which is quite the job in itself, because youâve got to be in top form! And speaking of jobs, guess how I fund my travels? That's right! Ballet performances!
The stage is my cash machine! If thereâs one thing I do, it's spreading ballet around the world. I dance everywhere and my costumes sell really well, because my lovely ballet fans love the way I wear my tutus and my little outfits are always sparkly! But whatâs more, the shows Iâm doing, especially when I incorporate stories like "The Misanthrope", they go down so well with everyone. It seems they always enjoy a good plot!
Ballet Through Time: Our Back Pack is Filled to the Brim
Speaking of our tour of 1709, I do love my lovely ballet travel time machine and Magic Meg, but one thing I take on every adventure is my trusty old leather rucksack, which is basically like a massive ballet archive for me. Inside, youâll find my little travel journals, with drawings of my ballet travels and the fashions from this time, along with my research for the pink-tutu.com blog.
There is so much going on this month. The other day, while visiting my family back home in Derbyshire, England, I decided to read a very interesting book â The Spectator by Joseph Addison â he has this interesting discussion about all kinds of things, including ⊠ballet! He basically argues for having better, more exciting ballets instead of just a simple string of dance routines. My words, he thinks they should tell stories!
Honestly, Iâve seen some of the dance routines back in 1709, and it seems even then, people are bored! And while Joseph may want the best ballets, even his work doesn't mention those Italian commedia dellâarte dancers that Louis de Cahusac was doing - how silly! But what Iâve learned is people love a good story in their dancing.
If there is anything more amazing, the dance troupes here in France are so advanced in 1709 - theyâre making things up! Some people donât even realize theyâre coming up with new choreography in the middle of a performance! It's pretty darn clever. The ballet master â he is sort of like a ballet choreographer - can make new dances up based on whatever the other characters on the stage are doing! Imagine doing that - I mean, you would have to be brilliant! I donât think I can pull off making new things up during my ballet class! But you never know! If you know your dance steps and you love your choreographers, anything is possible!
Don't Forget: Pink is ALWAYS the Answer
This monthâs travels have really been interesting. I have even noticed this huge debate going on in France. Should dance be a big showy show or something smaller and less important? Honestly, I have seen so much variety, Iâm getting a headache from trying to think about all these dances! And while it might sound ridiculous, I really feel strongly that dance shouldn't just be in big theatrical stages. I think ballet should be danced everywhere and even the little dances and the shows everyone has been watching lately are inspiring more and more ballet lovers and that's really making this ballet boom a beautiful thing!
Weâre here at pink-tutu.com and everyone needs to feel confident enough to dance and thatâs why, you know what? Thatâs why I created my new tutu range, my âPink It Upâ tutus, in all colours, yes even black! But pink, pink, pink. You know me. My secret, of course? They all feature at least one pink sequin on them. Just like me! Because we can dance through the history of the world, one pink tutu at a time! And always remember, the key to life is like the key to ballet; never give up, love yourself, never stop twirling, and most importantly - never stop wearing pink! And as always, I leave you all with a thought:
âHave you seen any good shows lately?â
Catch you next time for a Pink Tutu adventure!
Emma
