Hello, fellow ballet lovers! It's Emma here, back with another exhilarating time-travelling adventure. Today we're venturing back to 5th May 1709, a date that, you'll see, is quite the gem for a ballet fanatic like me! Grab a cuppa, your favourite tutu, and let's hop onto Magic Meg for another grand, twirling journey through time.
As always, I’m reaching out to you from my home in the beautiful Peak District of Derbyshire. You might not be surprised to hear that I spent last week working on my newest performance: The Enchanted Woods Ballet! It features fairies, flowers, and all the best things the Peak District has to offer, culminating in an unforgettable scene where a young fairy in a tutu – naturally pink – is captured by a fearsome dragon before escaping to safety thanks to her trusty and magical little squirrel. This has been an amazing challenge as I'm having to create all the costumes and music for the show from scratch, but my creativity is flourishing. You know, the best way to celebrate your love of ballet is to do a little creating of your own – so put on that pink tutu and experiment!
Now, onto the story! It's a fine spring day when Meg and I gallop through the years, arriving at the opulent Paris Opera House in 1709. The French capital, I must say, always exudes such grandeur! I find myself gazing at the beautiful, stately buildings, dreaming of the fashion and elegance I know lie within their walls. After a quick chat with my good friend Louis XIV (we tend to bump into him rather often!), I learn there are two fascinating things happening this very day that relate to our passion: ballet!
Firstly, Jean-Baptiste Lully, a man with quite the name for a ballet creator (imagine having that for your stage name! ), is conducting a musical piece featuring the " Contredanse. " The contredanse is such a fascinating part of the early history of ballet. It is essentially a partnered dance that features elements of traditional dances of the day like country dances and folk dances. In some ways, it’s reminiscent of modern-day ballroom dances! You’ll find dancers in beautiful garments, and a grand elegance. A delight to witness, and to think, it all started in France. Imagine what a gorgeous costume this ballet must be in.
And this isn't all, I hear rumours that another very special ballet is about to start, in fact, we may be arriving just in time. My rucksack – you know, the one I always travel with on my pink tulle journeys – is almost full! The leather of this rucksack feels as old as the years themselves; it's a little worn now and could do with some new pink ribbons for embellishment I'm thinking perhaps some satin with sparkling beads! – but it will allow me to store any magical ballet treasures I find along the way.
I sneak through a secret passage and find myself in the back of a grandly decorated room, in which I witness the opening of an amazing ballet. I’ve just heard it's a Tragic Opera Ballet, what an exciting idea, combining tragedy and ballet. It will be a little dark for me and quite frankly I much prefer to see lighter themes like butterflies and princesses. But I still make a point to soak it all up and maybe even draw inspiration from its unusual dark plot. I'm pretty certain, judging by the costumes, that I wouldn’t feel comfortable on stage. My tutu wouldn’t do it justice! It looks a little on the heavy side and rather dramatic, but with the amazing movement, a story that grips your imagination, and all the theatricality that comes along with a production like this, I know I am being drawn to it – it's certainly not boring! Oh how my ballet fashionista heart longs to bring that time-travelling sense of whimsy and lightness to a tragic performance, it’ll have to be done with my Pink Tutu Performance! Maybe a modern interpretation? The world is my pink, twirling oyster!
The opera doesn't stay for long; it was just an extra delight for me and my little time travel spree today. Before my Parisian adventures are finished I know I must go shopping, of course. My time travel always comes with a budget - as I can't magically travel by Magic Meg without spending some pennies (even though her hay is practically free !) However it's so difficult to find pink tutus back then. The pink colour, even in that day, seems to be rather hard to find, or perhaps I have forgotten to ask the merchants ! But after a quick rummage through the fabric shops and with my quick needlework skills, my rucksack will soon be ready for more beautiful garments – I could already add the pink ribbon embellishment for it’s journey to its next destination and I can't wait ! I always look to find fashion inspiration in the past as my tutus must reflect the fashions of each decade and that’s why I travel by Magic Meg and it does wonders for my wardrobe – what a dream!
There you have it, my darlings, another fantastic journey through time! I'm so glad we got to celebrate a historical moment with our own unique ballet twist! If you find yourself near the Paris Opera House, you’re lucky, but remember to beware of the magical powers of history and make sure your pink tutu is firmly in place! Be sure to join me next month when we’ll dive into the fabulous ballet scene again. I know you'll have so much fun - so remember to visit www.pink-tutu.com and follow the blog – don’t miss next month’s amazing adventures!
Until then, stay twirling!
