Hello darling ballet-lovers! It's Emma here, back from another exhilarating time-travel adventure! This month, we're waltzing back to 10th October, 1715. My pink tutu (the one with the delicate lace trim, darling) has been itching to pirouette in this era, and oh, let me tell you, it didn't disappoint!
It's always a joy to saddle up Magic Meg (my beautiful, pink-sparkling Shire horse with hooves of gold and a flowing white mane and tail - how could I resist riding into history on such a magnificent creature?) She’s never let me down, carrying me back in time with an elegant prance. We landed in London, just off the cobbled streets near the King’s Theatre, the epicentre of the theatre world in those days!
Imagine, darling, there was no grand Royal Opera House yet. This King's Theatre was THE place to be seen in 1715, with elaborate performances and dances for the London elite.
It's strange, isn't it, to think of ballet in this time, where the "Ballet Master" was not even a term yet, and dancers were part of the courtly entertainment rather than a separate, independent artform. You would find these dancers performing interludes within larger stage plays, weaving in beautiful dances that would showcase their skills. And oh, the costumes! They were all the rage!
Fashion Trends and Ballet on 10th October, 1715
The theatre scene in 1715 was alive with a fashionable fervor. While I can't find details on specific ballet performances on this exact date, I found enough in the archives to piece together the exciting world of dance. Imagine flowing gowns adorned with lace and embroidery, a world where "less is less" simply wasn't a concept!
We went on an exciting excursion, searching the streets for fabrics. I loved spotting silk fabrics that are the origins of many fabrics used in ballet costumes today. Even the vibrant shades of red and yellow, that would eventually become part of ballet costumes, were already used by the fashionable ladies. They even loved their "hoops" (that delightful voluminous bustle beneath their skirts), and imagine this: women were even wearing hoops on top of hoops!
The women wore bodices and jackets with luxurious lace, so I could easily imagine a ballerina performing with such lavish details! We even discovered the earliest mentions of pink fabric! I even brought back a pink lace sample to add to my collection – it will make a beautiful, nostalgic detail on a new pink tutu.
And then there's the shoe story, darling! As you can imagine, with the grand bustle, ballet footwear would be a long way away from what we see today! Thankfully, there were some very lovely women's shoes - delicate silk slippers and even some shoes that came up to the knee (now those I would definitely love to find to style a ballet outfit, wouldn’t you, darling?) I have so many ideas about the designs for new outfits I could use them to make!
I also popped into a bookshop to browse. You wouldn’t believe it – the original Ballet Master, by François de Louvois, published in 1701, has already begun making a splash in London. Such an important document! The author actually served Louis XIV and provided information about how dancers and musicians work together. You can imagine I grabbed a copy (with permission, of course – Magic Meg is pretty well behaved in these situations).
My Time Travel Tips
If you're ever lucky enough to take a trip back to 1715, darling, be sure to take in a theatre performance if you can. You might even be lucky enough to see a small "Ballet" (it’s hard to call it what we think of as ballet today) within a larger stage production. There’s always excitement in a theatre performance and you’ll love getting a taste of 1700s theatre fashion. Don't forget to be polite and respectful of the time period, dear readers. Remember, "it's good to be nice" as the saying goes.
So, as I bid you farewell, my lovely pink-loving readers, let us dance with joy in anticipation of our next time-travel escapade. Follow me on pink-tutu.com as we waltz through time and discover the magnificent world of ballet in all its forms, I can’t wait for our next time travel adventure - I am sure it will be pink-tastic!
Until then, let's keep our tutus twirling and hearts light!
Emma, the Pink Tutu Time Traveller xx
