Hello, my lovelies! Emma here, back from another exciting jaunt through the ballet world! It's time for another Pink Tutu Time Travels adventure, this time journeying to the year 1716, 7th July, and let me tell you, this little trip has filled my rucksack to the brim with fascinating finds.
This month, Magic Meg (my oh-so-sparkling shire horse, all pink and glitter, naturally) and I landed ourselves right in the heart of London. We trod on cobblestones and smelled the scent of lavender wafting from nearby gardens, just imagine the beautiful colours of the period, you can just picture it, can't you? Now, I have to confess, we found ourselves quite some distance from a ballet theatre! It seems, back in this era, ballets were largely confined to the court, a bit of a royal treat. The Parisian world was ablaze with ballet but we were all about the Brits, so it was to London we headed. I thought we might just happen upon some rehearsals but, alas, nothing quite so dramatic just yet. But fret not, dear readers, because my journey through the 18th century, however lacking in balletic activity, is filled with exciting finds nonetheless.
The 1716 Fashion - Ooh la la! Let's talk fashion! We are back in the world of panniers and hoops! Picture a whirlwind of silks, satins and brocades - imagine ruffles as big as clouds! A perfect look for a stylishly dressed ballerina of course. What I’d love is to dress up for one of these lavish balls or operas in a pink tutu, all layers and frills! My trusty rucksack is now overflowing with lovely lace trims to use on my creations back home! This era's fashion is just so dramatic, it reminds me of the ballerina's movements, each with their dramatic sweep of limb and leg. It's a world of movement in a completely different way.
The Beauty - While in 1716, I popped into the finest perfumeries to pick up a bit of the finest smelling soaps! All those luxurious aromas are a total treat and are quite inspiring when it comes to the creation of new pink ballet shoes and tutus - that fragrance really does set your creative spirit flowing, especially for new ideas! Think of all the pink-tinted satin, feathers and diamantes with this perfume’s essence! What a beautiful blend.
The Coffee - I stumbled upon a very fancy, opulent looking Coffee house with ornate carvings, it was in London and I had to have a peek, even for a girl like me, a good cuppa is a must - I think my darling Magic Meg likes a good Earl Grey now and then as well, or maybe a black coffee – not for us pink milk and sugar! Anyway, the place was just oozing romance and a sense of history – they even have sugar from the Indies and I picked up some fragrant Turkish coffee! And my lovelies, do you know what else I found in the shop – a selection of antique musical boxes – a treat for the ears - they will make excellent musical accompaniments for my time travelling ballet class.
You might think there is no real link to the ballet world here. But in 1716, all these elements come together, I’d like to think that they'd spark the creativity and dreams of the next generation of ballerinas. I can just imagine, the next time I come to visit this year, there's going to be a blossoming of talented ballet dancers taking the world by storm! And trust me, they'll all be in pink, from the tutus to the shoes - and hopefully wearing one of my original designs too.
Stay tuned, lovelies, for more pink-tastic time travels to come. Remember, join the #PinkTutuRevolution - the ballet world is waiting! Find me on www.pink-tutu.com and keep those tutus twirling!
Until next time,
Emma xoxo
