Hello my darling readers,
Welcome back to another installment of Pink-Tutu's Ballet Time Travels! It's been another whirlwind month filled with pirouettes and pliés, all topped off with a little time travel on my trusty Magic Meg! (Who, by the way, is looking fabulous in her brand new pink saddle – thank you, Mulberry!)
This time, we're whisking back to June 1719, a year that marked a turning point in ballet history - a year that began to move the art away from the royal courts and towards the stages of grand opera houses. Think of it as the beginning of ballet as we know it!
You might be asking yourself, "But Emma, why June 1719? Why this date? What makes it so special?". Well, my dears, it was on this very day in 1719 that a visionary named Jean-Baptiste Lully, the very man who orchestrated the move towards a ballet that celebrated individual dancers, a ballet of virtuosity and expressive emotion, passed away.
This legendary French composer and dancer brought about a true ballet revolution, influencing ballet for centuries to come! It was a period of lavish royal ballets, the kind you could only imagine! Picture silks and satins, powdered wigs and glittering jewels, elaborate court costumes adorned with plumes and feathers! Ah! Pure ballet romance!
And how did we travel through time, you ask? It was the usual magical Meg ride, her mane and tail sparkling like stardust in the moonlight, taking us across time and space, right to the heart of the French court.
I found myself strolling through the grand, opulent salons, mesmerised by the sheer grandeur, the music floating on the air, the clink of champagne glasses, and, of course, the exquisitely beautiful ladies of the court! Their fashion! I mean, the jewels, the ribbons, the powdered wigs! Sigh!
Imagine this, darlings: I arrived in time for a performance of Lully's "Cadmus et Hermione." The beauty and power of the movements were astounding, the intricate storytelling woven through dance, and the sheer virtuosity of the dancers left me speechless!
I saw women perform leaps that seemed impossible, their movements so light and delicate they looked like feathers floating on the air. Men strutted across the stage with the swagger of a seasoned warrior! Each movement a painting in itself, a story of power and passion, brought to life through the most exquisite dance.
Of course, I had to visit Lully’s tomb to pay my respects. And just to touch his little black shoe – don’t judge, darling, we all have our little rituals. The stories about him and the way he changed the dance world were simply mesmerizing. And yes, of course, I snuck a tiny, oh so dainty, bit of a little Lully memory into my rucksack!
But my ballet adventures didn't stop there! Oh no, dear readers, my time travel adventure only started. Just like a perfect pirouette, the day led to new discoveries. As you may know, French ballet went from a purely courtly spectacle to the grand and captivating opera ballet, showcasing individual dancers’ brilliance. That's where we see the seeds of the Romantic ballet era!
I learned about a fantastic choreographer called Jean-Georges Noverre, considered the father of modern ballet! I even found a rare copy of his treatise on dance and his thoughts on creating new stories within ballet, a veritable gem I just had to add to my rucksack! (Do I ever stop shopping in time?)
A Tutu-tastic Ballet Inspiration
As for my trusty rucksack, let me tell you, it's full of more than just little black shoes! There are drawings of costumes, ballet stories scrawled in delicate ink on beautiful old paper, and a few snippets of music that I managed to ahem politely request (it's for a museum, darlings, for a museum!). It’s all waiting for its big reveal when I’m back in Derbyshire. My blog post tomorrow will reveal all the fascinating insights into what the future of ballet would hold and how ballet dancers’ style would continue to change!
This Week in Ballet History:
While Lully’s passing marks the big event in June 1719, remember the year also marked the arrival of the legendary Jean-Georges Noverre, the father of modern ballet, in London. Oh, it is full of intrigue and anticipation for the ballet world, I tell you!
So my lovely readers, I'm going to go polish my pink ballet shoes! You can catch me at the ballet theatre later this week in my new blush pink tutu – it’s a divine vintage piece, just my taste! If you see me, please come say hello. I'm always happy to talk ballet!
Until next time, darlings, and remember - life is too short to not wear a pink tutu!
Yours, in pink, always,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
