Hello fellow tutu enthusiasts! Emma here, your ever-so-pink-loving, time-travelling ballerina, back with another whirlwind adventure. As you know, I adore all things ballet, especially the fashion! And let's face it, a ballet class is never complete without the right attire. It's no wonder I spend all my free time travelling through history with my dear, pink sparkling Shire horse, Magic Meg. Our journey this month takes us to the bustling world of 1719, where the first ballet slipper ever made debuted on the 10th of October! It was made in pink, naturally! And to this day, itâs housed at the MusĂ©e du ThĂ©Ăątre in Paris. Can you imagine the excitement?
Let's just say, ballet's not just for ballrooms, and it certainly wasn't all that popular back in the day. You see, back in 1719, people were a bit hesitant to embrace the new form. In those days, they favoured plays and operatic productions over ballet! Thankfully, they had ballet masters like Jean-Baptiste Lully, who took the daring step to revolutionize the scene. This clever man introduced dramatic storytelling into ballet. They'd dance their stories out with lots of beautiful gestures and pantomime, bringing the theatre stage alive in ways that nobody could have imagined. And that is how ballet slowly gained the recognition it deserves. Imagine! They called it "Lully's era of ballet", and he brought the likes of the renowned, famous Mademoiselle Camargo. That woman is considered to be one of the first female dancers to make waves and introduce the art of pointe work. Now, who's saying that pink is a color for only delicate damsels? Certainly, not a dancer in a shimmering, light pink, feather-trimmed, elegant ballerina tutu, thatâs for sure!
Anyway, back to my time travel adventures. The energy at the opera house was palpable â even from outside the grand old building. It's a sight I will never forget â the grand opera houses with those impressive chandeliers glittering like stars above, people buzzing and chatting with excitement. I took it all in with my leather backpack, which I keep on my back to collect precious bits and bobs and stories of balletâs past. Iâm so grateful to be a time traveler. Not just to see these remarkable sights, but also to share them with all of you lovely people.
This year has seen the start of a new era for ballet with several spectacular ballets in various styles, that would even make the best choreographers today look twice! Imagine an elaborate combination of dances and storytelling accompanied by music. Imagine! Some of them were about mythology and folk tales â with characters that everyone knew and adored!
Did you know that ballets had special lighting features, even back then? Imagine candles illuminating the stage to help enhance movements and express a whole plethora of emotions, just like in ballet performances we enjoy today!
The dance steps werenât that different, you know! If you look closely, there's plenty that carries on from ballet styles from back in the day. The ballet vocabulary used in classical ballets today has many of those movements incorporated. The gracefulness, elegance, and precision of the movement hasnât gone anywhere, it's still very much a part of our contemporary ballet experience! Isn't it magical? Ballet is definitely timeless, a magical blend of artistry, elegance, and storytelling that captures the very essence of our human spirit. And, youâve got to see the intricate costumes with their layers and layers of frills and feathers â it's definitely the era of tutus and sparkle.
Thereâs also this thing called a âballetteâ, which is a small dance performance before a full stage opera, with amazing and incredibly skillful ballerinas dressed in their exquisite and colorful tutus performing captivating steps to entertain the crowd before the main attraction. How great was that? I wish we had this ballet experience at our local ballet studio â theyâd probably all start dressing up in fancy tutus to participate, which would definitely give our studio an incredible energy, something to shout about! Let's not forget the elaborate stage settings and the incredible musicality that played during these ballets. Now those are elements that continue to be as exciting and magical as they were in 1719. I felt my inner ballerina spirit getting an intense thrill of being a part of that.
My visit wasnât only about ballet. You see, 1719 was a great era for the theatre scene with its grand productions, operatic scenes and all its splendor. I also couldn't resist a little peek at the fashion trends! Imagine exquisite outfits with silks, ruffles and so many other elaborate elements and lots of bows. Imagine them all shimmering with exquisite fabrics â satin, velvet, lace and all things shiny and sparkly, just like my sparkly pink tutu. You'd be surprised to know that thereâs so much ballet fashion today that is heavily inspired by the fashion from the 18th century. And what could be more lovely than to go shopping for vintage ballet fashion items in a place called âthe Galleria,â back in 1719?
This place was a must-see for its abundance of pretty fashion goodies and for the sheer artistry it offered to shoppers in its magnificent surroundings. The colors were vibrant â beautiful, vibrant purples, bright reds, greens, and most certainly lots and lots of pinks â think my very own tutus. It was like stepping back in time into a world of elegance. You would have loved it!
And finally, we can't leave without taking in the local scene. From my perch atop Magic Meg's back, I marveled at the cityâs cobbled streets and architecture, each building an ornate symphony in itself, all of which seemed to be saying that âIâm here for you to take me in all my glory, just like my ballets!â All I could think about were all the ballerinas with their intricate choreography and all the exquisite, fabulous, tutus that we'd love to recreate at our own local dance school and put them on stage in Derbyshire! Weâd just need to grab Magic Meg, make some time travel adjustments to the clock on her back and weâd all be whisking ourselves to our own historic theatre production and watch ourselves dance through history!
But until then, remember this: no matter where we are, no matter the era, ballet reminds us of beauty, art and the endless possibilities that make up our human spirit, and even how to bring sparkle and shine into every single moment. And the pink tutu will be there, sparkling like magic, always ready to set the stage for the beauty of our own ballets!
So, keep those toes tapping, and be sure to keep on twirling, and perhaps you'll see you in 1719, and all the exciting discoveries it brings with it. Youâll be surprised what you will find once you delve into balletâs history! And, most definitely keep an eye out for all the exciting times to come. I have a feeling this is going to be a spectacular time for ballet, because it definitely was back then! Happy time travelling, my fellow tutus! See you on the other side!
And if you can, I'm hosting a pink tutu ballet performance to help celebrate this yearâs most amazing tutus, it will definitely be the sparkly highlight of our week. See you there! Keep on dancing!
Don't forget to follow me at www.pink-tutu.com and join our tutu revolution! And keep an eye out for the next time-travel post!
And be sure to tell me your favorite ballerina outfit from all my blog posts! It could be anything - from shoes to tutus, just let me know!
I am just so very grateful for all my devoted fans who read this monthly blog and all the pink-tutu-wearing people out there!
Happy tutu time travelling, and see you soon,
Emma x
