Hello darlings! Welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travels, the blog where we pirouette through history, one fabulous tutu at a time.
This month, we're skipping back to 10th October 1723. Imagine, a time of powdered wigs, powdered faces and... (whisper it) no tutus! My dear Magic Meg (my trusty pink sparkling Shire horse with those gorgeous golden hooves and flowing white mane and tail) and I have a bit of work to do here!
Now, before we set off on our time-hopping adventure, let's chat about ballet. My darling readers, you'll be delighted to know that the world of dance was buzzing in 1723! This was a time when ballet was starting to move beyond the royal courts and find a life in the Parisian theatre scene. It's truly captivating, seeing how ballet slowly morphed into what we recognise today.
As for me, I'm looking forward to this particular trip. 1723 was a year that saw a truly delightful ballet, "Le Triomphe de l'Amour" premiere in Paris. The plot? Well, let's just say that Love (and dancing, of course!) is victorious. The Parisian stage would have been aglow with shimmering costumes and dramatic movement - although, it's hard to imagine how amazing it could have been if the dancers were sporting beautiful pink tutus! (My work is never done, is it? 😉)
Anyway, off we gallop on Magic Meg. We're headed to Paris - just a short canter through the ages!
The cobbled streets of Paris, 1723! The air is alive with the sounds of horses pulling carriages and vendors calling their wares. Everything feels delightfully timeless - until I spot a beautifully ornate theatre building with an extravagant advertisement for "Le Triomphe de l'Amour." A wave of excitement surges through me. This is the moment I've been waiting for!
With my leather rucksack on my back - ready to be filled with more delightful ballet treasures - we take our seats inside the theatre. It's packed! Aristocrats are nestled amongst wealthy merchants and common folk - a wonderfully vibrant mixture of people.
As the lights dim, the audience settles into an expectant hush. The music begins and a grand scene unfurls before our eyes. This wasn't the ballet we know today; it wasn't focused on technically perfect movements as much as the visual splendour and poetic storyline. It was theatre more than sport, which I adore.
What surprised me were the dancers' outfits. Beautifully elegant, with swirling ribbons, luxurious fabrics, and sparkling adornments, they're far removed from our sleek leotards and the glorious tutus I love. There's no such thing as ballet "fashion" yet! I can almost hear the echoes of the fashionistas and myself thinking: Surely this all would be so much better if they were sporting vibrant pink tutus!? But it's the history of ballet, so we'll accept this elegant yet practical approach for the time being, shall we?
As the ballet unfolds, my heart beats in time with the music. Each scene, a story in motion, captured me completely. This experience makes me appreciate the origins of ballet. While the form is now very different, those early days of intricate storytelling through dance had a magic I wouldn’t want to lose.
Oh! And wouldn't you know it, but my rucksack has become rather fuller as we've spent the evening here. The little stories I have found within this grand ballet are priceless.
After the show, I step out of the theatre and onto the bustling Paris streets. The moonlight paints a silver glow over the cityscape, making the buildings sparkle. Paris, even in 1723, feels incredibly charming. The aromas of freshly baked bread and warm coffee linger in the air, as I gather a selection of the prettiest pink ribbon from a vendor (to sew some gorgeous bows for my tutu later!), and I take a stroll. It’s not hard to see how the Parisian lifestyle continues to enchant me.
Before long, it's time to travel back home to Derbyshire. I wave goodbye to Paris, a place that’s truly etched into my heart (and filled my ballet backpack with amazing things!) We’ll have to go back to 1723 for a bit longer next month, won't we, dear readers? It's clear that there's a world of fascinating ballet stories still waiting to be discovered!
See you soon on the pinkest path!
Emma xx
Pink Tutu Time Travels - Find us on the web at www.pink-tutu.com.
