Hello my darling ballet lovers! Welcome to another month, another adventure, another glimpse into the wonderful world of ballet history on my little corner of the internet, www.pink-tutu.com. I'm Emma, your resident pink-tutu-wearing time-travelling ballerina, and I'm positively thrilled to take you all on a jaunt to the eighteenth century. Buckle up, dear readers, we're going back to the 1730s!
May 5th, 1732 – the date to mark on your calendar if you're a fan of the grand, theatrical world of baroque opera! Let me whisk you away on my trusty steed, Magic Meg. This pink-sparkling Shire horse, with her golden hooves and flowing white mane and tail, carries me and my trusty leather rucksack – brimming with ballet treasures I collect along the way – to a world of powdered wigs, feathered headdresses, and elaborate costumes. And guess what, my loves? This century, a significant new element entered the ballet world – ballet d’action! Yes, our graceful ballet performances started becoming story-driven – now that’s a story worth waltzing about!
Imagine it: ladies with painted faces and beautiful elaborate hairstyles. Men in velvet breeches and buckled shoes. This, my darlings, was the ballet scene in the 1730s! A world of passion, elegance, and storytelling woven through graceful movements and flowing gowns. Oh, and a splash of glitter wouldn't hurt, would it? 😉
On May 5th, 1732, the Royal Opera House in London, one of my favourite historical haunts, was graced with a performance of “Pygmalion”. This captivating ballet tells the story of a sculptor, who falls in love with his own creation, a beautiful statue. The dance, I hear, was simply mesmerising, filled with a beautiful play of light and shadow.
But wait, my lovelies! My time travels take me all over the world! Whilst London is all aglitter with baroque splendour, across the channel in France, things are also heating up on the ballet scene. Now, I've told you all about my love for pink tutus, haven’t I? Well, in 1732, in France, I spotted my first inspiration for these fabulous frills! Not quite a tutu as we know it today, but ladies wore their petticoats as an extra layer of fluff for that airy, whimsical movement that we associate with ballet. Just imagine how beautiful that must have looked! It's a small step, but a step closer to that dream of every dancer in the world, a world awash in pink tulle!
And oh, my loves, speaking of pink, my wardrobe is ready to burst with a symphony of pinks this month. I’ve fallen in love with the most delicate shade, reminiscent of blush-pink, for my latest dance wear, complete with soft, swirling frills to catch the stage lights!
I have a feeling, my dears, that this little adventure is just the beginning. You know how I am, I’ve been catching glimpses of history unfolding, I have my little nose right in the heart of everything. And let me tell you, I am ready to take you all on a whirl through time, revealing every twist and turn of this incredible world of ballet.
I love the energy and vibrancy of every performance – and in 1732, I saw this same spirit pulsing through every movement, every costume, every performance. It was a time of new beginnings, a blossoming of storytelling in ballet, and it just ignited the fire in my ballerina soul. And guess what, darling? The fire is ready to spread all over the world, one pink tutu at a time.
Until next time, dance your hearts out,
Emma 💖
www.pink-tutu.com
