Hello darling ballet bunnies! Welcome to another month of Pink Tutu Travels, Iâm Emma, your Derbyshire ballerina blogger and your personal time-travel guide through the wondrous world of ballet history.
This month, my trusty steed, Magic Meg â the pink sparkling Shire with golden hooves and a white mane â galloped me straight to Paris for a fabulous ballet adventure on the 2nd of February 1743! Imagine my excitement - Paris, the city of love, fashion and⊠well, ballet, of course!
The Parisian theatre scene was ablaze with excitement. It seems February 2nd, 1743, was the big night for the premiere of a brand new ballet - Les FĂȘtes Chinoises, at the OpĂ©ra National de Paris! Can you imagine? A ballet about Chinese festivities â what a stroke of genius! I dashed into the opulent theatre, my pink tulle swirling about me as I hurried towards the best seat in the house. Just imagine - me, in my favourite pink tutu, surrounded by 18th-century French aristocrats. It was the stuff of dreams!
Now, for those of you who haven't ventured back to this era before, Parisian ballet was a different beast to todayâs. It wasnât about intricate tutus and graceful, technical pointe work (although, as you all know, I canât imagine anything more stunning). It was more about storytelling, masks, and lots of beautiful costume! The ballerinas were considered âactors of the danceâ, and the ballet itself was almost a theatrical show - imagine your favourite contemporary ballet meets Shakespeare! The choreography involved much drama, plenty of grand gestures and dramatic leaps, which sounds truly enthralling to me, I must say.
While the ballets of the time might not be to every ballet bunnyâs taste, I certainly was captivated. The sheer audacity and creativity of the whole experience left me giddy with inspiration. My heart practically did a triple pirouette with each new spectacle. And my ballet bag is positively brimming with sketches of beautiful costume designs, along with stories and notes on this incredible piece.
But let's talk fashion for a moment - my, oh my, the outfits were positively spectacular!
From elaborate robes to flowing gowns, everything seemed to sparkle and shimmer. There were wigs piled high, with elaborate ribbons and adornments - and you'll never guess, my dear ballet bunnies - the ladies in the audience were wearing hooped skirts and voluminous dresses, which were, wouldn't you know it, entirely inspired by ballet! Just look at the history of ballet, dear friends, and how it continues to inspire everything from fashion to the art world and beyond! It was so amazing!
And speaking of fashion, you simply must check out my recent "Pink Tutu Travels" YouTube video (donât forget to hit that subscribe button!), where I've dedicated a whole section to 18th century Parisian fashion and ballet trends - the makeup, the hairstyles, the dramatic panniers, oh my! The fashion world continues to find inspiration from these styles - we even saw the revival of the pannier during last yearâs fashion week - such incredible cyclical trends. It truly feels as if I've stepped right out of the 18th century, wouldn't you say?
As always, dear friends, Pink Tutu Travels wouldnât be possible without your ongoing support. Don't forget, I fund these adventures through my ballet performances â I have performances planned all through the spring. Come along, join me in a magical world of movement, and support my dream of inspiring the world, one pink tutu at a time!
Keep twirling,
Emma
P.S. And, as a bonus, you know I canât resist mentioning a recent find! While rummaging through a Parisian archive, I stumbled upon an enchanting handwritten note penned by a famous choreographer of the day â guess who? The infamous Jean-Georges Noverre himself! He even included a sketch of a proposed choreography for Les FĂȘtes Chinoises. My oh my! I practically danced a triple pirouette on the spot! What treasures I find on my travels. Don't you just love this era? So inspiring!
P.P.S Don't forget to subscribe to my Pink Tutu Travels website, www.pink-tutu.com! It's full of amazing ballet insights, stories, and photos - plus a sneak peek into my incredible wardrobe! I update the site monthly. So come on over and let's talk ballet!
