Post 1011
Hello darling lovelies,
Welcome back to another enthralling adventure on Pink-Tutu.com, where time travel meets tutus! As always, I'm your intrepid, pink-tutu-clad guide, Emma, here to take you on a journey through history, and show you why the love of ballet is a timeless treasure. This month, I'm galloping back to the enchanting 1740s on Magic Meg, my shimmering pink Shire horse with her golden hooves, to discover the world of ballet on 3rd March 1745!
Imagine this: we're pulling up to the grand Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, London. Just the thought of it fills me with an utter sense of awe! Can you even believe that such a magnificent place for ballet has existed for over two hundred years at this point? It's incredible! It feels like I’ve stepped straight out of a history book! The air is abuzz with excitement and anticipation, because today is a very special day – it's the premiere of the brand-new ballet, "The Birth of Harlequin." Can you imagine all the beautiful, delicate, powdered faces of the ladies watching? And of course, the gentlemen looking suave and smart in their waistcoats.
Now, picture this… A beautiful little lady dances gracefully, her tutu flowing, a delicate crown of flowers atop her head. I think of all those exquisite dancers of the past - how lucky they are to experience such wonderful and thrilling things! It was all so new then. Can you even begin to imagine how magical it was for all these amazing, innovative ballet steps to just begin? Just the thought of such innovation is absolutely divine! It gives me butterflies to even think about it! My little dance bag and I have come all this way on a grand time-travelling adventure to soak it all up. And I don't want to forget one single detail! I have my favourite leather rucksack filled with blank pieces of paper to jot down notes as well as beautiful hand-stitched canvas to sketch down everything I see for inspiration later!
This year, London is buzzing with excitement about the new dancing maestro: Jean-Georges Noverre. It seems he is the king of ballet innovation. My notes say that this brilliant fellow actually introduced the ballet as a real story, as a dance that had true meaning behind its beautiful movements, and not just a series of steps and tricks. What an amazing feat! He is even known to have tried to include the stories of his plays as part of the show – something the upper classes certainly did enjoy!
The theatre has become my second home now, you see. The magic and grace of ballet have stolen my heart completely. You can probably tell just how in love I am with ballet by the way I describe it, by the way I speak about each tiny, exquisite detail. To me, ballet is the true and divine language of the body! And to think it all happened so long ago - ballet feels so timeless, so ancient and yet so new, always a thrilling evolution. The costumes of this new production – "The Birth of Harlequin" - are an absolute masterpiece! I hear that they feature all sorts of delightful details! Can you believe they even used colourful fabric designs for the costumes! Imagine - using color to portray different characters and themes. So groundbreaking! My oh my. They even called the new dance-play an “ballet d’action.” I love the sound of it – full of drama! I hear it was full of the wonderful tales of a group of masked dancers, a clever touch, I say, bringing new meanings to an art form we love so dearly! I am already so excited to return for the next ballet premiere! This theatre has got a real talent for finding the very best choreographers in the land.
And how lucky they are, being able to see these dances for the first time! We, with our history books and paintings, can barely imagine how breathtaking it must have been for them to experience these dances in their true first flush of wonder! I cannot even imagine how amazing it was for these ladies and gentlemen to witness the first ever use of the dancing couple as a vehicle to create emotion and meaning in a ballet, like it had never been before. And so, darling lovelies, it is with a full heart that I’ll say that I truly do believe the evolution of ballet, the progression of new and groundbreaking dances are just like time travel in their own right. So don’t be afraid to explore the incredible history of the dancing art. For as you explore the past, it is your future that will unfold. I am certainly exploring, and the experience has filled my world with the divine beauty and grace that comes from this magnificent artform.
Time for me to gallop back to my own little corner of the world. My dance shoes are calling to me! I want you to do one thing: wear pink! Wear pink to your ballet classes, wear pink for a shopping spree with the girls, wear pink for the ultimate in glamorous attire, but most importantly, wear pink because it is divine, it is pretty, and it makes you feel great.
Until next month my loves, Emma xoxo
