Welcome, darling ballet lovers! It's Emma here, your favourite pink-tutu-clad time traveller, and today is a very special day. It's the 12th of December, 1751, and I'm in Paris, which means one thing… the festive season is upon us! Oh, the joy of glittering lights, delicious treats, and most importantly, a ballet show under the Christmas tree! This month, I've taken to a new theme, darling! This festive season, I want us all to find our inner ballerina – it’s the most wonderful time of the year, don't you think?
This is post number 1092 on my www.pink-tutu.com website, where you'll find all sorts of exciting things from past eras – all curated from my leather rucksack which holds historical gems of ballet beauty from all around the world. You can imagine the amount of delicious tutus and costumes, shimmering ballet slippers, and forgotten ballet programs I’ve gathered from my journeys through history!
Today, the snow is falling softly outside the beautiful Salle des Machines at the Tuileries Gardens. Paris is just oozing that Parisian charm…imagine cobblestones, glittering lamps, and everyone bundled up in elegant winter coats – oh darling, what a delightful image! But what's this?! I spot a horse carriage, pulling a huge spruce tree into the Palais Royal…what a stunning Christmas tradition! Could it be the famous Christmas tree, lit with thousands of twinkling candles?
As you can imagine, a day in 18th-century Paris just wouldn’t be complete without an exquisite performance. I’m practically vibrating with excitement as I stand before the stage of the Salle des Machines! There, in the centre, stands a giant spruce, adorned with gold garlands, glimmering ornaments and a single white candle, held aloft as a star! My breath caught in my throat…what a stunning sight! I swear I heard an angel's trumpet just then…this must be a truly magical Christmas Eve, wouldn’t you agree?
But this isn't any ordinary Christmas Eve – this is “The Ballet of the Seasons,” a choreographed masterpiece by one of France's most renowned ballet masters, Louis de Cahusac. I must tell you, it’s a sight to behold. Dressed in sumptuous, billowing, brocade and velvet, the ballerinas on the stage gracefully depict each of the four seasons in their magnificent ballet robes and tutus!
I particularly enjoyed the springtime performance! What a vision – imagine, delicate flowers dancing upon a canvas of shimmering silks and a swirling green petticoat. Oh my darling! The costumes are just a visual symphony! But there is so much more than just visuals! The music fills the air with delightful tunes, the story unfolds in elegant gestures…oh the sheer beauty!
One of the ballerinas caught my eye! A young woman called Mademoiselle Camargo – she stands apart, gracefully dancing in a pastel pink satin dress and a short white tutu. Darling! It just adds an air of innocence and magic! It was truly mesmerising! Just you wait, this Mademoiselle Camargo is about to be one of France's most adored dancers – I’ve a feeling this pink tutu will be talked about in Paris!
And to think, just a little earlier today I was in Vienna, just watching the young Wolfgang Mozart play one of his own melodies. Such talent! Now that is what you call a magical day.
I know what you’re thinking, my dear reader! How can I be in two places at once? Well, darling, Magic Meg is more than just a horse - she is my magical steed! I must admit, it takes quite a bit of ballet magic, and a healthy helping of pink tutus! They seem to be my golden ticket when it comes to travel!
And what have I discovered today about the world of ballet back then? I've learned that while our dance vocabulary has changed so much over the centuries, our love for a beautiful ballet remains constant! It's just wonderful to experience this dance evolution, right?! And there's nothing more captivating than watching dancers in spectacular tutus and costumes, swirling and leaping with such elegance…
After all these centuries, the spirit of ballet, of the arts, still sparkles with the same kind of magic. The stories woven with movements are simply a beautiful thing, don't you think?
Now I'll just hop onto my steed, Magic Meg – it's off to a balletic adventure! My next stop? Perhaps Rome, for a grand opera!
Keep those tutus spinning and I'll see you next month for more historical adventures, darlings!
Love always, Emma
P.S. You'll find even more pictures, snippets of history and beautiful ballet stories at my blog: www.pink-tutu.com I have so many other exciting time travel discoveries I want to share with you! After all, isn't it fascinating to discover what lies beyond the stage? The secret of the past, tucked away within each of our cherished dances? What ballet costumes are your favourites, darling? Let me know in the comments below, and tell me - would you be brave enough to wear a pink tutu?
