Post #1102
Hello darlings, and welcome back to Pink Tutu Travels! This month, Magic Meg and I have taken a trip back to a rather peculiar time - October 10th, 1752, to be exact. Now, I'm not sure about you, but the idea of a year suddenly having 11 days less seems a bit of a head-scratcher, don't you think? But don't worry, my dears, there's a perfectly good reason for it, which we'll get to shortly!
It's always a bit of a giggle hopping through history, especially when you arrive wearing a rather fetching pink tutu. Thankfully, the good folk of 1752 were rather amused than alarmed, perhaps mistaking me for a particularly extravagant lady of the court! You know, they really haven't mastered the art of the dramatic pouf in this era – a missed opportunity if you ask me.
But before I dive into the details of our ballet-themed adventures, let's talk about this calendar confusion. In 1752, the British government decided to switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar was a bit of a slowcoach when it came to calculating the year, leading to a gradual drift in the alignment of the seasons and the calendar.
To correct this, eleven days were simply removed! Imagine the chaos, darlings. Can you just picture everyone being confused about birthdays and meeting deadlines? Thankfully, my diary (written on a beautiful parchment paper – you can never have too many scraps of history for your collection) notes that the public was relatively calm about the change. Apparently, people had known about it for quite a while! Still, it makes for a rather interesting time travel anecdote, wouldn't you say?
So, what was happening in the world of ballet on this particular date in 1752? Well, this era was a crucial point for ballet in Britain! There was a definite move towards what we would recognise as a modern, more structured style, with Italian influence seeping into the London scene.
Of course, I had to visit the famous Drury Lane Theatre in London! It was the heart of theatre in London, and a truly magnificent place to catch a show, even if the audience was not particularly receptive to tutus, although they did rather like my pink horse and cart - well, you can't blame them for wanting to touch something fabulous, can you?
But my journey didn't stop there! I went searching through antique stores and even snuck a peek into some old private libraries to get a sense of what ballet was like back then. Oh my dears, they had the most enchanting, elaborate costumes and set pieces, truly fit for royalty! They even found space in their wardrobes for shoes made from the finest velvet – divine!
Of course, a ballet-obsessed girl simply couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to grab some souvenirs. From my backpack (a sturdy leather number, fit for a travelling ballerina) I now proudly display some of the finest finds, including a beautifully etched playbill advertising the popular "La Festa di Bacco", an Italian comic ballet based on an Italian text!
And speaking of fashionable finds, my, oh my! The women of 1752 certainly knew how to dress! I especially enjoyed watching the ladies' elegant stomping and fluttering across the cobbles in their long, flowing gowns, sometimes accentuated with silk ruffles or intricate laces. Though, I do think they were missing out on the opportunity of adding some vibrant pink.
I'm sure you can see what my future fashion goals are, dearies - a pink-tutu inspired world where all fashion is flamboyant and every lady walks like a ballerina. We can certainly achieve that! And remember, don't forget to look for my latest post in a month’s time! It will be brimming with a different, wonderfully wild and colourful historical adventure. Until next time, my dear friends!
XOXO
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
