Hello my darlings! It's your favourite ballerina blogger Emma, back from another exhilarating trip through time. As you know, this month marks the anniversary of one very special day in ballet history, so get your pink tutus ready because we're whisking you back to… May 5th, 1766! 🩰💖
My trusty steed Magic Meg (who, I assure you, is positively sparkling today in her pink saddle cloth) and I arrived in London just in time for the evening performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Can you believe that it was just 10 years ago that King George III took the throne? That's not too long ago! I can imagine him watching a performance at Drury Lane!
My dear blog readers, let me tell you, the world of ballet was absolutely buzzing on this day!
There were no tutus in this era, let alone the iconic pink ones, but the ladies looked so elegant in their costumes of silks and satins with ruffles and bows. They were definitely wearing some fancy footwork! Speaking of fancy footwork, you wouldn't catch me without a new pair of pointe shoes. 👠 Unfortunately, these didn't appear until the late 18th century - my trusty ballet shoes and I have a bond of many years! Luckily, my rucksack has plenty of space for my ballet paraphernalia, you know, to look the part and feel authentic when I travel. There are several antique ballerinas and historical dance books in there too, from some of my favourite places I've travelled to.
It turns out, Drury Lane was the centre of all the excitement. The most notable name of the day was, without a doubt, Monsieur Noverre, the father of modern ballet, if you will. He'd already established a reputation in France as a choreographer, with many saying that he revitalised ballet as an art form! Imagine! You know how much I adore choreographing so it’s exciting to think about the progress made by Noverre and how he impacted ballet during his life! What a true innovator!
But you see, his "Ballet d'Action", that's what they call it, was not met with rave reviews. It seems that Noverre believed ballet should have some serious storytelling involved - a dramatic narrative for all! It really made a big splash with the critics. One critic was even comparing him to William Shakespeare. Could you imagine? What an honour!
But for all his genius, Noverre had one big problem –He didn’t want his choreography performed anywhere else. Not in Paris, not in Milan, not in Venice, nor even in St. Petersburg! I know what he's like; all those dancers were trying to snatch up his incredible routines and the best ways to bring stories to life on stage.
However, back at Drury Lane, things were moving on apace, and everyone was gearing up for a performance called "Love In A Village".
Can you imagine being there at a performance? There’d be gas lamps illuminating the stage, with its ornate décor and an amazing orchestra – such an experience! 🎶 Just listening to the beautiful sounds would have taken my breath away.
My goodness! There were all kinds of costumes for that show, with intricate details in "a ballet with scenery and dancing characters." I am dying to add these costume pieces to my collection in my ballet rucksack – some of them would make fantastic pieces for a future blog post.
I was mesmerised by the incredible dancing that evening – from the skilled leaps and turns to the incredible grace. You would be speechless at the talent and the captivating stories told through these movements. Just imagine, all of this back in the 1700s – what an amazing spectacle!
Oh, and there's one other fascinating fact that came to light on my travels: In the world of ballet, London is about to be rocked with a first time ever for this event: a ballet of the French kind will be performed by the king's own men – an unheard of phenomenon at the time! 😮 They're putting together "Les Fêtes Chinoises" by one Jean-Baptiste Lully – and, oh, the buzz around this ballet! I bet the city is a flurry of excitement as dancers work diligently towards this ground-breaking show. I can't imagine how thrilling it must have been!
Honestly, you just never know what surprises time travel has in store! It’s all so captivating - those gorgeous costumes, the amazing performances… and then to top it off, there's the thrill of discovering new places that you’ve only ever read about.
The one thing that I will never, ever compromise on? You guessed it: Pink. After all, I have a huge goal: Every girl in the world is going to wear a pink tutu at some point in their life. That’s my motto and it's a truly special feeling to help my readers realize their dreams. And what's better than bringing together a little ballet history and pink tutus? Nothing, I say, absolutely nothing! 😉
Now, tell me – what have you been wearing in your pink tutu adventures this month? Tell me all about it! And if you’ve been to the theatre lately, share your ballet show favourites with me!
Stay pink, and see you all next month! xx Emma www.pink-tutu.com
