Hello, my darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things ballet and a dash of time travel sprinkled on top! This month, I'm taking you all the way back to June 6th, 1777.
I’m wearing a glorious shade of hot pink tulle, a perfect complement to the Parisian streets, even in this time period. The tulle, you ask? Absolutely a treasure from my travels through the eras, picked up in a shop near Covent Garden in 1815 – oh, the romanticism of those days! It's light as air and it billows with each movement as I glide through the city with Magic Meg by my side.
Magic Meg, my darling pink sparkling Shire, is absolutely dazzling, and she has the kindest eyes you've ever seen. Her golden hooves click-clack along the cobbled streets and the sunshine dances in her white mane and tail. Her coat shines like a pink diamond in the afternoon light, and everyone stops to look. I have to confess, her presence certainly attracts a lot of attention. It makes time travelling much more glamorous and certainly a great deal easier when I want to skip past a particularly stubborn group of ladies who think pink is a little 'outrageous' - tut-tut! They really must read my blog!
And what a journey we’ve had! It began with a breathtaking view of the English countryside. Just before I leapt onto Magic Meg's back and said, "Giddy-up!", I was feeling rather anxious – the excitement of a journey back in time is always a bit overwhelming!
But just as I adjusted the leather rucksack that holds my most treasured ballet finds, and looked at Magic Meg, her gentle smile (yes, really!) eased my worries and we were off! My first stop in France: the heart of Paris! This is a pivotal date, you know – the theatre of the Palais Royal, that elegant beauty of Parisian life, was built on this very day. This amazing building will later be home to one of the most revered ballet companies in the world: the Paris Opera Ballet. And who knows, one day, it might be the home of another ballet spectacle where my fabulous Pink Tutu will be the talk of the town. (This, I confess, is a dream of mine… a ballerina’s dreams can be quite lofty!)
After the grandeur of the Palais Royal, my trusty Magic Meg brought me to the elegant salons of the great Mademoiselle Guimard. Imagine this - this beautiful woman, a famed dancer in her own right, is dancing like an ethereal vision, as they say. And do you know what I found? She’s wearing a bright pink dress! It’s made of shimmering satin, the type that catches the candlelight in a stunning way. Oh, how I wish I could borrow it for a day. But I understand it's simply not practical! Luckily, there’s no shortage of delightful pinks in my personal collection. The French ladies seem quite partial to soft pastels for their dresses; I find them rather pretty too.
What else have I found? Why, I stumbled upon a private dance party in a beautiful Parisian townhouse. All the leading ladies were swirling about, dressed in their finery, their faces aglow with the joy of dance. I couldn’t help but join in – how could I not?!
Oh, the music! So full of life and vigour – quite a bit different from the structured elegance of the ballet I know. I enjoyed that, it must be said, very much! As my pink tutu flowed, the music pulsed through the air, and the gentlemen were quite mesmerized.
I'm quite convinced everyone in the whole of Europe knows this date: June 6th, 1777. Why, just yesterday I had a rather funny encounter with a charming French gentleman. It appears Louis XVIII, who will someday be king of France, was born today! It would have been a real coup de théâtre to find him wearing a pink tutu. Alas, such things were beyond me – at least in 1777. However, who knows? In time, all things are possible!
There are so many more incredible things that I must tell you, my dearest tutu-loving readers! You must find out:
- The grand and dramatic theatre of the Comédie-Française, its influence on ballet - How dancing was evolving into a more theatrical performance with more elaborate costumes and story-telling - Who the talented dancers and choreographers were during this period, like the great Jean-Georges Noverre! - Why dance fashion is still being shaped even in 1777 by a famous choreographer named Pierre Gardel who adored bright colours.
My next blog will feature the remarkable and revolutionary Ballet de la Délivrance de Thésée – such a thrilling story about the legendary hero of Greek mythology, Theseus, rescued by the mythical Ariadne!
You'll have to stay tuned for my next ballet adventure. Meanwhile, you'll find links to further information about the era and all its dancey, delightful discoveries on my blog site – a veritable treasure trove of historical ballet knowledge! Remember, dear reader, pink is the ultimate colour, and a pink tutu is a force for good in the universe. So go out there, darling, and make every day a ballet! Until next time!
Warmly,
Emma xx
P.S. Do check out my website for my ballet travel tips! Always remember to travel safely and make sure you have your Pink Tutu packed! Remember, pink always comes out on top!
