Hello my dearest tutu-loving friends! It's Emma here, ready to whisk you back through time, and let's just say - this particular journey was a real Parisian delight.
December 12th, 1793. Can you imagine, my lovelies? A time of swirling skirts and powdered wigs! As I, decked out in my most fabulous pink tutu and my sparkling silver pointe shoes, mounted my darling Magic Meg (she looked particularly fetching in a matching pink saddle!), I was ready to witness some truly iconic ballet moments.
And just a hint - we're talking Paris, my darlings!
My dear readers, you all know how I adore history, especially the world of ballet, and it just wouldn't feel right to not have a visit to the City of Lights, a place buzzing with artistic creativity, a place where the French Revolution was in full swing, but also a place where ballet was, dare I say, taking the stage!
Before I delve into all the delightful ballet snippets from that Parisian night, let me give you a quick glimpse into my trusty leather rucksack, overflowing with vintage treasures! Today, I snagged:
- A delicately embroidered ballet slipper: So pretty! Just imagine, this was worn by a real ballerina back in the 1700s! (I just need to get my lovely tailor, Miss Beatrice, to find a way to mend this without damaging its beautiful antique details!)
- A fragment of a playbill for The Three Ages: The excitement! The grandeur! I cannot wait to do some more research on this.
- A stunning velvet ballet skirt, tucked in its own little fabric bag: Can you imagine how wonderful this looked on stage? So rich and beautifully decorated with elaborate embroidery.
It wasn't all treasures, though! Magic Meg is so talented, but she is also, ahem - slightly mischievous. She managed to snag me a whole bunch of antique ballet pamphlets which are slightly worse for wear, shall we say. That cheeky mare! But of course, my love of ballet outweighs the slightly less-than-perfect condition, right?
As for 12th December, 1793, we're talking history, lovelies! A world on the precipice of something truly new and vibrant. But, as usual, let's dive straight into the ballet action!
That evening, at the Theatre de la Nation, (you know, that iconic theatre - imagine the stories it's seen!), The Three Ages, or The Three Sisters, The Three Beauties, a ballet in three acts, took the stage, telling a romantic and adventurous tale. It is so incredibly cool to think, this is what Parisians were swooning over all those centuries ago! Can you even imagine a world without Swan Lake or The Nutcracker?!?! This really is history!
I must confess, it was an evening overflowing with a little French whimsy! My favorite moments, for all the tutu-lovers out there, were... well... the tutus themselves! The choreography was designed by Mr. Louis Henry, a French dance-master with a certain style that still feels revolutionary! You had choreography in 1793? Oh, the dream! Just think how innovative those choreographers were!
The costumes! Divine, my darlings! So very French with their flowing silk skirts and intricate, flowing embellishments! It almost made me want to whip out my knitting needles and have a go myself, because I know you guys, like me, would kill for a piece of vintage costume history!
Of course, no ballet experience is complete without its unique personalities and, oh, how extravagant those personalities were! I absolutely adored Mr. La Salle (such a handsome man!), one of the leading dancers of the evening. Oh my, those leaps! Absolutely sensational! It was divine! And his costumes? So beautifully made, each one showcasing precise tailoring and attention to every tiny detail. I'm still dreaming of that silver satin doublet with black velvet piping!
That night at the Theatre de la Nation felt like the dawn of a new era in dance! While it may have been centuries before the days of pointe shoes and tutus as we know them today, I could almost imagine these elegant and beautiful dances inspiring my own pink-tutu dreams! *You go, French Ballet! *
Just think, it wasn't even until 1795 that Mademoiselle Rosalie (who I'm told was gorgeous with a heart of gold!) was actually given a starring role. I've got to get my travel-blogging hooves over there pronto to delve into the full ballet history, but I had to tell you about the extraordinary La Salle!
Now, let me get a little personal!
To every pink-tutu loving heart out there, you are beautiful. You are strong, You are daring, You are brilliant! You go and inspire! You might not have a Magic Meg to ride off into time, but you have the imagination! Go on and be bold! Make some noise! Live, laugh, dance, and be YOU! And I, for one, won't tell you to put on a tutu (but if you really want to, then of course you're free!), but I'll be right here on www.pink-tutu.com cheering you on every step of the way.
Yours, with sparkly pink love! Emma
P.S. I promise to bring you some incredible new tales about ballet from my travels next month. Can't wait! * But until then, go and dance with the confidence of *that 18th century Parisian ballerina!
(And hey! If you haven't got a Magic Meg of your own, check out my upcoming dance masterclass where I will be teaching the very skills that allowed me to travel back in time! I promise it will be pinktastic!).
Disclaimer: *All time travel undertaken at Emma's own risk and with no guarantee of survival (not that she’s been *close...yet!). And you know I'm a pink-tutu enthusiast, so all of the information in this blog comes from the heart, with a pinch of creativity (sometimes a generous helping!), so be sure to always do your own research before trusting any information online! And of course, if you spot an error in my ballet history PLEASE feel free to contact me at
