Oh darling, itās Emma here, and oh my gosh, this month has been absolutely swoon-worthy! I landed back from a little time-hopping trip just last week, and let me tell you, 3rd March 1811 was a corker! The air was alive with anticipation as I settled in the stables with Magic Meg ā just the sweetest pink sparkle Shire with hooves like golden coins and a mane like spun sugar!
I love getting out and about in this old world; itās so utterly charming, especially when you see all the excitement leading up to an upcoming show. Can you imagine? People are buzzing about something they donāt even know the details of! I have a feeling the "new, improved, and most incredible entertainmentā being teased across London will blow my tiny pink tutu-clad mind, but youāll have to wait till the end to see!
But let's rewind, darlings! This month's journey started in Derbyshire, surrounded by fields of daffodils just starting to unfurl. The sunshine glinted off the River Derwent, a little like the golden sparkle in Megās hooves. It was such a tranquil way to start a time travel adventure, especially since I was packing my trusty leather rucksack with all my ballet treasures: some antique costume sketches, a dusty old book on the history of dance, and a whole stack of vintage ballet programmes, which were just divine, I swear!
Meg, ever a darling, was as excited as I was to journey through the rolling hills, the wind whipping my pink tutu and those curls. And when we got to London? The sights! I mean, I absolutely loved all the carriages and the shops and the streets just bursting with people! But what I truly adore is that sense of excitement for an upcoming event that can just be felt! It was almost impossible to walk down a London street without encountering posters advertising something wonderful ā āGrand Evening Entertainment,ā "A Night of Elegance and Whimsy.ā It felt a little bit like the lead up to a first night. So, darling, you can imagine how delighted I was to arrive at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane in time to soak up all the chatter and anticipation for a show called "The Grand Divertissement"!
Oh darling, and the music! Just utterly captivating. I heard so many famous tunes: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Just imagining what those grand balls must have been like is just enough to get me feeling light and giddy, but hold on... you are about to have the grandest of all surprises!
Because after weeks of teasing the show was to have "a new, improved, and most incredible entertainment,ā I was not disappointed.
Here's the big reveal, darlings! This evening at Drury Lane was none other than the premiĆØre of a new work by the brilliant choregrapher Carlo Blasis. This manās talent was incredible, and my mind is still whirling with his incredible ideas! He took a stage-side ballet, which was very typical for those days, but I just love how he really innovated with his choreography, especially by having these two famous ballerinas, Mary and Amelia, dancing together, sharing the stage and showcasing their grace in this new "Grand Divertissementā!
Now Iām sitting here with my tea, surrounded by stacks of new books and brochures. I just spent the past few hours wandering about the incredible bookshops, getting lost amongst dusty old shelves, finding more antique prints and sketches. (Maybe Iāll get a special frame for my Blasis piece - you're going to love it!). The anticipation for the grand āGrand Divertissementā is still very much alive. My dear little Pink Tutu blog reader, trust me when I say, you just canāt get this excitement from scrolling through a website or watching a show at home.
But darling, wait! I've got another surprise. The dress shops on the Strand were a real feast for my eyes, but what stood out was that the whole of London is going absolutely bonkers for pink! This magical color is the must-have shade of the season and is literally everywhere, adorning the shop fronts, window displays, ladiesā bonnets... I'm starting to think we should change this blog's name to "The Pink Tutu".
I have to confess, this little journey has got me in quite a flutter. I think a few of the perfectly divine frocks and outfits are going to find their way to Derbyshire with me. And wouldn't it just be the perfect accessory for those new prints? Maybe I'll add some sketches of London, or a little souvenir poster advertising "The Grand Divertissement," too!
There is simply so much to see and do on a time-travel adventure in a pink tutu! I just love the feeling of being immersed in history, and feeling the buzz around all these theatrical events, I just adore it, I do. If you want to feel the same magic as me, get that dancing outfit on, do some fancy footwork and perhaps make some grand moves - and maybe just maybe, youāll catch a whiff of the amazing 19th century. It will have you in a total pink tulle twyrl, I promise.
Talk soon darlings,
Emma
P.S. Want to keep up to date with my travels? Follow me on Twitter @PinkTutu and subscribe to my Pink Tutu blog on www.pink-tutu.com.
