Hello my dearest fellow ballet lovers! Emma here, ready to whisk you away on another magical journey through time. Today, we're venturing back to 1st January 1823, and I'm feeling rather splendid, even though it's a chilly January day in Derbyshire. I'm snuggled up by the fire with a cup of peppermint tea, reminiscing about our recent trip.
The pink tulle of my favourite tutu billowed in the wind as Magic Meg, my sparkling shire horse, galloped through the cobbled streets of London. It's funny, right? How a horse can take you through time, but here she is, a pink steed with golden hooves and a mane and tail like a fluffy cloud, making the impossible possible. I have to admit, even after all my travels, my heart still skips a beat whenever she transports me back in time.
But enough about Meg! Let's delve into our ballet adventure! We had travelled back to a time before pointe shoes were invented, which felt quite odd for a ballerina. It’s always wonderful to remember what ballet was like in the early 1800s and see it in a totally different light!
First stop? The Opera House in Paris! It’s still just a little bit of a shock for me to go into theatres in a time when the building’s interior would still have been quite different – all the colours and ornate detail – even the lights! Can you imagine just using candles, how mesmerising must that have been? I’d imagine you wouldn’t be able to see much, but they would have created such an enchanting atmosphere, I bet.
I went to see a ballet performance, but my first impression was... the shoes. Everyone was dancing with heeled slippers, it really felt very different to the pointe shoes I’m used to. The girls wore elegant knee length tunics and beautiful skirts in pale pastel colours, some had pink in them. All so chic, just like my favourite tutu, it seemed to blend in nicely! I slipped on a pink ribbon, added a little touch of glitter with my makeup, and we blended right into the Parisian dance world.
And the ballet itself! It was truly enchanting. It featured graceful leaps and poses with intricate hand movements and footwork, so beautifully delicate, with graceful fluidity, as if floating on air. All I could think of was how much I wanted to have been there myself when these movements were all brand new, something groundbreaking! We saw incredible performers like Marie Taglioni.
After the show, I stopped by the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels for a bit. Here I learnt that ballet wasn't just a big thing in Paris. It was already captivating the imaginations of audiences all across Europe. We even had a lovely conversation with a charming man at a tea shop who, like me, adored ballet. We talked about the influence of romanticism on ballet during this period, how it emphasised graceful, flowing movements and delicate expression. And to my surprise, even at this time, it felt like it could influence the way they saw a good performance in almost the same way we would today, using terms like grace and emotion to express their joy in a good dance. I must say I felt like I was making some very valuable connections through this lovely period.
But wait! It's not all about performances. Back in London, I had the most wonderful time wandering the grand department stores. I saw the most divine materials used for tutus in those shops, shimmering silk and luxurious satin, it would be hard not to be inspired to wear one after browsing around! I felt such a pang of envy thinking about the fact that I can't take home any beautiful material with me as souvenirs! But don’t worry, I added some sketches of the dresses to my backpack, so I can have them made back home – perhaps a 1823 design inspiration collection?
It's hard not to be reminded about just how much things have evolved since those days, isn’t it? That said, there was definitely a sense of fashion then that still captivates us.
After visiting museums, art galleries, even historical theatres to absorb myself in the era, I had collected enough for my journal and sketches. This trip was just the tip of the iceberg for understanding what made ballet the sensation it was at this time! You know I’ll be back to delve deeper and let you know what I’ve found!
Oh! And how about this: there's a little something extra special for all you wonderful Pink-Tutu readers. I'm sharing a beautiful sketch from my London journey - the silhouette of a fashionable Parisian lady with a magnificent shawl wrapped around her and an impressive bouffant hairstyle – she’s just walking down a cobblestone street, heading to a show. All my favourite things in one sketch, it's a wonderful vision of Parisian ballet-going at the beginning of the 19th century! And don't forget, it's only January!
But what about all you Pink-Tutu readers? Do any of you have any favourites in 19th Century ballet? What ballerinas inspired you? What do you love about these amazing performances, whether modern or from years ago? Leave me a comment and share your ballet enthusiasm, it's what keeps my ballet-loving heart ticking!
See you all soon, my dears!
Emma xx
