Hello darlings! Emma here, your pink-tutu-clad time traveller extraordinaire, and welcome back to the www.pink-tutu.com blog!
Today weâre heading back to a most fabulous era â 1832, my loves! June the 6th to be precise, and oh boy, what a day it is! Remember that magical moment when you know youâre about to be swept away by a whirlwind of tulle, elegance, and artistic passion? That's what this day in ballet history is all about!
So, as always, I've hopped onto my trusty Magic Meg â that beautiful shire horse, all pink sparkles and golden hooves, with her glorious white mane and tail. Remember how I funded this whole time-travelling enterprise? Well, thatâs thanks to those fabulous ballet performances, both street and theatre! And don't get me started on the ballet fashion â absolutely exquisite! Oh, but where are my manners?! We must delve back in time, darlings! Buckle up, grab your best pink tutu, and let's go!
A Trip Through TimeâŠand Tutus!- Such a wonderful period in dance history! We are right in the heart of Romanticism. Itâs the era of delicate emotions and graceful movements. My leather rucksack (oh, so practical!), is already packed and ready for all the wonderful discoveries we will find, including some very special finds for the Pink Tutu Archives, a collection I am starting of dance history items from every era. The first one was a pair of dainty dancing shoes from a 1600s theatre production! So elegant, so much character⊠you can practically see the steps they danced!
Iâm not going to lie, darlings, itâs been a real challenge keeping this little secret â time travel, ballet history, the pink tutu collection! My lovely, supportive mum is the only one who knows. Oh, I did mention it to my bestie Millie at school, but I swear, she doesn't believe a word. So itâs me, Magic Meg, and the vast expanse of history and my little world of pink tutus!
Now, before I tell you about all the exciting things I discovered in 1832, letâs talk fashion! The 1830s⊠what a beautiful era in terms of ballet attire! Picture delicate, flowing skirts made from softest silk and chiffon, with elegant embellishments, such as ribbons, lace, and sequins. They're romantic, yes, but with just the right amount of sass! This era's designers werenât afraid of a splash of colour, particularly pale pinks, but you might also see beautiful reds and blues, perfect for our pink tutu wearer, darling! The colours were brighter than those seen in the early 19th century and there was so much freedom in the way the outfits were created. I must get a few for my collection. Oh, how I wish I could have lived in this era just for the ballet dresses alone. The fabrics would be divine on a dance floor, the colours, the patterns! Oh, my word, a designerâs dream.
So, weâre talking all the feminine elements, ladies, and don't forget the iconic romantic tutus! Yes, those lovely short skirts that gave dancers that wonderful range of movement. Ballet history really blossomed in the 1830s! So many lovely dance innovations â we can thank this time for introducing some very stylish dance poses, not to mention beautiful dance steps like the "arabesque," the "jetĂ©," and the "pirouette." Oh, and don't even get me started on the amazing dancers!
Remember Marie Taglioni? Such a lovely ballerina, and so much grace! The whole of Europe was dancing to her tunes!
Today in the 1830s...
June the 6th was a rather busy day, I discovered! Back then, news travelled much more slowly. But in Paris, at the prestigious ThĂ©Ăątre de lâOpĂ©ra, they had a gala opening for a ballet called âLa Sylphide,â oh, the romance of it all! I think the dancing must have been simply magical. Just the mention of this makes me feel utterly dreamy! The lead role in this ballet, was, of course, none other than the legendary Marie Taglioni. Marie, what a dancer, an incredible icon, and what elegance. What was I thinking?! We are in 1832, so there are no photos, just memories to draw on, so I must see if there are any paintings or portraits somewhere in the Parisian Opera! They certainly inspire my own ballet and tutus! You see, thatâs how I get my ideas for my dancing and for my fabulous, pink tutu designs, the colours, the styles!
It was an enchanting world where imagination took flight through the magic of the dance. The way the Romantic ballets tell the stories with only the use of gestures and dance movements - captivating! And if I hadn't taken a trip here today, who knows how I would have developed my dancing, or my collection? Who knows, we might be on the eve of the arrival of âLa Sylphideâ into a UK theatre - watch this space for updates darlings! Maybe I can make it to a showing, it is after all, all about how dance developed!
I remember what a sensation that "La Sylphide" was when I went back to watch a showing in 1842, a beautiful summer evening â a decade later! There she was in that white dress! Oh my goodness, she just flew across the stage! What a time to have been alive, a dance obsessed fashionista â all tutus! Iâll be looking back to that moment, 10 years on, in a future blog. But enough about âLa Sylphideâ for now.
As the day unfolds, you know, in true time traveller style, Iâll keep you posted, darlings. After all, this 1832 odyssey is far from over. Just a couple of hours to go and Magic Meg and I will have had an afternoon to remember â just think, tutus, fashion and ballets galore. Who knows what fabulous treasures I will find to put in my collection, not to mention a ballet lesson to discover the dancing of the times. Let's get back to 2023 and see you next month, when my next Time Travel Tale will arrive at your desks and phones!
And always, ladies, remember: a little pink tutu never hurts anyone!
Love, Emma
