Hello my lovely tutu-wearing darlings! It's Emma here, your pink-obsessed, ballet-mad time traveler, and welcome to my monthly trip back in time. This is post number 2094, and today, we're taking a grand leap to 6th June 1835 - a date buzzing with ballet brilliance! Buckle up your ballet slippers, darling, we're about to travel!
I know you love a little time travel with your pink tutus and magical moments. I certainly do! My beautiful pink-sparkling, golden-hooved Shire, Magic Meg, was itching for a spin this month, so off we galloped through the portal, and found ourselves landing smack bang in the middle of... Paris!
I am positively in love with Parisian ballet - such style! It seems everyone in the city is either headed to or coming from the Palais Garnier (though it wasn't quite so grand yet!), all decked out in their finest silks and fabrics, buzzing with anticipation for the show. Imagine the scene, darlings - carriage upon carriage of ladies and gentlemen, all headed for a night of magical ballet. I must say, it makes my heart leap with excitement!
And this night wasn't just any ordinary ballet show, this was a special occasion! A grand celebration of the world renowned Mademoiselle Taglioni - the famous Italian ballerina. You've all seen the incredible photo of her as "La Sylphide", haven't you? That sheer white tutu - breathtaking!
On this particular evening, Taglioni was set to star in her signature performance of La Sylphide. Can you imagine? Just one look at her famous pose - the perfectly poised balance on pointe with those delicate, outstretched arms - and I was completely mesmerised! You know I adore seeing ballerinas at their most graceful, and it was simply a ballet dream come true!
But hold your horses, darling! There was something extra special about this performance. It seems the ballet world was in a little bit of a tizz that night because of something extra special. Can you guess what? I'll give you a hint: it involved an audience, a performance, and something...quite shocking.
But wait! Let's first rewind a little and set the stage for the time period itself. This year, 1835, saw an amazing flourish of ballet talent throughout the world. I was practically bursting at the seams with all the ballet I saw that night! In St. Petersburg, the Imperial Ballet, led by the great Marius Petipa, was presenting a lavish new production of the beautiful and heartbreaking ballet The Pharaoh's Daughter. Oh, the costumes! There were gowns covered in glittering gems and feathered headdresses - absolutely sensational!
Meanwhile, over in Vienna, a new generation of dancers were wowing audiences. One young, aspiring dancer by the name of Carlotta Grisi was making waves in the Vienna Opera House - she had such a talent, a natural elegance, and a grace so elegant that she could simply make every step on stage look like a ballet. The future held so much for this star!
But of course, the heart of the ballet world is and always will be Paris - and I was completely mesmerized. It was a whirlwind of elegance and artistic brilliance. And it seems, like me, Parisians were just mad for ballet. The entire city, every little cafe, was abuzz with gossip, discussion, and debate - what else but ballet could a proper Parisian social butterfly discuss?
As I danced, twirled, and dipped around Paris - yes, you heard correctly, darlings - even with my tutu and Magic Meg in tow, a quick skip here and a magical hop there was entirely possible - I happened to hear about a famous opera singer who made his very first ballet appearance on this date - June 6th 1835, at La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy! It seems this very special occasion involved not only ballet but also something quite a little controversial... opera. Now I can hear you all wondering how could such a beautiful and enchanting art form ever be controversial? Well, my dears, back in those days it seems it wasn't the most acceptable combination! You could get into all sorts of trouble for cross-overs and fusion performances!
However, as we say - "All is fair in love, and ballet." It seems even in those times audiences were receptive to the idea of seeing the famous opera singer - whose name, if I remember correctly, was Signor Rubini - taking on a completely different form of art on stage! The ballet world was going wild with this groundbreaking event and everyone was keen to know, how on earth would he do?
It seems Signor Rubini was a massive success! Audiences went absolutely bonkers, they absolutely adored his performance - his voice was just beautiful and he moved with grace and confidence. The show must have been such an incredible spectacle, and I felt my pink ballet tutu shimmering as I imagined the scene - the lights, the costumes, and all that musical delight!
Of course, what's a time-travel journey without a little ballet souvenir shopping, darlings? I just couldn't help myself when I spotted the most gorgeous satin ribbon, pink naturally - it would be perfect for a ballerina's bow! I also discovered the most incredible book - The Dance Of Death: An Interpretation Of Death By Movement! What an excellent find! It seems even back in the day, people were intrigued by ballet, by the art of the performance, and the sheer brilliance of it!
Well darlings, time for me to whizz back to the 21st Century! I packed up my little leather ballet rucksack and said goodbye to the Paris of 1835 and galloped back home on my trusty, pink Magic Meg.
As you know, my mission in life is to get everyone in the world wearing a pink tutu - let's show the world the beauty of ballet! I hope you’ve enjoyed joining me on this extraordinary journey through ballet history - don’t forget to visit the www.pink-tutu.com website for your next dose of ballet inspiration, I'll see you soon!
And remember, darlings, every day is a dance - so twirl with joy, spin with passion, and never stop dancing your way through life.
Until next time, Love Emma x
