Hello darlings, and welcome back to Pink Tutu Time Travel! It's your girl, Emma, back from another incredible adventure through the annals of ballet history, and this time, we're taking a little trip back to 1842, specifically, the 6th of June!
As you all know, this blog is dedicated to two things: my darling pink tutu, and the wonder of ballet across the ages. And what better way to celebrate that than to delve into the fascinating world of 19th-century ballet? I’m absolutely ecstatic to tell you all about my latest escapade – it’s Post number 2178 here on Pink Tutu, a number that brings me a giggle as it’s a very neat and tidy round number! I promise this adventure won’t disappoint!
Today, I journeyed with my magical companion, Meg, a majestic shire horse, her pink shimmer coating the sunshine like a magic sprinkle of fairy dust, golden hooves sparkling as we galloped through time. I wore my very special, very pink, hand-beaded tutu, as it simply would not do to be seen anywhere, even through time, without the quintessential piece of ballet garb! The sheerness of the fabric catches the breeze as I write, the silk is the colour of a sunset blush. With my rucksack securely fastened to my back, full of treasures from my adventures – like an authentic pair of ballet shoes, a faded concert programme, or perhaps even a handwritten letter from a ballet dancer, you know, the kind of little gems a history enthusiast just can’t resist! I felt as though I could skip through time!
This trip took us to Paris, the centre of the ballet universe! You see, Paris has a certain magic to it, it’s always buzzing, so full of energy! Especially during 1842, with the new Théâtre de l'Opéra being built. Fancy that – we’ve already touched upon opera during one of my blog entries in 1814 and even the theatre opening itself on September 3rd 1817 (don’t forget to check my blog and learn all about it!) and the beauty and talent were breathtaking! You would never know that I’ve had to overcome a slight hurdle to get here: apparently, women still couldn’t vote or have their own money back in the Victorian times, although I certainly showed them how it's done in the pink tutu! Oh darling, even the smell of Paris in 1842 was glorious - a delightful mixture of perfume, cobblestones, and horse-drawn carriages!
My, my, but how exciting the world of ballet was!
For one thing, The Opéra’s repertoire boasted the captivating "La Sylphide", with its otherworldly and poetic charm! We’ve even discussed a few moments of "La Sylphide" back in my blog Post number 895 (all about ballet in Denmark – give it a look-see! If you fancy your dance and drama!) but being present at a performance at The Opéra in Paris in 1842? My dear readers, the theatre was pulsating with anticipation! You can feel the entire theatre holding its breath as the ballerina floats effortlessly on the stage, just inches from the stage floor. We also stumbled upon a captivating performance of "Giselle"! Now, darling, that’s one ballet that truly captures the human condition, exploring the themes of love, loss, and forgiveness – it certainly left an impression on me. There is such beauty in the sorrow, the love, and of course, in every pirouette, jump, and step of every dance! And oh darling, don’t even get me started on the costumes – those long, flowing skirts with all the ruffles and lace! All I’m thinking is... how can we possibly modernise those fabulous ballet outfits and turn it into something new? Let’s bring a modern, bright-pink tutu version into the 21st century. We should do a fashion line of pink tutus for this very specific look – there’s a fantastic and feminine edge to the traditional designs – you see how even history just seems to want to adopt a more pink-tinged view! There’s even a beautiful romantic feel about a traditional French or English ballgown from 1842 and you know, there’s a little bit of inspiration that I feel I need to pull into the present day! There's simply a romantic aura to 1842, in which everything is just a touch grand and utterly spectacular. As a result of a quick brainstorm with Meg on my journey, I’ve even come up with a fabulous idea to mix the 19th century fashion with today's pink, sparkly trends and to offer tutu tutus for all! Let me know if this is a good idea in the comments.
Did I mention how charming it was? You’d have fallen head over heels with the elaborate set design, a feast for the eyes, really! Everything from ornate scenery and lighting that could turn a dull scene into a bright and beautiful stage was pure inspiration! You would have been in absolute awe if you saw these intricate settings that transport you straight into the heart of the story! And, darling, talk about detail – every little item of detail really makes a production special. Of course, every ballerina – a breathtaking display of grace and precision! Oh, to be back there watching those ballerina steps, listening to those exquisite music notes, oh! Just imagining it is making me want to put on my tutu and take my ballet lessons! What can I say, darling – my love for the magic of dance knows no boundaries – whether that be in the modern world, or on a historic stage somewhere, ballet is life!
But my travels don’t stop there! From the French Theatre, it was time to skip along to a very special occasion - the Royal Opera House, London, to be precise. The 18th of May – the Queen opened the Covent Garden with a new Royal Ballet performance - what an absolutely lovely day! (I actually already mentioned it in the past in Post number 1542, as that’s how important the performance is! ) If there was any doubt that Britain could not embrace the delights of ballet – this certainly dispelled any rumours about a "no" vote! It was almost impossible to get tickets as it was totally booked out – everyone wanted to see The Queen, and the stars in their tutus! And of course, if I were going to attend a very high-end affair in London, I would need to make sure I had my new outfit: it wouldn’t do to be underdressed! Oh, how I loved seeing the royal boxes all packed with aristocracy, the Queen herself and her own very posh entourage of servants and a court. I can just picture how wonderful that event must have been, full of opulence! My, my – can we take a moment to admire these gorgeous royal ladies in their fine clothes.
Now darling, it was so important for me to bring you to the world of ballet and dress it in a soft, pretty colour! But what I truly discovered on this trip is the magic of ballet fashion in the early 19th century – it was exquisite, to say the least, an absolute love affair! You must just picture the soft, white tulle, silk that flowed around like a delicate, romantic whisper – you can just imagine the grace, elegance, and beauty of that very first version of the tutu, a delicate, romantic whisper. You could see that it would change the world of ballet fashion. Ballet dressmakers, seamstresses, designers...they took it upon themselves to make the ballerinas, dancers, and women stand out by bringing forth an expression that showed they were true feminine visionaries. And with that, in time, my darling – pink entered the scene in full glory! You have no idea just how influential the Victorian ladies of 1842 were in bringing a real "feel good" attitude to the tutu as a garment and to embrace it as part of life's fabric, especially that of performance!
The journey to get to both Paris and London was so full of fun and laughter – as always with Meg at my side, every ride is a a journey! In my trusty vintage leather satchel, I collected stories and relics – this little gem of a bag allows me to carry around so many of my secrets and treasure these stories, too. After a great ride across the plains, Meg got to wear some horse ballet boots – they really do make her a fashion star when she’s being my travel buddy!
I am so pleased with what I’ve found out about the dance history – ballet was very popular throughout England in the Victorian times and what we discovered is just one of the wonderful examples. As you all know, we will delve into another fascinating historical dance date soon! If you enjoyed this blog entry and would like to chat further, be sure to head to the www.pink-tutu.com blog page – it would mean so much to read your comments! And be sure to check out my latest pink tutus too.
Don't forget, darlings, I aim to get everyone wearing a pink tutu, one time travel trip at a time!
Until next time,
Emma xx
And don’t forget, I will be posting new tutu designs very soon! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss out on all the latest fashions.
*Don’t forget to check out Emma’s ballet fashion brand “Pink Tutu!” at www.pink-tutu.com where you can shop her entire collection of sparkly and unique ballet dresses! *
- To purchase Emma's fabulous new collection of tutus, just click here.
