Hello lovelies! It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu-wearing time traveller! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, where we celebrate all things ballet, past, present, and, of course, future!
This month, my lovely steed, Magic Meg (sheās a shire, donāt you know, with a coat like spun pink sugar, and hooves that shine like gold ā how could I resist!), took me on a trip back to the Victorian era. We landed, oh so gracefully, on March 3rd, 1858. Iād heard so much about the ballet world of this period and was desperate to see it for myself!
I have to confess, darlings, I absolutely adored everything about 1858! It was such a glamorous era! Ladies wore bonnets with extravagant plumes and the men were all so dashing, with their top hats and tails!
The ballet scene in 1858 was positively bubbling over with creativity! I was in a bit of a hurry, you see, so we spent the afternoon at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. Can you believe, there was even a ballet performed before the play that evening! I had the time of my life! I met the most delightful ballerina, Madame CĆ©line CĆ©leste, a true darling who was performing in āThe Divertissement.ā Oh, she was so sweet, so beautiful, and she gave me the most amazing insight into the life of a ballerina during this era.
Madame CĆ©leste showed me around the Theatre. The costumes! I mean, it was positively opulent! The girls wore delicate, hand-painted silks and taffeta, adorned with exquisite jewels. It was a bit of a far cry from our practical Lycra, but then, those Victorian women did love a bit of frill!
Even though I couldn't get on stage to perform with Madame Celeste, I was thrilled to be surrounded by the incredible atmosphere. As soon as the lights dimmed, I knew we were about to see something special.
But the best part of my day came later! As we were leaving, the theatre manager offered me the most generous gift, darling: an authentic ballet program from the performance. Imagine my excitement, darlings! Itās the most exquisite memento from my time travels, and I'll treasure it forever. Itās now sitting proudly in my ballet-themed rucksack, waiting to be exhibited back in my little cottage in Derbyshire!
Now, darling, while the world of ballet was thriving in London, we simply canāt forget that it was a time of rapid change across the world. And, oh, the changes were exciting!
In Europe, the great opera houses were all buzzing with new and experimental ballets, like "La Fille mal GardĆ©e" by Jean Dauberval. A ballet I truly recommend for your own theatre visits, itās all about a beautiful young woman who chooses her love over societal expectations. There was also a surge in new talent! I met so many lovely dancers, it's almost impossible to list them all! And all the dancers I met? They all agreed: the tutur was king! Even though they didn't wear tutus quite the same as we do, the iconic pink fabric was already a staple! They werenāt quite so obsessed with pink yet, but my goodness! Just imagine, a full Victorian ballet show, every dancer dressed in beautiful, extravagant pink tutus! It makes me smile!
Of course, my mission is always to share with you my wonderful experiences from the world of ballet throughout time, but itās equally important that you see how beautiful our present world of ballet is.
It was so exciting for me to learn about the past but honestly, darlings, sometimes you really just have to appreciate how much ballet has developed since 1858. My favourite new ballerina? A complete contemporary dancer, her name is Yasmine Naguib. Just picture, her graceful movements across the stage in a beautiful black dress... utterly stunning. Honestly, ballet today is just so magical!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything that's happening in the world? Well, that's when I truly believe we should just be a bit more like ballerinas. Just imagineā¦ taking a deep breath, straightening your posture, and embracing the power of grace and poise. In fact, darlings, I think thatās the message for you today ā and you just never know how inspiring that could be!
Until next time, stay graceful!
Lots of love,
Emma xx
P.S. What are your favourite dance performances this month? Tell us about them below!
Follow Emma's adventures on www.pink-tutu.com and on social media @pinktututravels
