Hello my lovely ballet darlings! Welcome back to another exciting instalment of Pink Tutu Time Travels. This month, I’m thrilled to be whisking you back to a rather wonderful 11th November in 1869! Oh, how I love this time period - just imagine the gorgeous crinolines, the sumptuous theatres, the excitement of brand new ballets! And just as I always say, my fabulous pink tutu is never out of place, no matter what decade we find ourselves in!
Today I’m trotting along in my pink tutu, with Magic Meg, my sparkly Shire horse. She's as gorgeous as ever, her mane and tail are like spun moonlight, her hooves glint like golden nuggets, and of course she is, as ever, wearing her tiny pink tutu which is just a darling addition to her wardrobe. I'm off to see what's on in the ballet world on this day, all those centuries ago! And as always, I’ve got my trusty leather rucksack with me, packed and ready to collect a treasure trove of ballet stories and souvenirs.
The air crackles with anticipation as we arrive in London. I simply love London; a vibrant city filled with theatres, dance studios and all manner of exciting happenings. But where should I head first, oh dear! Do I rush to Covent Garden or is it off to Sadler's Wells? Well, lucky for you lovely lot, my magic little pink tutu always guides me! As you know, I’ve been to so many theatres and so many eras already.
On this 11th November, the grand Covent Garden is busy, bustling, a ballet fan's dream! I love that even today, hundreds of years on, Covent Garden holds the heart of ballet for so many people in London. There's a very important opera called "The Prodigal Son" and although there's no ballet I'm desperate to catch this, but of course it would be far too loud for poor Magic Meg!
But even with the lack of a ballet show, the anticipation is buzzing! A few weeks ago, we saw the grand opening of the new Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. What a dazzling experience that was.
The opening ceremony for the new opera house was fabulous. There was the famous "The Prodigal Son," (by Arthur Sullivan, a rising star and darling of the moment - how clever! He went on to make such fabulous music!) , then a performance by the world famous ballerina Adeline Genee. She's stunning, a true ballet goddess and she always takes me to another world when I watch her, oh, if I could have a tenth of her skill! But for today, her ballet is off, so back we trot with Magic Meg and into the busy London streets! We are heading to another magical ballet mecca; The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which is one of the oldest in London.
In just a short while, it's about 2 o'clock on this beautiful, crisp day, and we are stepping into the Drury Lane Theatre. What an amazing place, oh my word, all those balconies, boxes and gorgeous gold decorations! There's such history and glamour. But my darling reader, the excitement here has nothing to do with ballet; in fact I'm in for something entirely different; it's a really exciting "monster spectacular"!
Now, my sweet dears, while the rest of London is going wild for a theatrical event with an all-dancing troupe I've seen before - (but my goodness, that was an absolute classic - we're going to have to travel back in time sometime to see that wonderful monster story. The theatre has a big hit here with this kind of entertainment!)
Anyway, while everyone is enjoying this monstrous treat it’s a ballet evening at Her Majesty's Theatre (where today, even all these years on they still put on the most fabulous performances). What do they have on the program, well I’ve been reading my notes all week and the night will include "a ballet called 'The Bride'!" How delightful that they are showing the ballets and shows that they love - and the crowds seem to adore it, from what I can tell from the papers!
As much as I love being a bit of a history buff, ( I think being a ballet time traveler just naturally comes with it.) my real passion is, of course, fashion, and on this 11th November 1869, I just love the clothes on display. I have some beautiful ideas for my tutu designs. ( It must have been quite a thing back then too - my dear pink tutu will be looking fantastic today!)
In London's grand department store, I spy, from head to toe, some extraordinary styles. Imagine long velvet capes, feathered hats and, my absolute favourite, a wonderful fashion innovation - a revolutionary new way to display clothes - mannequins!
You simply can’t get away from ballet (you really can't!). From my explorations today, it’s clear ballet’s influence is everywhere, even the fashionable ladies' garments! The lovely, new fashions are inspired by the beautiful ballets that I saw at Covent Garden a while back (that’s not something I can tell you - as you would then be privy to my own future plans!) My dearest reader be assured, a new pink tutu style is born!
One of my most treasured, lovely ballet memories is a delightful afternoon of ballet class in an attic room at the Royal Academy of Music, a stone's throw from the centre of London. Oh, how those days were delightful! It was all so different in these elegant spaces, and it all has such history; such a charm, I feel the whispers of centuries of ballerinas as I dance. The teachers, the young ballerinas, the room itself; it takes my breath away - but even more special are the lovely pink tutus that the ballerina students were wearing today; such simple garments, and a treasure for them to wear to dance in!
Oh, it makes me smile; I hope I will be inspiring girls of all ages with a tutu fashion that will be passed from generation to generation - so I have a lot of work to do! I really do love tutus. My dear reader I just wish I was a tiny bit closer to getting everyone in a tutu!
After all the excitement in the big city I can't help myself, we’re off out of the heart of London, we’re going on a countryside stroll - back to my humble Derbyshire home! We've been through such history, and so much magic has happened today; oh how lucky I am to have these moments of pink, tulle, and beautiful ballet.
Of course, my dearest reader, all this magic takes quite a bit of work! So to fund my adventures (and all the lovely tutus that come with them!) I've been busy putting on shows at home. But just you wait, I've been saving my pennies and am hoping to travel on a cruise, to get the full glamour experience! I do love the big world of theatres and dancing; maybe next month's Pink Tutu Time Travel will have me back at Covent Garden, if you've got any recommendations, just pop it into the comment box on my site. Until next month, my sweet loves!
I'm off to put my ballet shoes up and go to bed, to dream of all the tutu wonders in store for me in 1869 and of the beautiful, shimmering future ahead, as my Pink Tutu journey continues... I hope you'll all join me for the ride!
Emma, www.pink-tutu.com
