Hello darlings, and welcome to my humble little corner of the internet! Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-clad time-travelling ballerina. As you all know, my mission is simple – to bring a touch of ballet magic to every corner of time and inspire the world to twirl in a pink tutu!
And oh my goodness, what a day for a ballet journey it's been! Today, my trusty steed, the glorious pink-sparkling shire Magic Meg, carried me all the way back to 1st January, 1879! Isn't she just the most magnificent pink creature you've ever seen? She really does live up to her name! I practically glowed with pride as we galloped through the Derbyshire countryside – especially since, for once, I managed to keep the blasted rain from ruining my favourite, feather-trimmed pink tutu!
Of course, time travel wouldn’t be time travel without a few minor inconveniences! A few mud-splatters here, a tangle or two in the horsehair braid, but nothing a little hand mirror and a quick bit of glitter dust can't fix!
Speaking of sparkle, darling, did I mention the fabulous pink shoes I'm rocking? I absolutely had to nab them from a travelling haberdashery in 1879 – think delicate velvet bows with iridescent beads, and the most wonderfully comfortable, albeit a bit hefty, leather soles! Honestly, I practically swooned over their Victorian-era charm!
Now, the big news! What was going on in the world of ballet on this fabulous 1st of January?
Firstly, darling, remember the ballet shoes? They would have been perfectly in place for a delightful trip to a London theatre that day. There was a ballet company touring with "Le Corsaire" at the Lyceum theatre and the Grand Theatre was putting on "The Black Crook" and “Cagliostro"! There are whispers that it’s one of the biggest shows of the day – now that's what I call a spectacular way to ring in the new year!
Unfortunately, 1879 didn’t start quite so positively in the world of ballet. There was a tragic fire in St. Petersburg. The Mariinsky Theatre, one of the most esteemed houses of Russian ballet, sadly went up in flames. Can you imagine?! What a loss to the entire ballet world! Fortunately, it was reconstructed quickly and soon began performing again, but still... my heart aches for the ballet dancers who lost everything in the blaze. It was absolutely heartbreaking.
Don’t fret, though, because 1879 was also full of joy! A fantastic opera house, The Paris Opera, opened its doors, with its majestic chandelier, perfect for any elegant Parisian soirée, and – just as exciting! - the new American Ballet Company debuted! Think high-stepping ladies and dashing gentlemen showcasing American-themed stories for the first time! Now that's a performance worthy of any time traveler!
I truly believe every ballerina deserves to travel in time to experience such a phenomenal time for ballet! And while I couldn’t share every thrilling story from 1879 in this post, I’ve stashed them in my leather rucksack. These precious treasures - photographs, theatre programs, sketches and stories - will be shared in my upcoming blog posts, just as they are on the Pink Tutu website. Be sure to drop in there, and don’t be shy to join the forum for an exclusive chat about my latest time travel escapades.
And darling, have you noticed that you can see glimpses of the fashion I snagged in 1879 on the website as well? You don’t want to miss the glorious new line of tutus inspired by my favourite pieces! My pink ballet dresses with their frills, delicate trims, and elegant lace are to die for. Every ballet-lover should own at least one!
Until next month, dear readers, keep dancing and keep dreaming. Don’t forget to share your time travel fantasies and ask me any questions about ballet. I am absolutely overjoyed to hear about your passion for ballet!
And, remember – you can get every single one of my ballet blogs delivered to your inbox every month by signing up on www.pink-tutu.com – You never know, you might find yourself dreaming about ballet in the moonlight – just like I do.
Keep shining, darlings! And never stop twirling!
Love, Emma xoxoxo
