Post #2634
Hello my darlings! It's your favourite ballerina blogger Emma here, and oh, my, it's been a simply splendid month of ballet adventures! Let's chat all about the wondrous world of ballet in June 1880 - a date that will have your heart pirouette with joy. But first, let's meet my lovely steed!
A Pink Sparkly Pony & A Tutu-ful Journey
Meet Magic Meg, my most treasured travelling companion - a majestic shire horse with a coat as pink as a flamingo, sparkling like a thousand tiny diamonds, a gleaming mane of spun white silk, and hooves dipped in pure gold! My Meg is my trusty steed for these grand time-travelling escapades. This month, we gallivanted off to 1880 to experience the ballet scene back then!
A Trip Down Memory Lane to June 1880
Now, I love ballet in any century, but there’s just something absolutely divine about the elegance of 19th century ballet! The sheer romance of it all! It's truly a world of ballerinas twirling in beautifully sculpted tutus that flow with every movement. Oh, to have been in a London theatre, with the soft glow of gaslights illuminating the stage, the scent of powdered wigs filling the air, the music soaring around the elegant, impeccably dressed audiences…
A Month Of Dance Delights In June 1880
Speaking of those lovely audiences, June was quite the exciting month for the ballet world in 1880!
London, London, London!
London was absolutely buzzing with ballet!
At the Covent Garden Royal Opera House the exquisite Le Corsaire by Marius Petipa was captivating audiences! Can you imagine? A tale of pirates, a kidnapped ballerina, and exotic voyages! Just the kind of swashbuckling ballet to ignite the heart and soul. The costumes would have been divine - just imagine those frilly pirate shirts and daring ballerina gowns! My imagination is running wild, dears!
Over at the Her Majesty’s Theatre, ballet lovers were swooning over the French ballerina Mlle. Emma Livry. Her graceful, delicate movements and exquisite pointe work would have had the theatre gasping with delight. It must have been like watching a star take flight!
I heard tales from the 1880 ballet scene - you wouldn't believe the fashions! Feathers, silk, laces - an abundance of pink, naturally! - all so gloriously dramatic, like stepping out of a fairytale.
Beyond The Theatre
Back then, it was a common practice to dance for royalty! The royal family were HUGE fans of ballet and it was almost an expectation that skilled ballet dancers would perform for them. What an honour! Can you imagine being a ballerina at court and dancing for a king or queen? Just imagine the stories that you could tell…
This wasn’t just a London-only affair, mind you! All across the country, ballet classes, recitals, and local performances kept the love of ballet flourishing. And, the exciting news? My Pink Tutu Collection rucksack on my back, is filled to the brim with snippets of 19th-century dance, from the very fabric of ballerina dresses, to programs from performances, and even little scraps of handwritten letters between dancers.
Let’s Talk Tutu-Fashion!
I am always drawn to fashion, and my absolute delight this month has been studying the ballet dresses of 1880. Oh, they were absolutely divine. Just picture them! Soft silks and satins cascading in fluid, sweeping lines. A cloud of pink tulle, billowing outwards to create an incredible ballet costume that is every bit as charming as a dream!
Imagine, my dears, an extravagant confection of soft tulle with hints of floral embroidery and layers of gauzy netting. Then, to add a touch of drama, feathers and a tiara for the final flourish! Ah! Now those are dresses designed to move with every arabesque and pirouette! It was a magical period, full of romance and drama! A dancer's dream, wouldn't you agree?
A Message From Emma!
Remember my dears, the true beauty of ballet lies in its universality. It connects us all through the joy of dance! I'm sure in June of 1880, those audiences felt just as connected to the graceful movements, the swirling tutus and the soaring music as we feel today! Ballet's a language everyone can understand!
This month I’m calling all my Pink Tutu followers! Embrace your inner ballerina and channel the vibrant spirit of those wonderful, graceful dancers from 1880! Grab your best pink tutu and spin around to your favourite song, and share it on my website www.pink-tutu.com with #pinktutu1880! I’ll be reading all your lovely messages with a smile!
Till next time, darlings!
Love and twirls, Emma
