Oh, darling dears! I hope you are all as perfectly pink and utterly thrilled as I am to be back with another delightful journey through time! It's me, Emma, your time-traveling ballerina extraordinaire, ready to whisk you off on a whirl of a journey to November 11th, 1954, the very day my fabulous pink tutu was twirling in the year of the fabulous fifties. Buckle up, lovelies, for it's time to delve into the ballet world of this glorious decade!
Now, let me tell you about this little gem of a day. Remember, we all know the 11th of November marks Remembrance Day here in my lovely Derbyshire, but I was all aflutter to be stepping into a ballet bubble. I was at the Royal Opera House, in London, a stunning city in its own right. But trust me, darlings, my pink tutu certainly did stand out amidst all the elegant ladies in their mink coats and perfectly sculpted hats! It was a day for the ballet books, truly!
First off, my darlings, can you believe that today is the very day we were all agog with anticipation to see The Sleeping Beauty? Just picture it: The grandeur of Covent Garden, the orchestra warming up, a hushed audience awaiting the magical fairy tale to unfold. It was, oh darling, simply magnificent! The Royal Ballet was absolutely stunning – each dancer so incredibly graceful and poised, like swans gliding across the stage. The music, so perfectly captivating and enchanting. The costumes, like whispers of a thousand fairy lights! And, of course, my own pink tutu was just screaming with joy amidst the excitement.
Before I met up with the amazing Magic Meg - she’s my majestic, pink-hued, sparkling Shire horse - you know the one, with golden hooves and white mane, we stopped in at the La Scala Theatre in Milan for a lovely Swan Lake. Oh, how I loved it. A gorgeous blend of drama and ballet magic that filled the space with exquisite grace.
But, oh my dear dears, that's not all! Imagine my delight as I caught a performance of the Moscow State Ballet – absolutely magnificent, it was a true delight. They were touring London with The Nutcracker, so perfectly beautiful with such brilliant costumes. Talk about a wonderful mix of vibrant characters, magic, and dancing. The little ones in the audience were in their element! My little pink heart fluttered like a hummingbird just seeing their joy. I felt so giddy about ballet, darlings. I was on cloud nine.
Of course, being a real fashionista, even time travelling I made a stop at Fortnum & Mason I had a perfectly charming tea, (which I insisted on drinking pink tea as you know!) where I browsed their London Shop Magazine I had a simply splendid chat with one of the stylists, and got some fabulous inspiration for my new collection of vintage ballet tutus. Do you think La Scala Theatre would look nice with a few extra layers of pale pink satin or some shimmering velvet ? Or a delicate lace overlay? The possibilities, darlings, are endless!
And now, my dears, time for a little behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the 1954 ballet world. The Bolshoi Ballet is enjoying a very busy and exciting period with their tours around the world, while the Royal Ballet is beginning its era of international dominance. The French ballet company is also performing with excitement in London this month, showcasing some truly inspiring ballets from the great choreographers of the day.
Can you believe, my dears, that my beloved pink tutu even took a trip to America for a Giselle performance by Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin , that little bit of magic I have to go and find a way to get there myself. That will be our next adventure my darlings.
But the real highlight of this time travel was a chance meeting with the incredible, legendary ballet teacher and choreographer, Madame Alicia Markova! She was such an inspiration to me, my darlings. Her stories of her life on the stage were fascinating, from her beginnings in Russia to the triumphs of the London ballet stage and beyond. You know what else, I saw one of the ballet steps she perfected called The Markova, darling how stylish, it felt so graceful to do it and I'm adding that into my classes in the next lesson! It's simply marvelous!
Oh, darling dears, as I write this, the aroma of pink cupcakes that I've been making for this very blog post fills the air with its delicious scent! I really hope you love reading about all my adventures in the world of ballet! My darling Magic Meg has been waiting for me impatiently, she’s such a darling and she can’t wait for our next adventure.
Until next month, keep on dancing! Don't forget to visit www.pink-tutu.com, you'll find everything about ballet. We need to bring back the tutu my lovelies, to our wardrobes. There is nothing better than a pink tutu for elegance.
Yours in ballet,
Emma
xo
