Hello darlings, and welcome back to Pink Tutu, your monthly dose of all things ballet and a touch of time travel magic! 🩰💖✨
This month, Magic Meg and I have whisked ourselves back to September 9th, 1959! Can you imagine? I mean, it's just bonkers to think about, isn't it? Fashion, music, ballet - everything was just SO different.
But even with those changes, I bet you wouldn't believe the incredible ballet shows I saw. My bag is positively bursting with stories and finds! My dear Magic Meg has taken me all around the world.
Paris, Mon Amie! 🗼🇫🇷
We started in Paris, naturally. The city of lights, and even more so in the world of ballet! The legendary Paris Opera Ballet was presenting "La Source", a gorgeous, romantic ballet set to the beautiful music of Delibes. Can you imagine the opulent costumes, the glittering sets, and the graceful dancers? Pure ballet magic!
Of course, I couldn't resist a little Parisian shopping. I found the most divine pink shoes in a small, cobbled alley - I mean, how could I not bring those home? Plus, the silk scarves! They'll go perfectly with my tutu for a bit of Parisian flair, don't you think?
London Calling! 🇬🇧🎶
Next up, we waltzed into London, home of the Royal Ballet. What a sight! We saw "The Sleeping Beauty", which was positively dazzling. The Royal Ballet is renowned for its grace and precision, and these performances were just breathtaking. The famous red shoes of the "Sleeping Beauty" would have looked fab in my collection, wouldn't they? Sadly, the royal collection doesn't let out their precious items, oh the shame!
Afterwards, we wandered through Covent Garden, soaking up the atmosphere and just relishing in the sheer brilliance of London. I must say, even if the tea was quite lukewarm, the dainty sandwiches were to die for! It's so good to be able to truly see a piece of ballet history, don't you think?
Across the Pond to New York! 🗽🇺🇸
It wouldn't be a true world ballet tour without a visit to the grand old dame of dance - the New York City Ballet! We were just in time for the premiere of "The Cage" by choreographer Jerome Robbins, a very modern ballet compared to those older styles I saw. Now, you might think, how would Emma, the pink-loving ballerina, get on with something like that? But actually, it was captivating, it felt different but in a really great way, there were some beautiful pieces of ballet in the mix, I loved the fast paced dynamic feel! It gave me lots to think about. It made me want to make something my own, you know? Maybe we need to see some "Cage" in the Derbyshire village square sometime?
After the performance, we had the most divine cupcakes, complete with pink icing! And to top it off, a friendly waitress even told me about a new ballet studio that was just opening up. She suggested I try a class - what a wonderful experience it was to hear her stories, the energy was so high, everyone wanted to learn more and that was wonderful. You know, this era really felt so exciting for ballet in America, I wonder why, it almost felt like something exciting was coming.
Back to the Derbyshire Dales
Well, here I am back in my comfy, little cottage in Derbyshire, all sparkly pink and twirling happily, with tales of ballet brilliance swirling through my mind. Every time I see that fabulous pink tutu in my closet, I get transported right back to that moment in 1959 - and sometimes, just sometimes, I can even hear the magical strains of "La Source" playing softly in my head. ✨
What amazing things are happening in the world of ballet right now? Let me know in the comments below, and share your stories!
Don't forget, darlings! You can catch me performing and inspiring people to wear pink tutus all over Derbyshire and maybe soon all over the UK! If you need a touch of magic in your life, head on over to the Pink Tutu website. It's filled with fabulous posts like this one.
Until next month, twirl on, my lovelies!
Emma
Pink-tutu.com 💖🩰✨
