Hello my darling dears! Emma here, your pink-tutu-clad time traveller, bringing you another slice of history straight from the heart of the ballet world! This month, Magic Meg and I galloped all the way to Moscow for a little cultural adventure – and oh my goodness, it was a whirl!
As usual, my little pink leather rucksack is bursting with treasures and tales from the past. It’s full of gorgeous photographs of stunning ballet dancers from the time, snippets of programmes from a fantastic Bolshoi production, and even a little ballet magazine article about a budding ballerina in Moscow called Natalia! She dreams of being a principal dancer just like the wonderful Ekaterina Maksimova who has a star billing in this very show!
What's on in Ballet World... October 10th, 1974
The big news, of course, was at the Bolshoi. Oh my heavens, it was positively electric in there! The air was thick with anticipation as we took our seats – can you imagine the thrill of seeing a performance by legends like Maksimova and Vladimir Vasiliev?! We were absolutely in for a treat with “Giselle.”
The music was absolutely sublime! I do love Tchaikovsky – and when those string sections soared during the adagio, I almost wished for a magic wand to take myself straight into the dance! My pink tutu positively shimmied along with the exquisite grace of Ekaterina. She’s an absolute icon of ballet, a dancer who radiates talent and effortless artistry. And just when I thought I’d seen it all, Vasiliev stepped onto the stage! Such charisma! Such artistry! A true powerhouse! It was mesmerising to watch them work together, they understood each other's every movement. It was as though the two were entwined, a truly magical performance.
You wouldn’t believe the fashion either! Gorgeous shimmering fabrics, bold colours and lots of swirling skirts. My bag is overflowing with cuttings of what I can only call 'ballet couture' – the gorgeous gowns, the sparkling embellishments, it was so inspiring! It’s easy to see why it all became so important. Ballet became part of Russian identity – their culture!
Sharing the Joy of Dance
It wasn’t just about the Bolshoi though! There was an incredible sense of energy about ballet everywhere we went – right down to the little school I visited, where young girls in beautiful pale pink leotards and black tights, practiced their pirouettes with such grace and passion. It made my heart swell – I do hope I’ve managed to get you all excited about ballet and perhaps a touch inspired to don your own pink tutu!
After a bit of souvenir shopping, with Magic Meg in tow, we were off on the next leg of our journey. Next stop? I'm going to give you a clue. It's an American Ballet Theatre. And a very exciting premiere…
I can't wait to share the details with you next month on www.pink-tutu.com In the meantime, if you have any ballet-related tales of your own to tell, I'd love to hear them!
Until then, twirl and be fabulous!
Lots of love,
Emma x
