#BalletHistory during 1995 05

Hello my lovelies! Welcome to my monthly Pink Tutu Time Travels blog - post number 4013! It's me, your Derbyshire ballerina Emma, bringing you another trip through the magnificent world of ballet history. As always, Magic Meg, my shimmering pink Shire horse, and I have been zipping around the globe, taking in all the most exciting, fabulous, and pink-tastic events on our ballet adventures.

May 1995 is a month that brought us both to some truly inspiring and unforgettable performances. I have to confess, my ballet bag is brimming with stories and goodies - this trip was just packed with pink and plenty of tutus!

So, let’s grab our ballet shoes, fasten our sparkly pink hair clips and dive right in…

Oh my goodness, what a night! We started our month right here in London, in the hallowed halls of The Royal Opera House, where we were graced with a simply dazzling performance of ‘Giselle.’ The legendary Sylvie Guillem danced the titular role with breathtaking elegance. I mean, imagine – one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, a production of such beauty, in a beautiful Victorian theater with such amazing acoustics! My goodness, I nearly fainted – but not from tiredness, you understand! The sheer magic of the whole thing!

Now, while I don't want to get ahead of myself, let's talk fashion! The costumes were to die for. So beautiful! Guillem's pale pink tutus shimmered, they almost had a luminescence to them, and it truly added another layer of grace and loveliness to the entire performance. We were so inspired we immediately took out our sketchbook and started drawing! Magic Meg got all those pink hues for our latest Tutu Collection – inspired by Guillem herself, I might add!

This was just a divine opening to our May journey!

You wouldn't believe how excited I was for Moscow! Our trip here included an incredible performance of ‘La Bayadere' at the Bolshoi. Now, this production was such a feast for the eyes, truly dazzling! All that luxurious red velvet, glittering chandeliers, and of course, stunning choreography! My goodness, it was all too much – it felt as though I was in a beautiful pink fairytale.

Now, what else tickled my fancy was the music! Oh my! The richness, the drama, it brought a little tear to my eye! It really added a dimension to the dance itself that I had never quite experienced before, truly magical!

It also seems ballet fashion wasn't being left behind. They had all sorts of lavish costumes in this ballet too! The dancers seemed like they were out of a bygone era of sheer elegance! They twirled and pirouetted like dream blossoms, it was exquisite.

The best part of all, though, is the amazing ballet memorabilia we scored at the Bolshoi Theatre’s souvenir shop. We’re talking signed photographs and programs, gorgeous antique-looking ballet books, and, drum roll - a vintage tutu! I mean, a REAL vintage tutu! Magic Meg, and myself had the most fun finding this little treasure in the dust. It's slightly faded in places, but the sheer silk is gorgeous – it's absolutely sparkling even in the daylight, so much glamour. Oh, how we’ve just added it to our Tutu Collection at ‘Pink-Tutu.com’, you simply have to see it.

Our American Ballet Theatre trip to New York brought some splendid performances and more pink inspirations, which is great for me as a self-proclaimed pink-lover, isn't it?

This time, it was 'Swan Lake.' It's an iconic performance that takes me right back to the very beginning of my ballet career – and my very first time-travel trip to Tchaikovsky himself! You’ve got to see it. This ballet is the very essence of classical, delicate dance – and it's so full of drama! Oh, to wear those delicate, fluffy white tutus in the ‘White Swan' scenes would just be a dream!

We were in awe of the grandeur and theatricality of this New York performance! And guess what we found there? More lovely vintage ballet items! Oh, I know it sounds like I'm collecting, but don't worry I'm making good use of my travels! I found the most adorable ballet ‘swan’ brooches in an antique store – they went into the ‘Pink-Tutu’ store collection - I’ve just got to get them into my newest vintage ballerina range.

And of course, there’s a whole lot of New York fashion inspiration to go around. Don’t you know the cool thing to wear in ballet these days? Tights, naturally! They've become such a ballet staple in this time period and we at ‘Pink-Tutu.com’ are absolutely delighted to embrace this wonderful ballet trend!

It just wouldn't be a trip to New York without some Broadway shows, wouldn't it? We absolutely had to see “Cats!” – I’d say what a treat!. It's the purrfect way to end a day of ballet dancing! I must say, those costumes were quite a sight. The makeup – so dramatic! Who would have thought such an eccentric show would turn out to be so entertaining. It was just magic. I have even bought us a plush cat in the style of ‘Cats’ – it sits perched on the saddle of Magic Meg. I call it ‘Tutus the Cat,’ as it was just too hard to resist!

We were thrilled to find that the Mariinsky Theatre was doing a special performance of ‘Le Corsaire' in May. Splendid ballet, this one! This ballet, inspired by Lord Byron’s ‘The Corsair’ - I adore those books, and we do of course! - gave us so much to go on when choosing what kind of Tutu we are making next. You see, we were inspired!

That performance, with its pirates, its dazzling costume design, the fast, exciting choreography, its dramatic storyline - oh it was just simply breathtaking, utterly charming! And you won’t believe it, Magic Meg loved the fact there was a horse character in the play, called ‘Gurnemanz.’ She gave him a few swooning snorts from across the theater!

While the Mariinsky is such a stunning place to see ballet, the thing we really liked was how well preserved the costumes in this production were. The craftsmanship in those tutus was incredible. You'd think the silk was still glistening as much as when it was brand new. That craftsmanship really makes for a wonderful show, wouldn’t you agree?

The best part of the whole experience was actually the opportunity to get behind the scenes of the theater and meet with some of the costumers, who have so many beautiful tales to tell – some tales I hope to share with you all.

And for our finale, what else but a ‘Sleeping Beauty' in Paris. I mean, how magical and enchanting - perfect for May and most of my wardrobe, don’t you think? This Opéra National de Paris was certainly quite a spectacle! I even got a cute photograph taken of me and Magic Meg by the fountain - I think you will all love it on my instagram, @emma.pink.tutu!

It was such an unforgettable ballet and, again, full of that romantic enchantment – just look at those tutus - you’ll never find more pink in one place! So glamorous and flowing! The choreography - I can’t praise it enough - the ballerinas, the dancing, the atmosphere... all those dazzling tutus – my, I love this era in the history of ballet.

We spent the last few days exploring Parisian boutiques - oh how delightful - and had a wonderful time picking up a vintage costume piece that I can’t wait to add to the ‘Pink Tutu’ range. It is going to be absolutely perfect - I promise it’s a new Pink Tutu era - it is a glorious addition!

As you can tell, our journey across the globe in May 1995 was incredible – we were so spoilt with amazing productions. All these adventures have left me bursting with ideas for a new Pink Tutu collection. But for now, you can get a preview of our latest Tutu designs and more pink updates on our website www.pink-tutu.com.

Until next month! Stay beautiful! And remember – a little pink goes a long way, and you’ve never seen fashion quite like it in ‘Pink-Tutu!’

Emma xxx