Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, my lovelies! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood time-travelling ballerina. It's the 1st of June 1995, and boy, oh boy, is it a blinder! Buckle up, my darlings, as we gallop through the swirling mists of time aboard the one and only Magic Meg, my pink-sparkling shire horse with hooves like gold and a mane that shimmers like a thousand twinkling stars!
This month, our destination is none other than...well, the whole wide world, really! It's such a grand time for ballet, and it feels like everyone is dancing.
Before we head off, just a little heads-up: I've got a whopping new bag to show you. See? It's a fab leather rucksack I snagged from a vintage shop in Paris. Don't you just love the elegant design and the sturdy straps? Perfect for carrying all my lovely ballet goodies from across the ages! This one's chock full of historical leaflets, photos of stunning costumes, and a few rare dance steps I found at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Now, grab your favourite pink tutu – and that means all of you! – because Magic Meg is ready for a whirlwind journey. Remember, we aim to have the whole world dancing in pink!
Across the Pond and Through Time...
Our first stop: the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York City, darling. They're absolutely flying, you know! It's the last week of the Spring Season, and I simply have to tell you about the grand opening performance, featuring the world premiere of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with choreography by Kevin McKenzie! Can you imagine? The reviews were just raving – all those beautiful Shakespearean scenes and exquisite dancing – and a fabulously modern and fresh take on it, too! This was ballet theatre at its best, darlings!
Next up is 'The Nightingale' – an exquisite ballet adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale with the beautiful music of Igor Stravinsky. I just have to say that the design and costumes for the birds in the ballet are stunning. All that fluttering, swooping, and swooping, feathers galore!
Now, you can’t just go to New York City and not visit the Metropolitan Opera House. Yes, yes, I know, it’s more opera than ballet but hey! Ballet’s always making those lovely operatic entrances in the big grand houses, isn’t it? So off we went for the "Don Giovanni" opening night with some amazing performances of classical ballet by stars such as Julio Bocca. Talk about elegance and a timeless story with an absolutely breathtaking operatic score. This truly was a special evening, my darlings!
Oh, I must tell you, darling! I just had to buy the cutest little ballet slipper charm for my lucky necklace whilst in NYC – sparkly pink and dainty as a feather – in a shop tucked away down an alley on the Upper East Side. The perfect touch for a ballerina on the go!
Ballet Magic in the Windy City
Now, we’re galloping towards the Windy City – Chicago – for some more balletic delights. There's just something about Chicago! And no surprise really – you’ve got the glorious Joffrey Ballet! They're holding their Spring Gala in Chicago, darling. They're a real force of nature. In fact, the Joffrey's repertoire has just been given the 'Dancing the Dream' exhibition! It's absolutely divine – celebrating the art and life of their artistic director Robert Joffrey. I can’t wait to visit their lovely home, the Auditorium Theatre, later this month.
From America to the Emerald Isle...
Now, hop aboard Magic Meg. She’s just starting to clip-clop across the great Atlantic! It’s a pretty breezy journey, darlings, so sit tight and enjoy the sea air! Oh! My rucksack just fell over…and the little booklet about ballet at The National Concert Hall, Dublin! How perfect! This just has to be my next stop – Dublin! The ballet performances there are simply glorious! There's a lovely little ballet competition called "World Ballet Ireland," and, oh my goodness, can those dancers move! They all look like tiny little fairies, darlings! And then we have the wonderful Dublin City Ballet, performing a classic 'The Sleeping Beauty' and, of course, the ever-popular 'Swan Lake' – absolutely breath-taking and wonderfully romantic, as always.
To the Land of Sun and Siesta
Ahoy there! Here we are in sunny Spain, darlings! The sun is shining, the flamenco dancers are twirling and, my lovelies, Spain is home to an amazing contemporary ballet company, "The Ballet Nacional de Espana." You simply have to go see their exquisite choreography – their flamenco and classical influences come together so beautifully and creatively! And the passion…the passion is simply infectious! This is such an amazing experience! I love Spain!
I can’t let you go, darling, without telling you about the beautiful ballet they’re performing at the Teatre Municipal at the end of the month: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’– they really know how to make their ballet theatre a magical and fantastical world of performance and costume – simply lovely!
And the wonderful thing is, that there are even ballet schools popping up all over Spain too! It’s clear this is a country really on the move, so to speak! I’m absolutely in love with the energy and vibrance.
Well, we have just barely skimmed the surface of ballet in June! It’s absolutely everywhere – from America, Europe, and even to Australia, the magic of ballet truly captivates the hearts and imaginations of so many. Magic Meg and I are getting a little weary after all this travel, but we can’t wait for all our exciting adventures next month!
And remember my lovelies – the only thing missing in your life is the gorgeousness of a pink tutu! Wear one, dance, be happy. Let your inner ballerina fly! Stay fabulous, darling, and we’ll catch you all next month, right here on Pink-Tutu.com!
Post #4014Stay tuned for next month's exciting travel journal, my loves, as we explore the dazzling world of ballet across time and space.
