Hello darlings, and welcome back to another delightful adventure on Pink-Tutu.com! It's your girl, Emma, here, ready to whisk you away on a journey through time - and I think you'll agree, May 2020 is simply bursting with fascinating ballet moments!
Now, you lovely lot know I simply adore the 19th century – the romance, the grandeur, the sheer beauty of the ball gowns… but let’s get one thing straight, you’d never find me twirling in one of those corseted creations. A tutu is my sartorial sanctuary, thank you very much! But sometimes, you’ve just got to give credit where credit's due!
Speaking of credit, this month, we’re celebrating a ballet that really put Russia on the map: Swan Lake. Not only did the first performance grace the stage on this very date, the 4th of May 1877, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, but this tale of love, betrayal, and feathered fate captured the hearts of audiences the world over! And who can blame them? I’m certainly head-over-heels for the swans, and for that stunning corps de ballet! Oh, and who can forget the mesmerising magic of the magical swan transformation? It’s a theatrical tour de force!
Now, I know some of you will be cackling right now (in your, dare I say, fabulous fuchsia tutus?) and wondering how we're making the leap from the 1870s to my beloved Derbyshire! Well, you know I'm a bit of a time-travel aficionado – thanks to the amazing magic of Meg, my sparkling Shire steed with those dazzling gold hooves – we’re zipping across the centuries and I can tell you: 2020 has a surprisingly vibrant ballet scene all its own!
Imagine this: after a whirlwind trip to Moscow, waving to the iconic Bolshoi Theatre on our way out (who else just loves those gold doors?), we're back in the Peak District, surrounded by rolling green hills – such an English scene – just in time to catch the final rehearsal for "The Nutcracker". Now, don’t go thinking I’ve lost my mind. Every December, we all flock to those enchanting performances, but in May? It seems that’s exactly the time to celebrate a whole other world of ballet artistry!
You see, May isn’t just about the Russian swans; it's also the season for small stage brilliance! And don’t be fooled – size really doesn't matter when it comes to magic. Our Derbyshire home – while beautiful and historic, like an old painting come to life, doesn’t exactly have the biggest opera houses – we do love our cosy, chummy little theatres here – but this is where we really discover gems.
For May 2020, my ballet diary was jam-packed, brimming with opportunities for exploration, inspiration, and a few, shall we say, sparkling tutus. It’s a secret between us, but when I saw that the Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, yes, the grand estate everyone’s so fond of, was hosting an impromptu ballet workshop, you know I was there.
Talk about a fairytale location – surrounded by lush gardens and elegant terraces, it’s a true haven for the artistic soul. We weren’t dancing with the ghosts of stately figures this time, but the charm of it all… ah, so divine! We learned about classic ballets, how to stretch, and yes, even discovered a few delightful moves! Now, I won’t say that everyone was in a pink tutu, but my lovely bright hue seemed to catch the eye, leading to some truly fantastic, tutufied photo opportunities!
From there, we hopped – or rather galloped with Meg – over to the "Dancefest" in Bakewell, a truly special, charming village in the heart of Derbyshire. There was the sweetest little dance studio, bustling with talent and passion! So much creativity going on in the space! A little like my own little ballet heaven! This was a real celebration of everything from classical ballet to contemporary styles. It really made me think that ballet’s everywhere if you just open your eyes. The whole town was swept up in a dancing frenzy, even the market stall holders were joining in, it was so inspiring! It just goes to show, sometimes, it’s the small communities that hold the biggest, and most delightful, dancing spirits.
Then it was on to a tiny, intimate venue in Matlock, where I saw an independent choreographer perform a unique and bold work. You could see, hear, and feel her passion. Now, her story doesn’t have a fairytale, grand setting or a lavishly-costumed troupe of swans. This is pure expression, bold, creative – she's making a difference in the world with her own brand of ballet, and she truly resonated with me, showing us that sometimes the greatest performances aren't the ones with the biggest stage, they are the ones that pour all their soul into the tiny details, every single twirl, every leap, it really hit me deep down.
As always, it's these smaller-scale ventures, those intimate performances where the artistic energy crackles, where you feel that raw, passionate commitment that really gets me going! Now, the time-travelling ballerina can’t say it loud enough: the most beautiful stories are those you discover unexpectedly. The story might start with a quiet tap of a dancer's foot or an whispered movement of her hand but that small detail is the catalyst to the next dazzling move.
And you can never tell what adventures await you just a stone’s throw from home. Trust me, even the tiniest of village halls, little school gyms or studios in the back streets, can be magical stages for the heart of a dancer!
After all, just like this pink-tutu blogger, some of the greatest dancers of our time might not always be under the big lights and dazzling grandeur of the big ballet stage. The real stories of ballet can be found anywhere. We're here to embrace every move, every twirl, every story and spread that joy of dance.
So darling readers, put on those fabulous tutus, whatever your color – though I do think pink always brightens the day – and explore your own world. Don't be afraid to venture out, you never know where your own ballet adventure may lead you, but just keep your hearts and those lovely little dance steps ready to follow!
