Hello my lovely ballerina darlings! Welcome back to my pink and sparkly Pink Tutu Travels! This month we're jetting off to the glorious 1920s - a truly dazzling time in the world of dance, don't you think? Get those sequined leotards ready, as this month's adventure is going to be oh-so-fabulous!
Now, let's be honest, a pink tutu in the roaring twenties would've raised some eyebrows! Perhaps it wasn't quite the fashion du jour. Think bobbed hair, flapper dresses, and a little less tulle and a little more glitz. But don't you worry, I'll still be bringing my pinkness to the party! My tutu might be a little anachronistic, but hey, that's the joy of time travel! We can step outside the norm and let our ballerina imaginations soar.
Magic Meg, my sparkly shire horse, was champing at the bit this month to get us to the jazz age! We arrived just in time to catch a truly magnificent ballet performance in London - Diaghilev's Ballets Russes was all the rage in the 20s!
I got my ticket for the performance just as the show was about to begin, but trust me, it was worth the dash to the theatre. I practically flew across Piccadilly in my pink tulle skirt – thankfully, my fellow Londoners were too enthralled by the glamour of the period to really notice!
The whole theatre was aglow in a sort of magnificent electric energy. They called the ballet "Apollo" and boy oh boy was it beautiful!
I sat in the dress circle, gazing at the stage bathed in a dazzling spotlight. And I felt truly mesmerized. This was ballet at its best. It was modern. It was dynamic. It had so much character, the dancers were so emotive and there was a distinct lack of tradition that you might find in other classical ballets!
It had me dancing in my seat. Yes, a tiny pink-clad figure with pink lipstick and hair ribbon (because what's a ballerina without her signature pink touches) was wildly miming to the music - what could be more fun than that!
After the performance, I made my way to the backstage. They have backstage access for those that support the ballet with donations - how magical is that! I got to have a little chat with Vaslav Nijinsky - one of the leading dancers. He was such a gentleman, and just so handsome in his classic white costume.
I asked him about the music – what was it? – it seemed to be the most modern, jazzy music! He explained that the show had its music created by a lovely Russian chap named Stravinsky! Igor Stravinsky was a name I jotted straight into my ballet history book - What a wonderful discovery! He truly added another dimension to ballet and had such an interesting musical style!
This was ballet fashion on a whole other level – no fussy, fluffy Victorian style tutus! Nijinsky was just wearing a beautifully tailored white outfit that really emphasised his movement and athleticism!
But alas, all good things come to an end, and soon it was time to say farewell to the Roaring 20s and hop onto Magic Meg. Her hooves were pawing the ground and eager to go home.
Before I go, just a quick snippet of my latest finds to fill my leather ballet rucksack!
- The lovely Nijinsky gave me a little programme from the show – a genuine antique!
- An elegant ballerina brooch!
- An incredibly glamorous black feather boa for a special performance back at home!
- A beautifully detailed program with the entire repertoire for the ballet company that season.
Next month, I will share more stories about my ballet travels - keep a lookout on pink-tutu.com for more fabulous insights! And remember: life’s just more fabulous when you're wearing a pink tutu!
Happy dancing!
Emma x
