Ciao Bella! It’s Emma here, back with another instalment of my Pink Tutu Milan blog. Welcome to the second half of my week long tour of this fabulous city. You can see my previous blog post here: [LINK TO BLOG POST]
As I mentioned last week, Milano is all about style. You know that Italian sense of chic that oozes out of the city, the confidence with which the women wear their clothes and their high heels? I felt that sense from the moment I hopped off the train here! And it doesn't end at the clothes; it's about every little detail, the way they sip their cappuccinos, the way they smile… I absolutely adore it.
This week has been whirlwind. I've been working hard! You know, doing what I do best - performing, inspiring and of course, trying to spread the love of the Pink Tutu across this wonderful country.
First up, on Tuesday I landed at Malpensa Airport. And what did I do as soon as I had picked up my bags? Why, I headed straight to the shops of course! And there were SO many shops! I'm already dreaming about my pink tutu for my upcoming performance on Friday - can't wait to show you all that one, I think it might be my best one yet.
For this trip, I decided to be a little more daring. After all, when you're in the city of style, you want to embrace the daring side of fashion. And I must say, it felt fantastic!
Of course, I wouldn't be true to my roots without adding a touch of Derbyshire. I bought the cutest pair of floral patterned tights with a hint of pink – absolutely perfect for adding a touch of home to my outfits.
You know, the lovely thing about the Pink Tutu life is you meet such wonderful people along the way. I bumped into a lovely Italian gentleman outside the department store. He asked me where I got my fabulous tutu from! We ended up having a lovely chat about our love of dance and how fashion connects us. He said the perfect colour for the Pink Tutu movement was shocking pink, and told me about this incredible vintage shop he’d discovered just around the corner… Oh how I loved that place! It’s all lace and beads and shimmer, perfect for finding the next Pink Tutu masterpiece.
This Wednesday, however, has been all about ballet. And trust me, when it comes to ballet, Milan delivers.
I took a tram to the Teatro alla Scala, a grand, opulent opera house that literally has me starry-eyed. Every detail is perfection; The grand staircase, the chandeliers, the gold and red decor - pure beauty. I'd heard about the Scala for years but nothing can truly prepare you for the incredible experience of actually being there.
I spent the whole day there, just soaking up the atmosphere. After touring the theatre, I watched the rehearsals for their new production of 'The Sleeping Beauty'. I couldn’t resist the temptation to do a little spontaneous ballet move or two in front of the majestic stage, a quick pirouette, some elegant port de bras, all in the name of pink tutu spirit!
The real highlight though was watching a class by the illustrious Teatro alla Scala Ballet Academy. It was quite surreal, almost like a ballet dreamscape, watching the young ballerinas working diligently, with their long, graceful legs and effortless spins - pure magic! To my delight, there was one very special pink tutu on stage too - not as flashy or vibrant as mine, but absolutely stunning in a beautiful baby pink!
I left the Scala feeling completely energised and ready to share my experience with the world. I had my little Pink Tutu-clad adventures, snapped some photos of my favourite things, enjoyed my delicious Milanese lunch, and even spotted a lovely Pink Tutu boutique on my journey back to the hotel – but more on that tomorrow!
I have to share my travel secrets, you see. It's no secret that the train is my absolute favourite way to get around a city! It gives you the best glimpse of the place. I love that little rumble of the train as it speeds through, it's like a lullaby, bringing with it the scent of the places we travel to. In Milan, the tram rides are super chic too! You have to grab one - I did this afternoon for the ride back to my hotel and loved looking at all the wonderful Italian ladies rushing by.
Back at my hotel, I enjoyed my time by my window, writing this post - this wonderful journey of sharing all the things I love with you!
Tomorrow is another big day; a performance for a local school in the outskirts of Milan! I’m even going to get my pink tutu ready for an early morning class with the talented kids - who knows, maybe I’ll even get to inspire a little pink tutu revolution over here!
Can't wait to show you what's in store!
Stay tuned!
Emma x222 A Deeper Dive
I want to give you all a little peek behind the scenes at this fantastic city. I often get asked about what I’m actually doing on these travels. You might think all I do is dance, wear tutus and travel the world – which in its way is true! - but I like to be open about what’s really going on in the world of the Pink Tutu!
*Here are the behind the scenes of this week so far: *
The journey to get to Milan took a little longer than I planned, and let’s just say it involved a long overnight bus journey with some interesting characters. You could say my adventures began even before my flight, as I found myself performing impromptu “ballets” for my fellow travellers on the journey - they really appreciated the chance to be entertained by a pink-tutu wearing, enthusiastic, Derbyshire lass like me!
I did my own version of "travel light." I usually pack just what I need, my shoes, a selection of tutus, and some comfy outfits for travelling! My pink backpack was definitely filled to the brim with my performance costume, stage makeup and ballet shoes. It’s really important for me to be organized as a dancer - we are super busy people with tons of moving parts!
And I have to say, it’s a little difficult to travel around with a pink tutu, a lot of attention comes my way, and in Italy it’s always lovely but maybe even more so… they look at me like I’ve just stepped out of a fairytale! A fairytale, however, that might come with a hefty luggage price, I’m learning, as they charge extra for a “oversize bag”! That didn't deter me at all though; I’ve always got my tutus for my adventures, they are as important to me as the clothes in my luggage.
You might be thinking how on earth can I afford this amazing lifestyle, right? The fact is, I fund my travel through my performances. When I’m not touring, I teach ballet, which I love doing. So, when I’m ready to travel, I usually get some new performance gigs to cover my travels. When I travel, it’s important to plan. There’s something quite romantic about setting out a small travel budget and following that through, to feel like you’re truly earning every experience! It gives you the real taste of life and the real beauty of the Pink Tutu experience - freedom and joy, always on the move.
*On this day: *
* It’s my birthday!* I’m 26 today and to celebrate this amazing year of my life, I'm off to watch a show, one of my very favourite things! There’s this incredible theatre just a couple of stops from my hotel - I'm heading off to see 'La Traviata' with a delicious dinner after. There’s nothing more stylish than an operatic birthday dinner!
- I’ve just started my little “Pink Tutu Fashion Blog” alongside my ballet blogs, a blog about all my favourite shopping hauls. I plan to get it up and running today with my new outfits from Milano, but that'll have to be my next blog post!
Tomorrow's blog post will be all about my ballet workshop for the local school. I want to share all about what a beautiful experience it was to inspire these children with a little bit of my passion!
Until next time, don't forget to check out www.pink-tutu.com on Mondays! And remember to stay chic, be bold and have lots of fun!
Until next week,
Emma xP.S: What's your favourite colour for your Pink Tutu? I'm keen to see your stylish tutu-clad selfies! Don't forget to tag me on Instagram @PinkTutuMilan I would love to see how you wear your tutu!
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