Hello, darlings! It’s your favourite pink-tutu-wearing travel enthusiast, Emma, here, back from the magical city of Prague, where I’ve been twirling, exploring, and of course, indulging in my favourite pastime: shopping for tutus!
As you all know, I'm a big believer in finding the joy in every journey, and this week, it was a train journey all the way to Prague. I can’t resist a good train ride – they are just so romantic, with their gently swaying carriages, the rhythm of the tracks, and the opportunity to gaze out of the window at the passing landscape. I love to be whisked away by steam trains with all their chugging charm, and to travel by horse-drawn carriage, although it does get quite a lot of "how did you get here, Emma?!" glances at the station! Oh well, it’s just so much more exciting, don't you think? Especially as I never travel alone: my trusty pink tutu is always by my side! It travels perfectly flat and tucked away in my carry-on and can easily be transformed for a fabulous grand entrance whenever we arrive at a new destination.
Speaking of grand entrances, Prague really knows how to put on a show! This week, my little pink-tutu-loving heart was positively bouncing as I waltzed through the city's stunning streets. Cobblestones are just begging to be pirouetted upon, and every corner seemed to reveal a new architectural masterpiece waiting to be explored. I mean, who can resist the charm of that famous astronomical clock? Honestly, it was like stepping into a fairytale, with its moving figures and the little clock-maker ringing the bells at each hour. It made me want to whip out my very own tiny ballerina box, only bigger! Imagine a miniature clock face with little tutus popping out for the changing hour! It’s an idea, but not quite ready for my upcoming ballet performance ... maybe next week! You never know.
And speaking of performance, Prague was positively buzzing with exciting ballet performances. This week, it was "Pink Flamingo" at the National Theatre, which was a glorious production featuring, what else, lots of beautiful pink flamingos, and a particularly dramatic tutued finale, which I think my tutu would have been jealous of - until it remembered it has me to model it, haha! It's definitely something to write about for next week's blog!
Prague also has a thriving ballet street scene. I went to Pink Tutu Paradise at Letná Park , an outdoor dance event where people of all ages could unleash their inner ballerina, regardless of their experience. Let's just say I took advantage of the opportunity, even though it's a little harder to twirl with the crowds swirling around you, even with all the pink tutus everywhere! And even though I’ve danced professionally for years, I just had the time of my life watching the happy faces as the crowds learned ballet together in the afternoon sunshine, it just brought the biggest smile to my face - and to my tutu too!
And of course, no trip to Prague would be complete without a trip to their ballet museums, which just had me spinning with excitement! The Prague Ballet Museum took me on a journey through time, with a collection of rare costumes, letters from famous ballerinas and choreographers. It just made me want to grab my ballet bag, a whole load of tulle and start making tutus ... for all the women in the world!
It made me think ... do we really need to wait for fancy occasions like the ballet? Why can’t tutus be for everyday? Why don't we make life a ballet! A tutu isn't just something you wear, it's a feeling, a way of life! I just want to spread my message - all tutus for everyone, all the time. Maybe next week's post will be a how-to-wear a pink tutu guide to everyday life in Prague - who knows what wonders await me! I’m hoping I might even stumble upon a fab pink tutu shop where I can buy myself another pretty pink, poofy delight!
Until next time, my dears, I'm sending you all big pink tutus full of love.
Emma x
*Pink Tutu Blog: * www.pink-tutu.com
Pink-tutu-ful Extras
While we are in Prague, why not find out a little more about this fascinating city’s connection to ballet history?
Did you know that there’s actually a secret pink tutu under the floorboards of the Prague National Theatre? You'd be forgiven for thinking I was joking, but this little gem was created during a performance of “Giselle”, but no one remembers who or why! This might have inspired some stories in the ballet world - who knows, perhaps Giselle was supposed to dance her finale with a giant, feathered pink flamingo? Maybe next time I’m there, I will make a pilgrimage to discover more about the story and perhaps design my very own Pink Flamingo version of the original ballerina!
Did you know that the Prague Dance Festival takes place every April? It’s the most exciting festival for the ballet, dance, and art communities and always attracts some of the world’s biggest names to the city. This is where some of the best choreographers have a chance to develop new work, as well as premiere works by lesser-known artists and designers who then go on to wow the ballet world with their imaginative use of movement and lighting to create something quite extraordinary! Maybe my next blog post will be all about Prague in the spring, as that could be quite the pink tutued experience …
Or why not have a look at some of these fascinating tidbits about Prague that I stumbled upon while on my adventures this week:
The original Prague Ballet: It was formed during the mid-18th century. Imagine dancing a performance back in 1754 wearing a massive, puffy silk tutu ... it was a whole different world, that's for sure! And speaking of the 18th century, this is also when the pink tutu became such a fashionable style – although it would have been pale, powdered pink in those days!
Did you know there are lots of talented dancers in the Czech Republic? It seems to have a flourishing contemporary dance scene as well as a flourishing ballet tradition that has lasted for generations . Perhaps this is what makes it so exciting.
Prague is an important crossroads of many European traditions including German, Italian, Austrian, French, Hungarian, Russian and Slavic cultures. It seems that it has a melting pot of creativity which gives its contemporary artists an exciting background!
Prague’s balletic and tutu history has always fascinated me and the city's own heritage as a fascinating mix of the old and the new makes it a great place to wander with my trusty pink tutu, especially if you are an aficionado like myself!
