Hello my lovelies! Emma here, your resident pink tutu aficionado, writing to you from a rather delightful corner of Essex, called Upminster! Now, I know what you're thinking - Upminster? That sounds so⌠quaint. And you'd be absolutely right, my dear. But even quaint towns can hold surprises, especially when theyâre adorned with the most adorable pink tutu a girl could ask for.
So, how did I end up in Upminster? Well, it's a bit of a story, as all the best journeys are. You see, I was craving a weekend of pure countryside charm. I couldnât stand another London week, with the traffic and noise. I needed some peace and quiet! So, with my faithful travel companion (and yes, you guessed it â a perfectly pink, full-skirted tutu!) I hopped onto the train from Derby, destination: a country escape! The carriage was charming, and thankfully, I had a comfy seat next to a kindly gentleman who even complimented my tutu, so obviously a good day!
My train journey was a real pleasure. The rolling green hills of the English countryside flashed by the window, and as a Derbyshire girl at heart, I couldnât resist indulging in a cup of tea (two sugars, of course). The countryside was full of delightful little creatures too, all making the most of the lovely weather â sheep baa-ing in the fields, a robin flitting through the branches. Oh, the bliss!
The ride wasnât as long as you might think â about two and a half hours â a perfect amount of time to read my latest ballet magazine. I managed to learn some brand new ballet terminology in French. The magazine was all about the Royal Balletâs latest production of âGiselleâ, and even featured some backstage photos - a must-read! If I was ever in need of ballet inspiration, this magazine had me covered!
Now, letâs talk about Upminster itself, shall we? Itâs got this lovely old-world charm - quaint little shops lining the streets, the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, and an air of serenity you just donât find in the big city. I was instantly captivated.
Of course, no trip is complete without a little bit of ballet magic. I just had to find a dance studio, didnât I? Well, imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the most darling ballet school, right in the heart of Upminster! Itâs called âTwirling Tutusâ - what a fantastic name, donât you think? It even had a little pink ballerina logo outside the door! And as if it couldnât get any better, the receptionist wore a lovely pink ballet leotard - it must have been fate! She gave me the warm and welcoming look of someone who really knows what it is to love dance, so naturally I had to enroll for a class. I felt like I had been waiting for this moment my whole life! After all, it wasnât every day you got to take ballet class with a real, live, pink-tutu-wearing dancer in Essex!
You wonât believe this but in the class itself, there was even a whole wall dedicated to photographs of local performances, including some real old classics â ballerinas with those gorgeous powdered white wigs. Oh, how they danced with such grace and elegance. I was filled with inspiration just from seeing them.
Let me tell you, the ballet class was phenomenal! We did some warm-up exercises, followed by a fantastic barre workout, and then, my personal favourite â beautiful balletic exercises across the floor! The instructor was absolutely lovely, super patient and encouraging. You could tell that she was absolutely passionate about ballet and I had to admit that she was a great inspiration!
We worked on improving our extension and strengthening our core - after all, a good ballerina must have both grace and strength! We focused on our plie and barre work, making sure our feet were en pointe and our legs were lovely and long, just as any good ballerina would! We finished our session by practising our pirouette technique - you can never get enough practice with that! I've gotta say, it felt amazing. Not only was I twirling like a dream in my tutu but I also learnt a few tricks of the trade - all thanks to a lovely afternoon spent in a quaint, little Essex dance studio!
One of the loveliest things about the Upminster experience is the sense of community. You feel connected to your neighbours, and the local shop owners. It truly felt like I'd stepped back in time to a more genteel, slower era.
Youâd never believe this, but the most unusual thing I encountered during my visit was the horses. There were horses all over Upminster! Now I don't normally ride, because I tend to get a bit overwhelmed by their size! Horses really do intimidate me! But I do admire their graceful beauty and spirit. So I ended up enjoying a nice little picnic with the horses grazing in the fields. I have a sneaky feeling, that, deep down, even a shy girl like myself wants to be able to tame the spirit of a noble beast - who knew? Well I canât ride it, but I certainly enjoyed watching them roam!
There are so many things that I loved about my Upminster adventure. You could say it was a very pleasant discovery, which definitely makes the pink tutu enthusiast inside me very happy indeed!
I was in a rush to catch the train back to Derby and had to leave before I'd seen all that Upminster has to offer, but that's OK, as that means that I have an excuse to go back! And I can already see myself, in my beautiful, pink, tutu, exploring it all â from the quaint local shops, to those captivating, roaming horses and, of course, the most charming, welcoming dance studio, where I hope to return very, very soon!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, my fellow ballet enthusiasts, I have a plan, a very important one! It involves a pink tutu and some serious dancing in Upminster. I'll share the details when I can. For now, I'll just say itâs going to be spectacular and, oh my, Iâve been planning it for ages!
I must be going, my train's arriving very shortly! Have a fabulous week everyone, and remember, don't forget to dance!
Your darling tutu dancer,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
