Hello lovelies! Itās your favourite pink tutu-wearing ballerina, Emma, back with another dazzling adventure. This time I'm taking you all the way to Ilford - the East London suburb famous for its bustling market andā¦wellā¦thatās about it.
But donāt worry, darling, Ilford was just a pit stop on my grand tour. I'm on my way toā¦drumrollā¦ the Royal Opera House in London!
My journey, as always, involved some exciting travel, starting with a rather dashing ride from my Derbyshire home on the beautiful and scenic Midland Mainline. The sun was out, the sky a glorious blue, and I felt as if I was stepping into a ballet scene straight from the Romantic period - just swap the cobbled streets for a lush, rolling countryside! It's times like these, when you feel the world around you is infused with beauty and you can't help but move with grace and purpose, that I think: Yes! This is life!
After the train journey, it was on to the Underground. You know I absolutely adore the tube. I think it's a fabulous transport system, so much more sophisticated and magical than, say, a car (sorry, petrol heads). You never know who you might meet, what stories you might hear. And whatās more romantic than riding with your best friend to the big city for a ballet performance, with the faint hum of the underground music creating a melody in the background?
I know, I knowā¦ Iām getting carried away. Back to Ilford!
After changing lines, I arrived at Ilford station. Not exactly a Parisienne square - no charming cafes, no strolling artists, but a vibrant mix of people.
But let's not get all āEast End-Is-Grim,ā dear readers. There's always a story, a positive vibe in every corner. I couldnāt help but be impressed by a lovely little group of young girls in a school uniform. They were all laughing and talking, clearly looking forward to the school day ahead. They reminded me of my own younger self, full of hope and dreams. I mean, who wouldnāt be excited at the thought of a dance lesson! Thatās how I felt every day in Derbyshire, back when I was starting out at the local dance school.
Itās funny how a single image can spark so many thoughts. And then suddenly, there it was ā my own personal mission statement written in neon lights! A sweet shop called āPink Heavenā! Yes, my dears, even in a bustling suburban train station, my heart sings! Pink, pink, everywhere, just like in my dreams! The sweet smells alone were enough to give me a sugar rush, and if I had time I would have bought all the lollies to stock my own little āpink heavenā.
But it wasnāt to be. I had an important appointmentā¦a big pink tutu had my name on it, so it was time to set my inner ballerina free! Iād met a sweet little girl who needed to find the right shade of pink to dance in ā āpink is for ballerinas!ā she'd exclaimed. Sheās a true believer already, I tell you! She just needs a good pink tutu to top it off!
It wasnāt long until I found my own way onto the tube, ready to set off for the Royal Opera House.
Let me tell you, I think every performance at the Royal Opera House is an experience, but this time felt extra special. It's as if the ballet was calling my name! The feeling was electric; itās difficult to explain, a tingling thrill of excitement that spreads throughout your whole body when you enter a space that feels so alive and charged.
I watched the Sleeping Beauty performance mesmerised. I find thereās a certain magical charm about Tchaikovskyās ballets, it's truly romantic. And the dancersā¦ just breathtaking! The principal dancers were absolutely phenomenal, like angels floating effortlessly on the stage, but all the corps de ballet dancers were so elegant, strong, graceful ā I really felt as if I were back in my studio, sharing the stage with them.
Then, just before the final curtain call, it happened - a tiny, pink feather from one of the dancersā costumes fell onto the stage. You might think it would go unnoticed, just a small, almost insignificant detail, but to me, it was everything! It floated down like a tiny pink ballerina, delicate and graceful. It seemed to land perfectly on a spotlight beam, for a brief moment dancing its own miniature pirouette. The feather became an emblem for everything the performance was about: beauty, grace, hope, wonderā¦ I took a moment to hold it tight in my hand, soaking in its soft, vibrant energy.
And that, my dear friends, is the power of ballet ā a feather can speak volumes if you allow it to!
As for my trip, you seeā¦It wasnāt just a journey to see a show ā It was a voyage to a different dimension of beauty, a realm where emotions danced in harmony with movement. It was a reminder that ballet, at its core, is about freedom and finding your inner voice.
And maybe, just maybe, it's about a little pink feather and the way it whispers secrets about the beauty within us all.
Till next time, keep on dreaming pink and twirling with all your might!
Emma xoxo
*Follow me at www.pink-tutu.com *
*P.S. Next week's post will be about my upcoming adventure to Edinburgh! *
