Post #2714
Hello my gorgeous lovelies!
Today is going to be a real treat because it's going to be all about ballet! You know, when my mum took me to see a show for the very first time at the age of four I didn’t really understand it all, I was just fascinated by the costumes, especially the pink ones (no surprise there). I was also captivated by the little dancers, I thought they looked so elegant and graceful. I desperately wanted to dance with them, but you know what? Little Emma just had to have a tutu, like RIGHT AWAY! The thing is, the obsession hasn’t faded one bit in all these years, my pink tutus have only gotten bigger and I'm even luckier now to get to watch all the performances.
Well, you’ve probably gathered that I really love ballet, and it has got me travelling around a fair bit lately. Last week, it was a trip to see Swan Lake in Edinburgh – such a beautiful show and it reminded me how important it is to be free to express myself through dance. Then this week I decided to hop on the train to Stratford-upon-Avon. Now I know what you’re thinking. It’s the birthplace of Shakespeare! How exciting!! (it is, believe me), but also, did you know that the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has been staging some fantastic ballet shows recently? Well they have and that is what got me onto the train this week.
For my latest travel adventure, I thought it would be fun to rock this stunning tutu from my favourite boutique in the heart of London, 'Dancers Dream'. Think soft pastel pink tulle with shimmering diamantés and a sweet little pink bow right in the middle. It felt truly fit for a princess and even though Stratford itself has its fair share of stately homes and manor houses, there wasn’t anything more majestic than twirling in the park, sunshine beaming on my shimmering pink tutu and giggling with my friend (who's thankfully not embarrassed about coming along). I think we both looked very much at home among the roses in Stratford, so much so that I couldn’t not share this fabulous outfit. We both even made it into a photo on the RSC website.
Today I got to watch the most exquisite ballet performance - "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - how fitting, I hear you say, and very Shakespearean, even if the costumes were very much my kind of modern ballet! You see, the choreography of A Midsummer Night's Dream was full of vibrant, colourful routines with all kinds of dramatic twirls, playful leaps, and stunningly poetic footwork that would even move my dear friend, the queen of dramatic sighs. To be honest, she wasn't a total fan to begin with because I practically dragged her here kicking and screaming (that’s a joke, she really just had an appointment!) But as soon as the first act started, we were both hooked - and who could blame us?
The dancing is magical, I think even my mum (who you might be interested to know, is from Warwickshire so we are sort of at home here!) would have loved it! But you can’t have a Shakespearean trip without a proper theatrical visit, so before we took to the rails and went back to Derbyshire, I treated myself to a special show at the RSC, and let me tell you it’s as impressive a theatre as you might expect with a stunning, breathtaking performance.
In case you missed this particular blog post, here are a couple of more ideas for how you can feel fit for a princess any day of the week and try and channel your inner tutu princess and have a little more fun! Maybe a little Shakespearean fun too...
Get to a theatre! Not everyone wants to join ballet classes (although I really think they should!), but even if you think it isn't your scene, if you've never seen a live performance - get yourself down there! (Just make sure your hair's perfect first - hair accessories are vital) I think once you've seen how energetic it all is, how much joy there is to be seen and how joyous and expressive it is (it’s not just for posh people) you might end up wanting to learn all the steps yourself!
*Twirl for a day. * Whether it's in the park or in your bedroom or just at the bus stop (with care, of course) it feels truly effortless when you spin around in a pink tutu, just as if you're actually on a ballet stage. I even found a secret patch of wild flowers and even if the deer gave me a bit of a fright (my heart did a little ballet move too!). it didn’t stop me twirling (that's how much fun I had - I'd forgotten how much a princess should move!)
Make a new friend! And share a love of something great (or at least be tempted by the idea - you can wear a pink tutu and watch it from your comfy chair!.) Even my friend’s partner who’s never seen a show and thinks it's something best left in the theatre came out raving about it! He even gave me a pink daisy for good measure! (because he doesn’t like pink – and because they're more practical! He says they will look lovely in the garden...) What's he like? He’s my mate though, because we all have our flaws – we have to find the good stuff - even if that means pretending for a day, you are that person! And how awesome is that?
Until next time!
Emma xXx
www.pink-tutu.com
