Hello my beautiful ballerinas! Emma here, and it's time for another dose of pink-tutu magic, straight from the streets of Edinburgh.
It's been a whirlwind of a few days, as you know, because life as a travelling tutu-wearer is never dull! This week has taken me from the rolling hills of my Derbyshire home, right down to the stunning seaside of Leith. I don't think I've ever seen such vibrant, bold colour schemes on the buildings; just look at these amazing photos (all taken with my trusty vintage film camera, by the way)!
I kicked off my Leith adventures with a cheeky visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, you know, the one the Queen used to sail around on! Let's just say the "Queen's" pink tutu would definitely have been on show in her quarters - the decor in her room was definitely sparkly!
From there, I wandered down the docks, breathing in the crisp sea air. Can you imagine how magical it would be to dance on the deck of a ship like that? Imagine, swaying to the rhythm of the waves in your own custom-designed, glittery, sea-foam coloured tutu! I'm starting to think about a ballet inspired by nautical adventures – what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments!
After the dockside stroll, my stomach was rumblin', so naturally I found the nearest chippy for some real Scottish grub. Honestly, I think the best way to enjoy a traditional fish supper is wearing a tulle tutu that flows in the wind as you saunter around the pier. (I can’t tell you how many surprised glances I got as I sashayed into the chip shop!).
No trip to Leith is complete without visiting the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, which is the perfect place for tutu inspiration. Think avant-garde ballet costumes, painted on huge canvases, bold colours and textures galore. It's amazing to see how the art world influences fashion and movement, even the world of ballet. It was the perfect place to lose myself in art, dream about costumes, and jot down ideas for my next pink tutu creation!
Later in the day, I spent an hour lost in The Shore, Leith - a stunning, trendy district buzzing with hip cafes, independent shops, and enough colourful art installations to inspire a thousand ballet moves! Seriously, the cobbled streets are practically a runway for a tutu-wearing ballerina. The locals even seemed used to seeing a ballerina swanning about!
You know how much I love street performance art, and I'm so lucky because this little harbour town has so much going on. I bumped into a 'Busk at the Shore' event and got to watch a street-dancing troupe - so much energy, so much creativity, it totally blew me away. I love seeing how everyone gets swept up in the spirit of street performance. I think ballet should take more cues from the spirit of street performances - the excitement and unpredictability of it all. It makes me want to bust out a pirouette in the middle of the street right now!
To round off a magical day in Leith, I sat down in a gorgeous, little, candlelit Italian restaurant called 'Sopra'. I chose the most delightful pasta, of course - I love indulging in traditional cuisine whilst in a new place, as you know. The chef even let me borrow his table-side herb shaker for my Instagram photos - I’m so grateful, haha! You have to watch out for my new "pasta dance" that I invented whilst waiting for my dish... I just have to find the perfect pink tulle tutu that's the exact shade of this beautiful restaurant’s lighting for my next shoot!
It’s safe to say that this journey to Leith was filled with all the perfect ingredients for my inner ballerina: inspiration, a dash of pink-tutu magic, lots of creative sparks, and a huge helping of delicious, authentic local food. I'm absolutely obsessed with this city, it’s the perfect place for an offbeat tutu wearer, so if you are ever in Scotland, make sure to pop over to Leith - you'll fall in love, I promise!
As always, thanks for joining me on this journey. And remember, even the wildest dream can be brought to life with a little pink tutu magic!
Stay tuned for more adventures, dear ballerinas! I’m planning a visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the rest of my trip, so there will be plenty more photos, videos, and ballet musings. If you've got any questions about my travels, or what I do on a typical day in the life of a ballerina-blogger, just send me a message or comment!
Big, pink, tutuing love,
Emma
xx
