Hello, darlings! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink-tutu-wearing time traveller, bringing you another fabulous journey into the world of ballet tutus. This week, we're waltzing back to August 15th, 1893, a date ripe with theatrical enchantment! Let's don our dancing shoes and step into this delightful time, shall we?
Before we begin, don't forget to check out my other blog posts and follow me on all the social platforms! My new #PinkTutuChallenge is sweeping the world - tell me how you're wearing pink tutus this week in the comments!
Now, back to our journey! The year is 1893, and the world of ballet is buzzing with excitement. The grand ballerinas of the era, adorned in beautiful tutus, are captivating audiences in theatres across Europe and beyond.
Today, let's head over to London, the heart of ballet theatre at the time! This city is absolutely buzzing with dance! Imagine stepping out of a steam-powered train (what a romantic experience, eh?) and into the heart of Covent Garden, where the Royal Opera House stands majestic and proud. That's where the magic unfolds. I can almost hear the tinkling notes of the orchestra as they start to play, and feel the anticipation rippling through the audience.
As the lights dim, I imagine I'm stepping out onto the stage - the smell of the orchestra's rosin is in the air and I can feel the warmth of the spotlight! I envision graceful dancers twirling and leaping, each one a beautiful flower in bloom! Their tutus are breathtakingly delicate, often made of layers upon layers of soft tulle that catch the light beautifully, creating a ethereal cloud around their forms. Imagine the colour! We are still talking the romantic palette here - lots of creamy whites, ivory, and pale blues. They even made these colours shimmer by adding metallic threads or even tiny crystals. Ooh! What a beautiful dream to behold.
Back in the audience, everyone is captivated - you can practically hear the hush in the room as everyone waits to see what amazing artistry will unfold. That’s the power of ballet - it makes the world forget everything else! The excitement at the Royal Opera House that night must have been incredible - after all, it is in London that some of the greatest ballet legends are performing at the moment! I bet a certain Sergei Diaghilev, who will one day become known for revolutionizing ballet, is attending the show tonight.
Speaking of tutus, do you know that the tutu actually started as a garment meant to hide the dancer’s feet? Yep! Before the days of Pointe shoes, ballerinas used to perform in heeled shoes! I can’t imagine that – ballet with heeled shoes sounds rather painful!
But the early tutus really were much more like full-length skirts, creating a bell shape over the dancer’s entire form. A dancer from this era wouldn't be caught dead with a tutu above her knees! No, my dear! A skirt so big it required at least 15 yards of material was needed! We may have shorter tutus now, but back in the day the romantic tutus would truly have flowed and moved in every graceful movement the dancers performed. Just thinking about all those layers and fabrics fluttering in the air makes me giddy with delight!
After all the dancing, there would have been so many stylish balls to attend too! After a sumptuous dinner with friends and family, ballet fans would head to some of the many fabulous ballrooms for evenings of waltzing, laughter and perhaps a little flirtation, of course! What a wonderful, refined life! Do you think they have ball gowns with tutu skirts? I might have to time travel back in the time machine to see for myself! And remember, the women would never leave their houses, ballrooms or the opera house without a fancy hat! Imagine those delicate feathers adorning a glamorous bonnet or hat...
After all that, I can hardly wait for the end of the evening! The whole town feels positively sparkly, just as a little black tutu does when worn for the perfect occasion! Now, this is just one night, darlings. Imagine this every night! So many people dancing! So many beautiful performances! It was truly the golden age of ballet.
I wonder what amazing ballets are showing at the Royal Opera House this week? My next time-travel trip needs to be very, very soon. Until next Tuesday, remember to dance with joy and share your pink tutu adventures with me on #PinkTutuChallenge! And don't forget, your very own journey into the magical world of tutus begins with a single leap of imagination, a bit of sparkle, and a sprinkle of pink!
Stay glamorous!
Love,
Emma
