Hello darlings! Welcome back to another thrilling #TutuTuesday! Today we’re stepping back in time, all the way to 17 October 1911! It’s a date that just sings with Parisian glamour, a date where I just have to don my favourite blush-pink tutu and hop aboard the Orient Express for a fabulous journey into the heart of ballet history!
My dear readers, today we're heading to the grand Théâtre de l’Opéra in Paris! It's the centre of the ballet world right now, where the most breathtaking costumes, enchanting music, and the most talented dancers come together. It's where you can practically taste the magic in the air!
Today is a momentous day because it marks the world premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s "The Rite of Spring"! This groundbreaking, truly avant-garde ballet broke all the rules and made quite the stir with its revolutionary choreography and explosive, primitive music! Imagine, all the traditional, delicate moves thrown out the window, replaced with strong, visceral movement. It was shocking, it was revolutionary! It certainly got people talking! Imagine!
You know how much I love a bit of excitement, and while my heart might skip a beat for graceful leaps and delicate arabesques, sometimes a bit of fiery rebellion and primal movement just adds that extra pinch of spice! The Rite of Spring might be a little too dramatic for me to pirouette around to (well, perhaps only a little), but the boldness and originality of this ballet, that's definitely a cause for celebration.
Speaking of bold, don't forget our dear friend, Vaslav Nijinsky, the genius choreographer! He took The Rite of Spring to a whole other level with his breathtaking choreography! He was such a force! Can you imagine the world without his groundbreaking and daring moves, the jumps and leaps, the angular movements and raw expressions! Imagine how much duller and less vibrant the dance world would be!
He also made the daring choice of incorporating the colour pink in this ballet - but we’ll save that topic for a future post, it's enough to spark an entirely new conversation!
Now, back to our timeline - imagine Paris, the City of Lights, in 1911! The Belle Epoque, an era dripping in style and elegance! Paris, with its elegant boulevards, fashion houses bustling with creativity, and a bohemian artistic scene that hums with passion.
Of course, a day in 1911 Paris wouldn’t be complete without a touch of high fashion! It was the era of fashion icons like Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret! It was all about effortless elegance and modern simplicity! You can find the same kind of elegance and simplicity in some modern ballet costumes today. Isn’t that lovely? And yes, even then they did love pink and they still do! Pink for ballet, pink for fashion, it’s a winning combination for both of them!
So, dear readers, let us toast to 17 October 1911! A day when the world of dance embraced the bold, the revolutionary, and the absolutely fabulous! To the memory of The Rite of Spring, its bold choreography, its captivating music, and its shockingly gorgeous colour schemes.
Remember to embrace your inner fashionista, stay glamorous, and always remember to put on your pink tutu and pirouette through life, even if it’s just in the privacy of your own home. Stay tuned for more fabulous historical tales and pink tutus!
Bisous!
Emma xoxo
