Hello my lovely pink-tutu-loving darlings! It’s your favourite pink-clad time traveller, Emma, here, back with another #TutuTuesday post from my fabulous adventures through Ballet Tutu History! This week I've landed in, well, actually I took the Orient Express to, Paris! Oh, I do love a grand train journey, and the glamorous atmosphere on this train is just divine! I just have to share my Paris story in this week's post! It's just too delightful to keep quiet.
Post Number 5592 – Let's step into history…
The World Premiere of *The Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa*
Oh my, Paris is just so inspiring! The City of Lights really lives up to its name! It is full of creativity and, of course, I had to visit the Opera Garnier in all its gorgeous glory. Can you imagine how thrilling it must have been to see the world premiere of the magnificent The Sleeping Beauty ballet by Marius Petipa on February 28th, 1890 right here? Just picture the swirling tutus, the dramatic sets, the glittering jewels...I just can’t imagine the buzz of the crowd as the curtain went up! That premiere night was simply magical and the ballet, I hear, was a masterpiece – I’m off to see a performance tomorrow!
Fashion and the tutu!
Speaking of tutus, 1890 was such an interesting time for tutus! Did you know that the* Romantic tutu* - which was made with multiple layers of tulle - was very popular, even reaching the fashionable streets of London and Paris? You see, tutus were not only for the stage. Imagine that, darling! People actually wore tutus for fashion! Oh, how I adore that. I simply dream of the day tutus are embraced as everyday attire again! And to make it happen, I wear a bright pink one all day long. And my fellow ballerina bloggers will be sporting them too, of course! Let’s bring the pink-tutu movement to life, my darlings! This world is ready for tutus and all their joyful magic.
Now, before I hop back to the Orient Express, I want to talk about another Parisian fashion moment… Did you know the Parisian department stores were booming? All those lovely hats and gowns... I could happily lose myself in a whirl of exquisite outfits. And, speaking of fashion… have I told you how thrilled I am by the exquisite details and tailoring of ballet costumes? It really sets a wonderful example for the future of women’s clothing!
Back to the Train, My Darlings…
The train has started moving and I'm off again on my time travelling adventures. I must return to Derbyshire, England, for a lovely performance by The Royal Ballet, oh the magic of London! You see, I love to be at the heart of a wonderful ballet performance, and that makes all the travelling effort completely worthwhile! It fuels my love of all things ballet and gives me ideas for future pink-tutu outfits, so there is truly no place I'd rather be than at a ballet performance in an enchanting theatre setting. The magic of ballet truly inspires my soul, it sets my imagination soaring and allows me to connect with generations before me and those that will come in the future, my lovely tutu darlings. It's really something quite magical.
Oh my! Did I forget to tell you? It’s been such an amazing week. I managed to slip a little trip to the ballet with Anna Pavlova and her performance in The Dying Swan... Absolutely stunning and absolutely iconic! She moves so effortlessly and with such grace, her posture, oh darling it just made me cry! How she made the audience weep with her performance. It really moved me. I loved seeing it all through my pink tulle tutu - I felt truly a part of her magical world. And then, I met the darling Marie Taglioni, oh my! It was just like my favourite book. And guess what I got to try on? Her original tutu from La Sylphide – imagine! A real-life ballet dream come true. It really does make you feel you are truly living a fairy tale. The soft tulle was so lovely - the quality so amazing and it still looked absolutely beautiful on stage - what a masterpiece of Parisian design - what a historical find - wow!
I am really grateful for all of my travelling adventures, each day in the past is an experience for the soul. Oh, the stories, the emotions, the fashion! I must tell you about it next week! See you all then and stay sparkly and be sure to don a pink tutu on Tuesdays, don’t you dare be seen in anything else - ahem!
I do hope to inspire more of my fellow ballet enthusiasts to try this and to wear it proudly and with an air of grace and elegance, because when all is said and done every day is a day for wearing tutus! Don’t forget that dear friends - let’s create a future where pink tutus rule the day.
Catch me on www.pink-tutu.com and don’t forget to #TutuTuesday!
Until next Tuesday, my sweet pink tutu-loving darlings… Emma xo
