Hello darling tutu lovers! Welcome back to my blog, Pink Tutu! It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another installment of my #TutuTuesday ballet tutu history blog. I’ve just arrived back from Paris, darling! As always, I'm thrilled to be here to share all the latest news and happenings in the tutu world.
Today, I’m stepping back in time to 24th June 1969. Can you imagine? It's so exciting! Just a few days ago, a very special event took place in the world of ballet – The Royal Ballet debuted The Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Now, you might be thinking, "Emma, The Sleeping Beauty is so classic! We all know about that one".
Yes darling, it is! And that’s exactly why it's worth a deeper look today. You see, this wasn’t just any performance of The Sleeping Beauty. This was The Sleeping Beauty with a very special guest starring in it: Margot Fonteyn!
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Dame Margot dance, let me tell you, this is truly a ballet legend. Her performances are absolutely divine! There’s nothing quite like seeing this graceful lady take to the stage. This debut performance was absolutely captivating, and it had everyone talking! The Sleeping Beauty itself was spectacularly executed – from the dazzling set and costumes to the incredible choreography, it was pure magic! Margot, in her final role as the Princess Aurora, truly made the role her own! But darling, there’s something else that was a little bit magical too. That night was not just any night - the moon landing happened on 20th July.
Let me rewind for you. Can you imagine the news in that period, being so absolutely swept up in the race to space and the thrill of Apollo 11 landing on the moon? That news would have been on everyone’s lips, the entire world’s eyes would have been on NASA!
Just a couple of weeks after the moon landing, with the entire world gazing into space at what humans were achieving, we also had the amazing achievement of human beauty and artistry here on earth, with Margot dancing at the Royal Opera House!
Here's the wonderful part. That The Sleeping Beauty performance, like all good stories of ballet, had its twists and turns. Let's face it, sometimes, life just isn’t a fairy tale! There were rumours that this might be the last performance Dame Margot Fonteyn would be giving – some even suggested she had retired from dancing altogether. Luckily for us all, her career went on, but the performance that evening, the way she moved in that very special tutu, her elegance, grace, and charisma, had the entire audience enraptured. We all held our breath! It was truly something quite special, darling, something very magical, very fairy tale like in a period of scientific leaps and bounds.
There were so many emotions surrounding that performance: pride, awe, amazement, excitement and also a little touch of bittersweet sadness. What a very special night it must have been for ballet lovers all over the world. I just wished I could have been there too!
Oh darling, the joy I get from travelling to this date is fantastic! It makes my heart sing to see how this very special date still holds its place in our history – all the magic and beauty of that evening at the opera house in London are as relevant today as they were in 1969. So today, let’s take inspiration from Dame Margot Fonteyn. Get your dancing shoes on darling!
Just like those first ballerinas of centuries past, Dame Margot’s performances proved to the world that nothing could stand in the way of her dedication, beauty and commitment to her art form.
When you go for your dance class this week, remember: be proud of your performance. Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect to be a great performance, and most importantly darling: enjoy your dancing! And oh! Please remember to post a photo of you dancing and tag me on Instagram - you know I’m absolutely dying to see your tutus! I also love it when you let me know which historical performance was your favorite!
Until next week darling, have a fabulously twirly tutu-filled week.
Yours always, Emma
