Hello darlings! It's Emma, your resident Tutu Tuesday chronicler, back from another whirlwind trip through time! I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but trust me, my love of tutus and a few magical performances have landed me in some truly fabulous places! This week, we're jet-setting (or, should I say, train-setting?) back to the 26th of October, 2004, and boy, oh boy, was it a stunner!
I’m back in England this week, a stone’s throw from Derbyshire, my stomping grounds. It was here, you know, that ballet first really captured my heart. My mum took me to my first ballet class at five years old. You'd think I was seeing fairies dancing on moonbeams! I knew I had found my life’s passion - not just ballet, but all things tutu, fluffy, and undeniably fabulous!
Since then, I've taken every opportunity to immerse myself in all things dance, including the biggest ballet events, a whole slew of incredible shopping sprees (I confess to a penchant for pretty frocks and fabulous accessories!), and the occasional performance myself (I just love to feel the energy of an audience when I twirl!). Oh, and I've mastered the art of train travel - who needs planes when you can watch the countryside go by while sipping champagne, surrounded by luxurious luggage, and the gentle tinkling of my pointe shoes against the polished train floor?
But back to the present (or rather, the past), 2004 was a big year in the world of dance. The Royal Ballet, that temple of elegance, celebrated its 75th birthday with a spectacular gala, the highlight of which was an awe-inspiring performance of 'La Bayadère'. The audience was completely captivated - even my fellow time travellers from the 2020s (where it seems tutus are, curiously, not quite as popular! What a tragedy!).
Now, in 2004, pink was all the rage, just like today! But not the 'bubblegum' pink, oh no, darling! This was a deep, vibrant pink, full of sophistication. Imagine a petal from a beautiful rose, just about to unfurl in the sunshine - that's the pink we're talking about! So of course, for the occasion, I donned my signature fuchsia tutu, and let me tell you, the effect was magical!
What was happening around the globe on this exciting day?
- The first of the ‘War of the Worlds’ books (in English) came out - a rather fitting piece of fiction as, that very year, astronomers announced the discovery of 281 extrasolar planets! The Universe is, after all, filled with mystery and wonder. Just like ballet!
- The Olympics held the first-ever official skateboarding competition - which was truly mind-boggling to see as they spun and glided on boards, not just shoes! What fun would that be, especially on a dance floor?
- That year, there were 1,189 active websites! Just imagine - and this was just websites! It must have been incredibly hard to pick which to visit! A million times harder than choosing which fabulous ballet costume to wear for an evening out on the town!
Back in 2004, dance schools and performances were popping up all over the world, with more and more people taking to the stage. From Broadway's glamorous productions to local theatre companies putting on their own exciting interpretations of classics like 'The Nutcracker,' everyone seemed to be embracing the power of dance.
But don’t think, dear readers, that the excitement ended there! The real highlight for me, however, was my impromptu visit to a vintage fashion boutique nestled in a cobbled street just a few miles from Derbyshire. The shop was a wonderland of delicate fabrics, decadent silks, and stunning gowns from bygone eras! Now, any true ballerina knows that fashion and dance are inseparable, so my little heart almost burst with delight!
You can imagine, I had to snag myself a new addition to my collection. After all, one can never have too many tutus! It was a soft, shimmering pink tutu, crafted with the most intricate layers of tulle - perfect for those graceful pirouettes and high-kicks! And with a little bit of ingenuity (and a pinch of time travel magic), I even managed to snag some matching silk gloves and a little pink beret - very elegant, darling!
It’s times like these, my dears, that make me believe anything is possible. All it takes is a sprinkle of pixie dust (and perhaps a bit of champagne) and you can travel anywhere, wear any fabulous outfit, and dance to your heart’s content! Now, until next week’s Tutu Tuesday, I encourage you all to take a twirl, a pirouette, a big, bold leap of faith and maybe, just maybe, try on a little pink tutu of your own! You never know what adventures might unfold.
Happy twirling!
Emma x