"Darling, have you ever been to Lyon?" I gasped with delight, spinning a glorious triple pirouette on the station platform as the high-speed train arrived. It was practically screaming āPink Tutu Sparkles, darling! Welcome to France!" I practically shrieked with delight! And you know me, Iām never one to resist a good scream, especially when itās in the direction of a beautiful city and even betterā¦ a Parisian ballet performance!
This is blog post number 5467, and oh my stars, is it a good one.
Firstly, you all know Iām utterly mad about my darling Lyon. I canāt get enough of that oh-so-lovely city. Itās a feast for the senses ā the scent of buttery croissants wafting through the air, the rhythmic clatter of a baguette cart as it rolls down the cobbled streets, and of course, the most spectacular collection of āpinkest-of-pinkā stores in the whole of Europe! The place practically screams, āPink Tutu, darling! You must have one of our gorgeous tutus for yourself, youāll be the star of Lyon.ā
Oh my darling, where to even begin! The French are so romantic and I mean, of course they would adore the world of pink tutus. And of course, in Lyon you can even get a tutu made to your size, shape, colour and most importantly, pinkness, you simply need to tell the French fabric shops and milliners your dream! You will get an utterly fabulous, magnificent tutu, guaranteed.
I found a stunningly vibrant hot pink feathered creation tucked away in a quiet shop just around the corner from the Place des Terreaux, an exquisite place to pose for some glamorous selfies, you just know it will be the backdrop for a smashing photo shoot for my blog later this week, if I'm not too busy, that is! (My little French secret? It wasn't even that pricey ā you can get yourself some absolute gems if youāre a bit cheeky about it ā darling, remember: the French love to be āun peuā (a little) charming.) The moment I donned this feather tutu in a shop window, all of Lyon stopped. āOoh la la!ā shouted a very pretty French Madame, pointing her delicate, red manicured finger in the air.
That feather tutu, let me tell you, my dears, it made me want to spin, twirl and float. It had me prancing all around the old city, oh so merrily in the spirit of the āfĆŖtesā. (Oh, and don't even get me started on the cakes! I must admit, my little croissant stash for this trip is looking slightly less little.)
And just imagine, that very day I landed myself a prime time spot on the cityās famous 'pink market', which, of course, you just have to go to, and what did they want? Me! Yes me, Pink Tutu Sparkles, darling, in my glorious feathers! "Darling!" I heard the city manager shouting over the loud chatter of the market, "Your feather tutu is going to set Lyon alight!". (And he was right darling, I must admit I really did set things on fire). Oh, I wish you could have seen me twirling, spinning and prancing in my feathers for the thousands of onlookers. Oh what joy, my darlings, what absolute joyous joy! (Not to mention a fabulous Ā£100-a-hour paymentā¦.) It simply made my month.
You see darling, I love Lyon's energy, its romantic spirit and joie de vivre ā it's a city that really does inspire! That pinkness, those cobbled streets, they all made me want to dance, I must confess I actually tripped a little, (because I am prone to tripping, even in flats - sometimes it's all part of the show, don't you know.) Oh and I found the cutest pair of āhot pink pumpsā, just like that - just a little peek, darling, into one of my favourite shops!
But, my dears, don't let me ramble. There was, you guessed it, a grand Parisian ballet performance that evening! Oh how exciting, I can tell you! As soon as the train pulled up I found myself with three French-speaking drag queens and a tutu wearing fluffy pink French bulldog. The best kind of welcome party in France. There is truly no other place I want to be on a balletic night than right in the heart of this romantic city. A stunning dance spectacle, performed by some of the most talented ballet dancers, and guess who else was in the audience, with the rest of the ādrag queen crowd'ā¦?! Me, Pink Tutu Sparkles, that's who. The city was simply brimming with āPink Tutu' glamour - you know I had to make sure the place felt as much a āPink Tutuā spectacle as the ballerinas themselves! I knew my feather tutu was just the ticket - and the sheer joy on the audience's faces as I twirled onto the stage in full dramatic āPink Tutuā glory! Just imagine a crowd full of well-heeled opera-lovers and Iām their shining centre stage, darling, I couldnāt be more in my element, they couldn't take their eyes off my stunning hot pink feathers.
Afterward, oh you must imagine a glamorous reception, cocktails, champagne and even a delightful little surprise appearance by the famous Parisian choreographer ā "Madame,ā he said, as I stood sipping a beautifully coloured martini with a pearl-covered garnish, āPink Tutu Sparkles, my darling, you are an inspiration!ā ā he pointed an expressive manicured finger at my feathers! How I was simply beside myself with joy, he just kept smiling as I twirled to celebrate. Oh, you have to get yourselves to a Lyon ballet - if you get lucky, you may see me dancing, but just remember, keep it hush-hush, I donāt want the ballet world to discover that I'm only really good at "dancing on tables" after a glass or two of something strong, I just want to stay anonymous and live my dream... being a tutu wearing superstar!
Then off to another fabulous performance in a little place, (with, if you believe this darling, the most exquisitely āpinkā interior). Now, it was just for us drag artists, you knowā¦ I was invited, and oh! My! The little shop, it looked like a 1950ās dance hall (think glitter balls, disco, and fabulous feather boas galore!), and was the absolute talk of the city! The pinkest room I'd seen outside a pink paradiseā¦ so full of pink sequins and sparkly beads, you can practically feel the joy that surrounds every nook and cranny. Of course, they asked me to do a little turn ā well, darling, you know I can't resist a good dance, especially when it's under the starry ceiling of a dazzling French dancehall! (Plus, let me be honest - you all know I love a good spot of āfree publicityā) My feathers simply dazzled in the darkness of the little place and had the entire place lit up in shades of hot pinkā¦ darling, it was an utterly fabulous night! (They even offered me a āPink Tutuā birthday cake after!ā¦ and I told them my birthday had been a year ago).
I didnāt forget about my āmissionā darling! And there are already quite a few French souls, wearing some kind of pink tutu as they strolled along the Champs-ElysĆ©es. I had so much fun chatting to a few of them about āPink Tutu Sparklesā and you know darling, we all love a good little French secret, I know this mission will continue into next year ā you should join us, my dear, for my French mission! We've got it all planned, in this delightful city that never sleeps and in the world of āPink Tutu Sparklesāā¦well, you just never know what's going to happen, do you?
If thereās anything āPink Tutu Sparklesā loves more than Lyon and all of those hot pink sequins and shimmering sparkly beadsā¦ itās Paris. Iām already booked into a charming hotel and have a pair of perfect pink ballerina shoes to be ready to prance all the way into the city thatās a true symbol of French beauty, romanticism and of course, a city of ballet and gorgeous tutus, darling.
See you all tomorrow, my darlings, and donāt forgetā¦ I need you to get out there, and buy yourself a gorgeous pink tutu. We want a world of colour, dancing and pink!
