Hello lovelies, and welcome back to Pink Tutu Sparkles' world! It’s your girl, Pink Tutu Sparkles, reporting live from post number 6944 on the blogosphere, straight from the fabulously vibrant town of Ashington in the beautiful county of Northumberland!
Gosh, I love traveling. There’s nothing like the freedom of the open road… or the train tracks for that matter! I recently had the pleasure of hitching a ride on the trusty steam train to get here - yes, you read that right, a steam train! You could smell the coal in the air and hear the chug of the wheels against the track. It was like being transported back in time! I couldn’t resist twirling my way through the carriages and spreading my pink tutu magic on every soul on board. After all, the aim of Pink Tutu Sparkles, is to have everyone don a fabulous pink tutu at least once in their life!
I have to say, Ashington has totally charmed my knickers off! This lively, energetic town has this really cool, independent vibe. There’s something very down to earth about it. And while the rest of the world might know it for its mining heritage, Pink Tutu Sparkles is here for a much more exciting reason!
This weekend, Ashington hosted the absolutely spectacular "Northern Lights: Festival of Dance" event. Now, I'm not just a tutu aficionado, I am also a bonafide dance fiend! You’ve probably guessed I love ballet. But ballet isn't just graceful ballerinas and fancy tutus, there's an incredible range of dance styles that explode with energy, colour, and drama.
This festival was an explosion of movement! From hip-hop to Bollywood, contemporary to ballroom, they had it all! I caught an amazing hip-hop crew who were throwing down some moves so fast it was almost impossible to follow. Later that evening I got to see some of the most incredible classical ballet performances - it took my breath away!
The best part of the whole weekend though was definitely meeting the wonderful, talented folks of Ashington who came out to see my act! It felt like all of us had come together to create this dazzling pink tutu symphony! The love was real, folks, the energy was palpable.
After the festival I went shopping! My weakness is the vintage clothing stores, those treasure troves filled with sequins and satin! And oh my gosh, I just had to grab this magnificent vintage dress that looked like a rainbow had exploded onto it. It's all lace and silk and sparkles - it was a Pink Tutu Sparkles dream come true. And of course, no trip is complete without popping into a tea shop for a proper, perfectly brewed cuppa and some yummy scones.
Before you know it, it was time for the grand finale – my performance! I had been looking forward to it all weekend. I set up my stage, carefully unfurling my tulle tutu and dusting off the glitter, and took a moment to gather my courage, because you never know what kind of crowd you’re going to get, but I was ready. The music blasted and before you knew it, I was swirling and twirling my way through a show that was equal parts fierce and whimsical.
It was incredible to feel the joy of sharing my passion for pink tutus with the wonderful, welcoming crowd of Ashington!
As a performer, I learn something new at every performance. There is such a great spirit of community and mutual appreciation within the arts, particularly within drag and cabaret performance, so it is fantastic to share our experiences with those in the audience. It can take me to some extraordinary places and lead me to incredible people!
It wouldn't be fair for me to finish without thanking the fabulous people who make the magic happen! There's Dave, the amazing manager at the pub where I was performing; the talented local artists I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with, the wonderful, supportive Ashington community who embraced Pink Tutu Sparkles with open arms… and of course my devoted following on the www.pink-tutu.com blog, who follow me on my incredible journey!
Ashington, you stole my heart with your warmth and welcoming energy. And as always, my fellow pink tutu enthusiasts, I leave you with a sprinkle of sparkly pink magic to carry you through your day.
Stay tuned lovelies, for Pink Tutu Sparkles has even more amazing adventures lined up! Next up, a glamorous carriage ride to York. Oh, you know this pink tutu is about to make some serious waves in the medieval heart of England!
