Hello my lovely pink tutu-loving friends! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, your monthly dose of all things ballet and time travel! I'm Emma, your friendly neighbourhood ballerina from Derbyshire, and I'm so excited to share this month's adventures with you. It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted! My latest adventures have taken me back to 1768, to 5th May to be precise. What a fabulous month it's been - but, as always, let's not get ahead of ourselves!
Remember, dear readers, our motto is: "A pink tutu a day keeps the boredom away!" (And, if you haven't already, head over to my online shop, where I have a beautiful selection of vintage pink tutus. They really are the perfect accompaniment to your ballet and time travel outfits).
This time around, I took my trusty steed, Magic Meg, for a whirl. Have I told you about Magic Meg? She's a magnificent shire horse - a real stunner. You just have to see the twinkle in her big brown eyes, and the flash of her golden hooves. Meg's a deep shade of pink, and has a mane and tail as white as a ballerina's slippers! I do spoil her, though, don't I? I think she deserves it though; after all, she carries me through the most fabulous adventures! We head off each month to see the world of ballet from different eras! Just you wait and see where I go next!
This time, my mission was to delve into 1768 - the year ballet was becoming increasingly popular in London. You can just imagine, darling! All the beautiful dances and elaborate costumes...
I, naturally, made sure my pink tutu was perfectly polished for my visit. Meg, who is used to the odd historical dress-up occasion, just patiently munched on some sugar lumps as I tied my ballet shoes and added a little shimmering blusher (which my makeup artist told me was all the rage in the 18th century, which gave me some great ideas for my ballet inspired makeup brand! Ooh, perhaps you’ll get to see it soon…).
Meg had my lovely vintage rucksack prepped, and we were off!
The trip itself was fantastic. London was so vibrant! As we rode through the streets, I felt as if I was gliding alongside those elegant and colourful carriages that whisked London's high society around the city! I'd have loved to join one! What I wouldn’t give for a leisurely afternoon with the elite ladies, discussing all things ballet (perhaps over tea, with cucumber sandwiches and pastries). Now that's a memory I'd be delighted to add to my ballerina-filled backpack!
While 1768 might be quite a few centuries ago, I was able to find quite a lot of fabulous activities happening! From what I could glean, there was so much excitement swirling around the world of ballet!
You may be surprised, but dancing on 5th May, 1768, didn't solely depend on a lucky 13! That week, a truly unique theatrical event graced the stage in London! You see, on the 3rd May, 1768, an elegant theatre opened up its doors called The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane! The grandeur of its design was unmatched, making the theatrical performances utterly opulent. And this is where we can find the real star of our story: Mr David Garrick himself! I even heard it whispered that he gave an electrifying performance with a new ballet company called The London Ballet Company (and they didn't have pink tutus, I'm not sure if this was the fashion back then!)
Mr Garrick, I later found out, was not just a famed actor - oh no! He was also a playwright and, oh how exciting, a great proponent of ballet! He believed so much in the art form that he brought some extraordinary dancers to grace London's stages! Just think: I missed being there! Now, darling, my time machine's not quite that fast - yet. Perhaps next time I'll be able to find an event in the weeks preceding my trips and be right there for those beautiful debut performances!
As a dancer, it fills my heart with excitement to hear about those early years! To be honest, with each time trip I go on, the beauty of ballet just grows. And of course, darling, it goes without saying: all those delicate dance movements make me want to spin and twirl! You wouldn't believe the ballet steps that I've learned, thanks to these journeys. Just the other week, a very famous ballerina who I’ve met during one of my journeys gave me a private lesson in the French "pas de basque." That was very good for me. Now, my pink tutu-loving friends, let me share a secret… (Oh, darling! What am I saying! You’re my readers, you can handle the truth!) The "pas de basque" looks so wonderful, but it took so much practice - but practice makes perfect, darling, especially with these little twirls and graceful moves! That's my little secret tip: even ballet takes plenty of work!
Now, speaking of beautiful work, let's talk about some other exciting discoveries from 1768…
In France, there was something truly revolutionary happening in the world of fashion - the fashion of ballet, and indeed ballet itself, as we know it! Oh, it’s exciting just thinking about it. Just imagine – the beauty of 18th-century France! With all the extravagance, the silk fabrics, the flowing curls, and those delicate lace ribbons. Sighs. This era’s aesthetic has just sparked so many creative ideas in me. The idea of delicate fabrics moving across the stage... and with the pink tutu… I shall see what I can do. Perhaps, when I’m next in Paris, I can visit a theatre with this vision in my mind, and create a performance that mixes a touch of Paris in the 1760s with my love for the pink tutu, of course. But it doesn't end there. Oh, darling! This really is a wonderful month. On May 3rd, another performance featuring the very famous Jean-Georges Noverre – I just had to have a closer look into him – took place. As it turns out, dear friends, this is no ordinary performer! Why? Noverre was the person who took ballet into new, even exciting dimensions. And get this! It seems that it's Noverre who revolutionized ballet through his innovative approach. And I was there, my darling, right there, in a time where ballet had such a fresh perspective, oh my, what a day!
There was so much creativity swirling in the air that week. And with Noverre, ballet moved towards what we see in today's ballets: narratives and artistic concepts. What an astounding step forward, even though we’ve lost the spectacle of those 18th-century costumes!
Here is what I gleaned from my journal that week about the incredible Jean-Georges Noverre!
Ballet Became a Narrative Artform: The 1768 world of ballet took a leap of faith with Noverre and moved into the era of narratives, of ballets that truly had stories.
Dramatic Choreography: Noverre introduced innovative movements to convey emotion and tell a tale, like bringing dancing and acting together – so exciting! I've really been working on those emotional cues myself, it takes a lot of work!
The Birth of Ballet d'Action - Now that really does speak to the heart! The way the dancers interact and tell stories... I must have missed Noverre's ballet company. Oh dear, next month, maybe I should look out for more! I want to travel back further in time to the point when ballets started, and perhaps, who knows? Noverre's troupe might have taken place! Just imagine, darling, me and my pink tutu – just in time to meet Jean-Georges! That would be absolutely fabulous! Giggles!
But we don’t stop there! From what I can see, Noverre also played a crucial part in making ballet something really spectacular for the public. He made sure that the sets were truly breathtaking – for example, the stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ooh, so theatrical, all those colours!
Imagine the spectacle and grandeur that he created: all the scenery! He must have seen himself creating these amazing dances and beautiful stories! As I put down my pen to think more about his work, my heart just fills up. Such vision. Such a talent. He just wanted to bring joy and storytelling into everyone's life – that’s the real heart of what he accomplished. He helped make it a real experience, something truly beautiful to watch.
What a month in history this was! Now, I just need to figure out how to make Magic Meg travel to Paris this time... I hear that Noverre himself danced in Paris as well! I need to get a peek at the city during those golden years - the sights, the shops, the fashion – oh, darling, just imagine it all! I simply cannot wait! Twirls pink tutu excitedly
Before you head off, be sure to look back at previous pink tutu time-traveling posts at www.pink-tutu.com for more ballet history. You’ll be able to keep up to date on all the fabulous adventures I’ve been on so far. I’ll see you next month, darling, for a new historical journey and a dose of inspiration in your world of dance.
Until next month!
Yours in pink,
Emma
