Hello darlings! Emma here, back from another fabulous trip through time, and Iâm absolutely buzzing about my latest adventures. This month, I set my sparkly, pink-sequined time travel leotard to 5th May 1898, a date thatâs quite the turning point in ballet history, I promise you!
Now, I always find the 1890s a little bitâŚuncertain. It was a time when dance costumes were, shall we say, âmore practical than prettyâ. Those voluminous, frilly skirts? Forget them! Ladies wore long, white skirts over their leotards and tunics, whichâŚwell, it doesnât exactly shout 'ballet beautyâ now does it? Thankfully, as youâll see, things were just about to change!
So, let me paint you a picture of 1898, a bustling, energetic London. Think cobbled streets, carriages rattling past, and a whiff of smoke in the air.
I had my usual street ballet performance lined up, which I absolutely loved. Londoners were thrilled by a young lady in a hot pink, tutu-clad glory â I swear, I had their eyes glued! But that wasn't my real reason for visiting. My target? The Empire Theatre. You see, 1898 was a game-changer for the leotard â oh, and for ballet in general. Why? Because, darlings, it was the year of âThe Dancing Girlâ!
Now, this wasnât just any old production. "The Dancing Girl" was the absolute peak of Parisian Belle Ăpoque theatre, brought to the Empire Theatre by the illustrious Loie Fuller â she's like the Coco Chanel of dance fashion, you see. The story? An absolutely delightful musical masterpiece about, of course, a glamorous dancer.
I, naturally, HAD to get myself to that show. Now, you know me, darling. Canât stand to be the least bit late! It was the 5th May, the Empire Theatre packed out to the rafters, a cacophony of gasps and cheers â just my style.
And then⌠the reveal. Imagine a billowing, ethereal silk dress. Not white, oh no. My darlings, this was bright purple silk. She flowed across the stage like liquid, like a breathtaking purple haze. Forget frilly white skirts, forget drab practicality. Fuller was all about movement, all about drama, and sheâd reinvented the dance leotard into something spectacular. This dress wasnât just about dance; it became the dance itself.
From the moment Loie stepped onto the stage, everyone was mesmerised. It wasn't just the costume, darling. Fuller brought her own brand of dynamic movement. She created her own visual spectacle, and it took London by storm.
I was swept up in the sheer energy of it all, lost in a whirlpool of color and motion. I practically leapt onto the stage (almost got tackled by a nearby theatre guard!) Just look at this beautiful vision - I snapped this picture for my followers (using my handy dandy time-traveling camera).
[INSERT PICTURE OF LOIE FULLER IN 'THE DANCING GIRL']
"The Dancing Girl" sparked a movement, a change, a revolution in dance fashion that is still being felt today. Loie, through her artistry and her daring fashion, truly made ballet sexy and sophisticated again, and for that, I will always thank her.
The Empire Theatre, oh how you mesmerised me! But letâs step away from the spotlight, darling, and get back to whatâs really important: leotard history! The dancewear from that show, that glorious purple dress, inspired other choreographers to embrace movement and color. Suddenly, it wasnât enough to just have a practical undergarment â they wanted leotards to become an integral part of the performance, an expression of dance itself.
Now, of course, we see this everywhere, in everything, from modern ballet to contemporary street dancing. And if you're in Derby this year, check out the annual Derbyshire Ballet Gala, which has become quite the glamorous event â thanks to âThe Dancing Girlâ and all that it stood for. Itâs inspired entire generations of performers and dance lovers. Itâs why my mission is to spread this kind of fabulousness - not just with the leotards, but with the love of movement, the drama of dance and, of course, my darling pink tutus.
Speaking of which, darling, did you see the latest leotard collections that popped up at my local boutiques? Think sparkly sequined jumpsuits and silky, iridescent leotards. This new age of leotard design is totally fabulous. But remember, dear followers, itâs all thanks to pioneers like Loie Fuller. She was a true trendsetter! And thanks to my time traveling, I was able to be a part of it all!
Stay fabulous, and see you next month for another installment of my time-traveling adventures! And remember, darlings, a pink tutu always elevates any situation, whether it's 1898 or 2023!
