Hello, darlings! 💋
It's Wednesday again, and you know what that means... another scintillating post from your favourite pink tutu-wearing, space-faring ballerina, Emma! 💫
Today, we're back on good ol' Planet Earth after a whirlwind galactic tour. Oh, the things I've seen! You wouldn't believe the ballet on this one little planet - seriously, every galaxy should have such vibrant, energetic talent!
So let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? It's Wednesday the 24th of September, 2003 - can you believe it's been that long?! Honestly, time flies when you're having a grand old time prancing around the universe in a pink tutu, don't you think? 😜
My week was packed, I tell you! After arriving back on Earth with a shimmery glow (the cosmic dust here just adds a little extra twinkle, darling) I was immediately whisked away to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham, my hometown!
And let me tell you, Nottingham never disappoints when it comes to fashion, food, and fabulousness. Oh, and did I mention the amazing show? They had this super theatrical, emotive performance of Swan Lake. 🦢 The ballerinas were phenomenal - the sheer athleticism, the emotional expression... just breathtaking. I even had a little chat with one of the ballerinas afterwards, she was lovely, had a truly magnificent tutu, and agreed that life is best when you embrace pink! 🩰 💖
I know what you're thinking, dear readers - “Emma, isn’t it a little stuffy, being on Planet Earth? What about your amazing cosmic adventures?”
Oh, you're so right to ask, my darling! The adventures never stop! I just can't help myself, I have this deep passion for ballet and need to experience it everywhere. After all, the true history of ballet, the story of those graceful leaps and captivating movements...it transcends planets, you know! It's an eternal flame! 🔥
And let's face it, Earth is quite the fashion hub! A little wander around Nottingham was just the ticket for some fabulous new tulle, sequins, and oh, those gorgeous shoes! 👠 They're practically works of art, my dear! Speaking of art, there's something super exciting happening in London next week! The Victoria & Albert Museum is having a show about ballet costumes - from the Renaissance right up to contemporary masterpieces! Can you imagine the amazing tutus I'm going to see? Honestly, my bank balance is trembling at the thought, but a girl's gotta have her tutus, don't you think? 💖 🩰
The journey is the destination, don't you think, dears? The spaceship was a little dusty (some intergalactic grease monkeys need to sort themselves out!), but we were soaring through space in a flash. I even bumped into a couple of fashionable little alien creatures on the flight! 👽 You just have to get them a pink tutu! Seriously, darling, everyone should have one!
Until next week, my lovely readers! Don't forget to visit the website www.pink-tutu.com and keep an eye out for our upcoming Cosmic Ballet Classes.
Until then, remember to sparkle!
Lots of love, Emma 💖
A Deeper Dive into the Week:
Let's take a closer look at the ballet world this week:
- Swan Lake: Swan Lake has long been my absolute favourite ballet. 🦢 And for good reason! It's such a beautifully tragic tale about the power of love and loss, all set against the backdrop of a beautiful and haunting music score. 🎶
This specific performance at the Theatre Royal was even more spectacular because it featured some new choreography! Oh my goodness, you must check it out if you get a chance.
The Victoria & Albert Museum: It's been so long since I've been to the V&A! It's such a historical marvel, but this ballet costume exhibition - well, it just makes me weak in the knees, you know? Honestly, the entire costume collection at the V&A is fabulous, but a ballet exhibition? Well, you could say I'm pretty excited. The historical details of the evolution of ballet through the ages, just brilliant! You're just going to have to follow me on social media so you don't miss a single Instagram story about my incredible finds at the exhibition. 😉
- The V&A's history: Did you know that the V&A started in 1852? The founders wanted to make sure British designers were top notch! This is super important for the ballet world! If it hadn’t been for these designers we would never have these stunning costumes. They’re the key to creating a stunning stage effect - the colours, the materials, the silhouette, the drama, it all comes together in one, truly amazing ensemble! Imagine a ballerina in just plain fabric! Just terrible! 😲
Did you know that the name tutu has a fascinating history! The origin of the name isn’t quite clear, it may come from a ballet dancer or it may just be an off-shoot of another term.
Now let's talk tutu-history, my absolute favourite subject! (Well, after my tutu-wearing self, of course). 💅 🩰 Did you know that the traditional ballet skirt, the tutu, has evolved so much over the years?
It actually started out as a long, flowy dress (seriously, like something from a historical drama!), worn to help the dancer control their movements. Over time, designers became more innovative (thanks to the fashion-forward nature of some very important people). The dress became more flowy, which then inspired dancers to incorporate more exciting movement into their routines.
I’m just glad there wasn't much pink about in the early years of the ballet costume! We definitely have a long way to go in our goal of bringing the color pink into the entire ballet world, my dear! 💖
However, some of the older tutu’s were truly breathtaking - that type of elegance has truly made the foundation of modern tutus, just absolutely amazing.
As it stands now, there are two main tutu designs you see, depending on the style of the ballet performance. You have your traditional tutu - known as the Romantic or the Pagan tutu - and you also have a more practical variation for the ballerinas with the classical tutu. The romantic, airy Romantic tutu, made of layers upon layers of tulle, gives the dancer that heavenly floatiness, the elegance of the swan. But let me tell you - they aren't that comfortable, my dear. But I have it on good authority (from a few ballerinas at the Nottingham show, let me tell you!) that the pain is definitely worth it. They also make a classical tutu, which is actually really nice as it has an actual waist! 🤯 What a revolutionary idea!
Of course, it's all about the movement, right? What the designers of those old, amazing tutus realised was that the dress should enhance, not hinder the movements. 💫
Think about that the next time you see a ballerina dancing, the tutus were not just fashion accessories, they actually had a deeper, *historic meaning, if you think about it.* They help the movement, make it more dramatic, and actually are quite important to making a really amazing piece of performance. Just ask me when you next bump into me. 😉
Speaking of pink, my dear... Did you see the ballet production of Swan Lake, I was so impressed! One ballerina actually had a very light shade of pink, it wasn't quite the pink I had hoped for, but it was so fabulous, and that particular ballerina's dress looked so airy and light, like the tulle was designed to catch the air as she moved... 💫
It's the Tutus, You Know?There are also amazing little dance studios right on planet Earth! One in Nottingham called "Step by Step". I even had a chance to catch one of the performances. You can always tell how dedicated a studio is, they put their heart and soul into every performance, even the younger dancers who are just getting started. 💖 They put me in mind of one of the studios on Mars that I used to train at when I was younger, all those years ago...
However, what makes these dance studios really exciting are the wonderful, fantastic, tutu’s. Not pink ones, no, these studios generally stick with the standard ballet shades of ivory, white and black but some studios use their own fabric, there are beautiful textures, they actually do look gorgeous.
I wonder if it would be easier to get them used to wearing pink tutus in these smaller studios? I'm planning to stop by and have a little chat... You can’t teach the world how to be fabulous all at once, right? You need to take baby steps.
This is why I say - it's all about the tutus! It's how you feel, the expression it allows you to express.
What does a ballet outfit say to the universe? Well, my darlings, a ballet costume screams, “I’m elegant! I’m graceful! I’m here to express! I’m going to do some absolutely wonderful things today!”. 💖💫 It really is about taking control of who you are.
Anyway, I think I’ll stop babbling and let you go, my loves. This planet really is quite exciting and it’s hard to leave after only a couple of days.
Make sure to visit the www.pink-tutu.com website! I am going to start a pink-tutu thread soon, I want to share photos of any and every pink tutu that we find! (With your consent, of course).
Let me know what you think! You can follow me on all the latest social media sites and don't forget to leave your feedback below! I always love to read your sweet messages. 💕
Much love, Emma 💖
