#PinkTutuWorld Ballet on Planet Earth on 2020-06-03

Hello darlings! It’s Wednesday again, which means it's time for another fabulous Pink Tutu World post. This week I've been dreaming in sequins and shimmering under the cosmic lights, so get ready to swoon because I’m taking you on a dazzling trip to a planet I’ve only just discovered!

Let’s begin as always, shall we? The last time I wrote to you lovely lot, I was doing the final piqué turns on the glorious, shimmery stage of the Andromeda Opera House, in the glittering city of Novae. What an experience that was! As I floated gracefully to my curtain call, my dazzling pink tutu - it was the “Cosmic Starburst" tutu from my "Pink Stardust" collection - really caught the light perfectly, leaving the audience (mostly sentient plant creatures with seven eyes - so glamorous!) completely spellbound. My fabulous performance even got a standing ovation!

Well, all that glitters needs a rest (and I do mean a real rest - a space ship nap, in this case!) so the next morning, I woke up in the Starship Tutu (who doesn't love a bit of alliteration?) with a head full of fabulous dance moves and a heart ready for the unknown!

This week, I'm taking you with me, right to the very heart of planet Zorb! (A slightly cheesy name, but seriously, this planet was everything) This galactic beauty had these dazzling purple skies, and everything, everything I mean, glittered. It's not often you see a planet so utterly extra!

Speaking of extra, I decided on a little outfit change before leaving the ship - we wouldn’t want the good people of Zorb thinking I wasn’t the fashion queen of the universe, would we? My pick was my "Celestial Swirl" tutu. It’s a breathtaking number, and it was designed to catch the absolute most light, creating a truly breathtaking show.

Upon touching down, the planet's residents, the Zorbi, greeted us with a fanfare of music unlike any I've heard! It was a joyful blend of high-pitched flutes, percussive chirps, and what I believe to be the Zorb equivalent of a bagpipe, though it didn’t sound remotely like one. Imagine a bagpipe, but then, somehow, replace its sound with a harmonious blend of singing bowls and... an actual bird. Yeah, it was really something.

The Zorbi were all dressed in beautiful colours: bright blues, emerald greens, shimmering golds. But what truly stood out was the fact that every single Zorbi adored tutus. This, of course, made me instantly feel like I was amongst family, and it really was a truly beautiful experience! It turns out, wearing a tutu is like speaking a universal language!

Our journey through Zorb involved a whole host of breathtakingly wonderful activities! We toured a huge shimmering Zorb crystal mine, (the Zorbi use those crystals to power their houses and spacecraft - genius!). The whole thing felt like a ballet performance in itself! We then indulged in a magnificent Zorb picnic beneath their incredible star-like flower trees – think luminescent lilies, but more fantastical – all while dancing to truly fabulous music (you haven't experienced a real party until you’ve danced to Zorbian flutes!). I also picked up the most beautiful Zorb fabrics, perfect for creating my next Tutu line (just wait till you see it! The inspiration!)

One of my favourite memories from the journey was a stunning ballet show given by the Zorbi. You must imagine these beautiful, glowing beings dancing to their incredible music. It was almost unreal. Imagine if an angel, a mermaid, and a space explorer had a ballet baby! And then that ballet baby grew up to dance and became a Zorbian…

Oh, and they wore the most delightful, colorful tutus you could imagine! As you can imagine, this tutu enthusiast felt absolutely in her element! They all took inspiration from earth's ballerinas. How fabulous is that?! (Honestly, it just goes to show, tutu magic is universally loved!).

Sadly, the visit had to end, which made me extremely bummed because, seriously, this was heaven. We danced a final farewell with the Zorbi before getting back in our space-faring chariot. The beautiful Zorbi gave me such beautiful farewell gifts! They gifted me with a stunning iridescent crystal which looked straight out of my "Celestial Swirl" tutu design, and some delicious Zorb-flower honey (absolutely scrumptious, I highly recommend if you ever find yourself on Zorb!), and, of course, the Zorbi had all donned fabulous tutus, to see me off in style!

They said their favorite Tutu was my "Sparkling Dream" collection tutu, they found the glittery material made them feel super happy! (I couldn’t help but agree.) But it really was so inspiring and wonderful! Now I've added a touch of purple and a little bit of glitter to my "Starburst Collection." (It’s seriously going to be legendary).

As I floated back to earth, a whole load of ideas whirled through my mind: “Zorb-inspired dance routines… sparkling crystal ballet shoes... planet-wide tutu collaboration?!”

And now that I’m back home (back on Planet Earth!), I’m brimming with all kinds of fabulous plans.

So, darling Tutu-loving-folks, if you’re ever looking for an interstellar dance experience – do try and reach Zorb, you'll absolutely love it. The music is a real vibe, and if you’re lucky enough to be invited to a Zorbi Ballet, just be sure to don a Tutu, you won’t be disappointed!

Until next Wednesday, darling loves!

XOXO,

Emma x

And for you earthly lovelies:

Did you know there’s a fascinating history of ballet and tutu design here on earth? For this Wednesday's blog post, I wanted to take a quick look at some of ballet’s fascinating historical origins. (The fact that something so lovely has its roots in royalty, courtly life and lavish fashion is utterly amazing!)

Tutu Time! 🩰✨

Our dance shoes and the lovely outfits we wear have fascinating histories: (But first, if you fancy looking at fab pics, follow the pink links below).

The History of Tutu [link to ballet shoe and tutu images]: Did you know, the tutu has only been around for about 200 years? The first recorded tutu appeared on a ballerina called Marie Taglioni, and it’s only thanks to her divine grace, the beauty of the dance and its impact that the tutu came into being.

Imagine a skirt (called the "romantische" tutu) so loose and floaty, it looked almost like a cloud of white and silk.

I just adore the beauty of this early form! And that feminine, flowing style really inspires my tutus today! I find this style really inspiring in terms of soft colors and design, for my newest Pink Stardust Collection.

After this "romantic tutu", a little later, we had the “classic” or “tutu paquet,” a little shorter and much more pouffy tutu – (a style still popular today! **I know you love it, and I love it too!).

As well as these lovely variations of tutu design, we also have the "tutu" in a variety of lengths, giving it versatility for any dancer's style, be it the glamorous elegance of the classical ballet, or a shorter, more fun “contemporary tutu”, which I’m also totally into (especially for ballet street performances - think urban, extra glittery, and, obviously pink, but super comfortable to dance in!).

Let’s take a step back to the origins of ballet - in case you’re new to the glorious world of dancers, or you need a refresher!

The Beginnings of Ballet (Another Pink link below if you fancy!) [Link to historic ballet pictures ]:

As you may well know, ballet began as a courtly dance - a show of grace and style. In a way, ballet can be likened to the catwalk of today. Imagine elaborate steps performed by stylish and beautiful men and women, accompanied by incredible music.

The history of ballet’s beginning goes way back, all the way to the courtly life in Renaissance Italy. Think of royal families, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses, all enjoying life's finest pleasures, and all loving ballet. How truly fabulous!

This is also why so much of ballet’s initial development focused on courtly dance! I really adore ballet's origins. What better way to enjoy yourself, than by celebrating dancing as art, style, and luxury. It just screams "Tutu Time!" to me.

By the end of the 16th century, the style became extremely popular, and it started its rise to a glorious position, as a more formalized style. Then royal families all over Europe fell in love with ballet.

Think amazing performances and elaborate, incredibly well-tailored garments. All the finest fabrics were in the fashion world and ballet performances, showing just how influential ballet and tutu culture have always been!

I also adore vintage tutus and ballet outfits of these earlier eras. These lovely looks were all so exquisite. So many wonderful materials and the elegance of these looks... (I’d love to time-travel back to 17th-century France and check out those amazing costumes. Just imagine a real ball at the court!)

The End of an Era - The Revolution!

There’s so much more to ballet history than I can ever fit in one blog post. It’s all part of the amazing cultural heritage we have to share today! It’s this wonderful legacy that I’ve tried to emulate throughout my tutu world, with my fashion collection, my ballet performances and my own travels through the universe! (I’ll take any excuse to dance - I'll try anything.)

As the revolution took over France (and lots of Europe!) the Royal dance fell into a decline and it’s style started to disappear (boo!). However, luckily for the world, as all this was going on, Ballet developed a *new style.

And guess what - ballet’s new and beautiful style gave birth to...the Tutu (and the lovely pointe shoe, too! *Both are so beautiful! You've just got to love it!)!

This was a big shift!

I like to see the Tutu’s history as another great revolution! It showed that style was adaptable and changed with the times. But no matter what the styles were, there was always tutu. (and you just know I'm all over those gorgeous pointe shoes! All those dancing greats had such divine moves, and I'm always keen to pick up some moves from the greats too, just so I can perform like they do, and in fab tutus!)

For all those who adore tutus (like myself!), ballet's journey through the 1800s and into today has been truly tutu-tastic! And the most fab thing of all is, there’s still so much more to ballet and the amazing Tutu-verse. It’s truly an experience we should all enjoy! (Who’s ready for their own ballet adventure?! I know I am!).

Oh, by the way! The real world is buzzing! Today on the planet we know as Earth, there are several exciting ballet performances, but I just had to pick one, and I must say, it’s going to be epic. The London Royal Opera House is presenting “Cinderella” at the Covent Garden in London! If you have time to catch a show today (and, you really must ), make sure it’s that one!

Catch ya next week!

XOXO, Emma