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Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Tutu Fun! Danse Macabre Tablescape

Welcome to my blog, Panoply! Today I am setting the table fit for Halloween, but with a twist (and maybe a turn). Taking a page from my past as a ballet dancer, I had tutu much fun with this tablescape, appropriately titled "Tutu Fun! Danse Macabre Tablescape".
The YouTube video performance by the  l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (link below) is for your listening pleasure. You may want to click on the video link and open it in another window to enjoy the sound while I tell you about my table. The piece is called, "Danse Macabre" by the composer Camille Saint-Saens.
Back in the late 1980s, our Charleston Ballet founder and artistic director / choreographer (Andre Van Damme, mentioned most recently on my blog here, and here) created a piece for a late October performance called Danse Macabre (Fr., Dance of Death). The dance was choreographed to the music which you hear in the video link above. We were costumed in solid black unitards, completed with hoods, masks, gloves and pointe shoes, with white felted skeleton patterns cut and sewn on the fronts only. We danced under black lights, on a stage set with tombstones, fog and eery lighting. The shot below is that of a newspaper photo in print from that time (we were expressly prohibited to take our own photographs at that time!). We rose from the dead (macabre) and danced through the darkness. It may have been whimsical from the audience perspective, but it was frightening as a dancer to be en pointe under those circumstances! Fortunately, no bones were broken.
When I saw the salad plates (pictured below) at HomeGoods in early September, I clutched them immediately (there was only one box of four). I knew exactly what I'd be doing for a Halloween table, and I had everything else I needed to complete my vision.
As you can see from that newspaper photo, our costumes were more like those pictured on the Homer Laughlin appetizer plate below.
However, it was 'tutu' tempting to add the pink tulle skirted skeleton plates into the mix.
Danse Macabre Pique Arabesque
Have I 'piqued' your interest?
Danse Macabre Pas de Valse
Then let's waltz through the other elements I added, such as the spider web net table topper on the white base cloth.
Danse Macabre Saute Crosse Derriere
Not to jump (saute) too quickly, but I'd also like to point out the bone ivory flatware.
Danse Macabre Brise en Arrière Glissade
Now that the individual place settings are behind (en arriere) us, we can slide (glissade) through the rest of the table design. For instance, the table runner you see is vintage, piece-quilted placemats positioned end-to-end.
Crystal candlesticks of varying heights add a bit of drama, for "it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness", as the saying goes.
And for those who are superstitious, it would be far better to have crackled stemware than cracked mirrors, yes?
American Brilliant Period Crystal Pitcher
Things are brilliantly clearer to me now. Halloween tablescaping can be tutu much fun!
MacKenzie-Childs inspired champagne / wine bucket
Not that I have a checkered history with Halloween, but it has never been my favorite holiday. I don't care for the passing out of candy (another plus to loft living!), but having a brew or other drink with a neighbor while doing so could certainly make the drudgery of the task much easier!
In fact, having a meal at this table with a couple of neighbors might be the perfect antidote to my loathing of past Halloweens. Shall we dance and / or dine?
Tutu Fun! Danse Macabre Tablescape Source List
Chargers & napkin rings, Courtly Check - MacKenzie-Childs
MacKenzie Childs inspired champagne / wine bucket - Patti Pultorak, Pandora's Box 
Dinner plates (Mikasa Magnolia), crystal candlesticks, Cabin Creek Quilt placemats - vintage finds, estate sales
Wicked salad plates, tablecloths - HomeGoods
Three skeletons plate - Fiestaware
Ivory flatware, Sophia - Horchow
Black ruffled linen napkins - French Garden House
Purple crackle glassware - Pier 1
I'd like to thank our designer / organizer, Chloe Crabtree, of the blog Celebrate and Decorate, for bringing this week's host of stylists together for many more tables of inspiration for the Halloween holiday. Please enjoy more creative takes on Halloween tables via the complete list of bloggers below, with links provided. For your convenience, I will update the links daily, so be sure to come back each day.
Monday
Intelligent Domestications | a casa di bianca |  The Little Yellow Corner Store  | Corner of Plaid and Paisley
Tuesday
 Panoply (you are here!) | Life and Linda | Home is Where the Boat Is | Everyday Living
Wednesday
The Painted Apron | Debbee's Buzz |  Red Cottage Chronicles | Our Crafty Mom
Thursday
White Arrows Home | Sweet Sensations  | Celebrate and Decorate | Zucchini Sisters
Friday
 Katherine's Corner | My Thrift Store Addiction | Bluesky at Home | Follow the Yellow Brick Home 


Although I don't much care for this holiday, as you can see, it only takes something small to inspire having fun with decorating / tablescaping! Do you go all out for Halloween? Do you have trick-or-treaters in your home or in your neighborhood? I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on Halloween decor. I try to respond to each and all. If your comment shows up as 'no reply blogger', be sure to check back on this post in case I don't have your email to send a direct reply.

Now, waltz on over to see more from the bloggers listed above!
Thank you for your visit today! 

(A special thanks to Rebecca of Zucchini Sisters' Celebrate your Story #203, to Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction's Vintage Charm Party #205, and to Carol of Bluesky at Home's Happiness is Homemade Link Party #293 for featuring this post! A special mention to Cecilia of Thrift Store Addiction's Vintage Charm Party #207 for the feature of the month of October!)
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