Hello darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu enthusiast, ready to whisk you back in time to 1957, a year of pure ballet magic! Let's just say, the ballet world was brimming with exciting things – like, seriously, it was absolutely glowing with all sorts of glorious happenings, and, believe me, there's so much to get excited about! Buckle up your pink tutus, lovelies, and get ready for a trip through time, with all the glam, glitz, and graceful twirls our hearts could ever desire!
Stepping into 1957's Ballet Wonderland:
1957, for the ballet world, was like being wrapped in the most beautiful ballet fabric - delicate and elegant. The dance world was alive with all things glorious and full of exciting happenings. From legendary ballerinas to captivating premieres, we were living in a magical world of breathtaking artistry. The most incredible things about this year in ballet were, not just the dances and the costumes, but the fact it felt like ballet had entered into some sort of glorious ‘La Belle Époque' in history, in fact this era might even have given 19th century Paris a run for its money, don't you think? It's so romantic!
New Ballets, Big Dreams, & Ballet Bonanzas!
1957 was truly a year for exciting premieres! Think swirling tutus and incredible leaps, with a generous sprinkling of captivating narratives – just what the ballet-loving heart needs, right? One highlight, for this ballerina, was "Agon," created by the incredible choreographer, George Balanchine. This stunning ballet took the world by storm with its playful, geometric steps, showcasing ballet in a whole new light. This wasn’t just ballet, lovelies – this was pure ballet theatre. Ballet theatre! I had to do a bit of street ballet myself that year – for you see I’ve started a bit of time travelling recently (it’s very in), and let me tell you I’ve had some great nights with my little act, collecting enough shillings and pounds to keep the magic happening.
Of course, let’s not forget the great Sir Frederick Ashton, the man responsible for some truly exquisite choreography. In 1957, he debuted “The Dream,” based on the magical work of Shakespeare – think, lovely fairies, captivating characters and, oh my, a stunning visual display that felt so much like theatre and not just ballet! Imagine fairies twirling on a summer night - how heavenly! Oh my, just thinking about it, gives me a twirl of delight! It wasn’t just Ashton and Balanchine either! Even Roland Petit, who became one of the hottest names in ballet history, premiered a new work.
But it was not all about these ballets for me, there was also The Royal Ballet's triumphant tour of Russia – how lovely, that beautiful country, just begging for us ballet lovers to embrace its ballet legacy! I’m going to make a visit soon - I love all the big beautiful buildings! Speaking of big buildings, what a year for The Bolshoi Theatre, so dramatic, isn't it? The Bolshoi’s iconic venue, in beautiful Moscow, saw many enchanting evenings of incredible dancing, so it is well worth adding to the ‘to see’ list! They have ballet dancing just as fine as our British ones and that is one of the big things to note about ballet: there isn’t just one style, ballet is so diverse and we must always remember there’s so much out there for all our dance loving hearts.
Tutus in Technicolour:
Remember those gorgeous "Gigi" dresses? Yes, the world was embracing the beauty of colourful tutus, the most beautiful gowns and skirts! In the cinema we had glorious black and white, but I had to be in the pinkest tutu possible for all the dancing in the streets to get some of those lovely pounds and shillings to see these films - you would be so surprised about all the ways you can earn money when time travelling! Well, 1957 really embraced that technicolour theme. It was so exciting for "Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4," where Margot Fonteyn, the beautiful ballerina, dazzled in a pink tutu, with shimmering details! My goodness! Isn’t pink the most fabulous of all colours for a tutu, lovelies? Maria Tallchief, a truly remarkable ballerina with breathtakingly incredible talents, looked truly gorgeous dancing to "Fancy Free," by Balanchine. The American Ballet Theatre, with such names, was, just, well… incredible!
From Street Ballet to Spotlight:
Okay, I’ll confess… it was 1957 that gave me this passion for travelling back in time - a totally crazy, yet totally magical, idea! I love that street performances always were, and still are, part of our wonderful world, from the tiny busker playing tunes, to large-scale public performances - let's raise a pink tutu for street art! In fact I always find myself drawn to a vibrant and bustling street scene, so in 1957, a good number of times, I'd just pop on a lovely pink tutu, twirl under the stars - in Covent Garden or other famous London squares- and start doing my routines - you know me lovelies, all my favourite tricks from leaps to grand jetés.
It was during one such moment in Leicester Square - which seemed so full of dancing stars that year- that I actually bumped into none other than * Dame Margot Fonteyn! Just imagine! It was an unbelievable moment. I did my usual little bit and then, wouldn't you know it, a lovely lady walked up to me with eyes that just sparkled - she said, "What a fabulous dance. I just love your spirit," before adding "Oh! That was an impressive petit jeté – lovely line." and then she laughed.
Shopping for Baletwear - An Entire Ballet Wardrobe in One Shop?
Shopping for ballet clothes back in the 1950s - wowzers, I’d have just loved to go wild! Back in my time I need to visit many places just to find everything, and back then in the late fifties they all had it in one shop! "Madame Sylvia's Dance Wear" in Covent Garden became the place for everything ballet: from tutus, to shoes to gorgeous dance outfits and leotards - oh it had so many colours too. All the ballerinas were going there in 1957 – it felt like some kind of incredible ballroom! Just picture a whirlwind of ballerinas with their gorgeous outfits and graceful steps! Imagine a tiny shop, like those charming ones in my beautiful home town of Derby, in the Midlands - just crammed with beautiful dance clothes! So lucky to see all those things on display – everything was so feminine and elegant! I'd imagine Madame Sylvia's in full colour – lots of silks and satins – such elegant ballet attire!
In Conclusion
Oh, what a fantastic year for ballet history - 1957 was full of big dreams and lots of exciting dancing! From exciting new ballets to wonderful premieres and captivating dance wear, every ballet fan would have enjoyed being wrapped in the ballet world. Let’s just say, we were experiencing an absolute balletic explosion. From beautiful venues in Russia, to new ballets and incredible dancewear and, of course, dancing stars like Margot Fonteyn, Maria Tallchief, and even, dare I say, a ballet loving lady called Emma, wearing pink. What can be more exciting than this! Do remember though darlings, as I like to remind my readers every time, let’s never forget those wonderful little streets performances and of course the tutus in a world of their own!
I'll see you next time, for Pink Tutu Post #386 – it's going to be fabulous! Don’t forget to always remember - with the right pink tutu and lots of love, you can dance your way to dreams!
