Hello, darling! It's your favourite Derbyshire girl Emma, back from another fabulous trip through time with my magical, pink, tutu! Ooh, I just love saying that, "my magical, pink, tutu". It’s like a mouthful of frothy pink champagne! I've been working hard to get this blog post out, you know, juggling my performances, the fabulous shopping sprees... and the occasional, ahem… temporal displacement.
Speaking of shopping, I recently discovered a vintage haberdashery that stocks the most exquisite tulle, perfect for my ever-growing tutu collection. Oh, I could tell you stories! I have so many tutus now, you'd think I was running a tutu emporium, what with the baby pink, the lavender, the hot pink, the bubblegum pink…. But none are as dear to my heart as my time-travelling tutu, it’s my lucky charm! And guess what, sweeties? This month, my darling tutu took me back to 6th June 1929. It was divine!
Now, I'm not talking a stuffy old history book kind of divine. Think more “feather boas, glittering sequins, and shimmying with a saucy smile”. I know you're thinking “Em, darling, where was the drag?” Fear not, my dears, it was all around! I just had to let you all in on this glamorous time-travelling tale. So put on your pinkest lip gloss and get ready for a journey of fabulousness!
Firstly, imagine my shock at seeing how “fashion” had evolved, ahem, since the Edwardian era. I mean, women were practically swaddled in floor length gowns back then, and the hats! They looked like something out of a fairytale! Now, in 1929, everything had gone a little naughty and very glam. I saw ladies walking around in flapper dresses - it’s basically a dress that allows the knee and upper arm to show! Scandalous! The clothes had short, short skirts, and were almost shapeless! You couldn’t really tell whether they were wearing trousers underneath, so maybe there was something there for drag queens in the future… But enough of my fascination with their fashion sense - let's get down to the nitty-gritty - drag!
That's right! 1929 was bursting with a thriving, and sometimes quite underground, drag scene, particularly in New York and the UK. Yes, drag has always been part of the cultural landscape, it’s just been hiding in plain sight!
Did you know, darling, that on this date, June 6th 1929, a new, groundbreaking drag show called "The Follies of 1929" opened its doors to a very thirsty crowd in the Strand Theatre in London, England! I just had to see it, and of course, I made sure my time-travelling tutu knew exactly where we were going!
Oh my, honey! The "Follies" was a spectacle to behold! It featured a lineup of stunning, flamboyant, and daring drag performers who stole the show and defied expectations. There was "Kiki LaMotte" the “woman of mystery” in a silk gown that was practically melting off her and shimmering with so many sequins, it was almost blinding! Kiki was everything I hoped she’d be and much more. There was also the magnificent "Daisy DeVille", her dazzling act involved elaborate gowns that would put any contemporary drag queen to shame, let alone any of the ladies from the past who'd been kept firmly in floor-length gowns, with only the tiniest peek at an ankle! The crowds were captivated!
But let me tell you, my dears, “The Follies” was not the only place in town where drag was happening, darling. I discovered this thriving hidden world of “The Tea Dance”, that I later found was really just an alternative word for a gay dance - oh the things you can get away with in a different century! They were secret parties, often held in hotel ballrooms and clubs. Think glitter, glamour, and secret whispers, and you have yourself a fabulously exciting evening! These places had these captivating performers, sometimes in full drag, other times they'd put on a feather boa and some lipstick for the occasion, and dared to be different from the conventional social scene of the time. It was brave, my dears, they truly were blazing a trail for future generations of drag artists!
As much as I wanted to party with all the glamorous souls I'd met, the laws back then weren't exactly supportive of drag, you know! Not that I wanted to get into any kind of “trouble”, I was on the hunt for new fashion ideas, new drag tips and above all, a new collection of tutus. That was no easy feat for me in a time when tutus were basically limited to ballet dancers. Oh, how the times have changed! Think pink ballet tutus, think fashion forward… think Emma in 1929.
My explorations into the drag world of the day continued, and I have to tell you that there are quite a few things to consider: the challenges, the thrill of performing and of course the danger! I had a brush with a law enforcement officer (a bobbie to you Brits!), and well, my pink tutu had a slightly more intimate encounter with a "public fountain".
*Here are some nuggets from my 1929 time travel adventure: *
*"The Follies" *- was a real hit with the London audiences and highlighted the rise of “show business” in 1929. The performers were not shy and pushed boundaries with what was considered acceptable in a more “strictly” themed society, with many even making social and political statements - and yes darling, they were quite funny, sometimes intentionally, other times it was all a glorious coincidence.
"Tea Dances" - The hidden underground gay dances (you'd be forgiven for wondering why these were labelled “Tea Dances”), had a unique charm that allowed performers to create characters and tell stories, to live out characters and ideas. I was really taken by the sheer, raw creative talent that flourished under the cloak of secrecy in 1929, with drag becoming more of an art form, a form of rebellion against conformity, against social limitations…
"Fashion and The Pink Tutu" - Of course, being a devotee of pink tutus, I went out on a hunt. You'd think it wouldn't be too hard, since they’d just be available in any dance studio - that was wrong, darling. Finding tutus in 1929, outside of the world of ballet, proved impossible! This was a time before the Tutu Revolution, the time where drag queens all wore pink tutus on stage as an homage to Emma! I hope to kick-start that fashion revolution soon, it's certainly coming with the Pink Tutu Army, which is comprised of those loyal enough to spread the gospel of pink tulle.
Challenges in 1929 Drag - Drag was generally more clandestine, and in some parts of the world, like New York, not legal. In many ways, that gave the performance a sense of mystery. The venues were often hidden away in basement bars or secret clubs. These performers took huge risks, my darling, facing disapproval and even police intervention! You just have to hand it to those who dare to live their truth in the face of prejudice.
It was an incredible journey! The sheer excitement of seeing such unique talents at work, it reminded me just how lucky we are to have such freedom of expression, how important it is to protect that and most of all how important it is for me to find Pink Tutus to bring back with me from my trips. It was 1929 and I was living for it.
As always, remember darlings, don't be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve (or your pink tutu on your hips!)!
Emma xx
