Welcome back, dearies! It's Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast and time-travelling fashionista, ready to whisk you away on another thrilling journey through the enchanting world of ballet history. Today, we're venturing back to April 16th, 1895. Grab your pinkest teacup and let's get started!
Post Number 3303
Now, if you’ve ever wondered what life was like for a ballet dancer in 1895, then you’ve come to the right place! This week I'm diving into the world of ballerinas at the Imperial Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. It was, you know, the place to be for a talented young dancer in the late 19th century! The costumes at this time were breathtaking! They truly embraced the elegance of the era! I mean, imagine this! You're wearing a stunning layered tulle skirt, soft and airy like a cloud, and floating across the stage. The skirts were usually knee-length at this point. Can you believe it? Now, there are skirts with all the tulle to practically sweep the stage! This was, though, definitely an important factor for showing off the moves, as the skirts would swirl and flow with every turn and pirouette, just magical.
Just imagine the costumes! Satin bodices, embroidered with sequins shimmering under the stage lights, and jewel-toned ribbons adorning their waists – you can practically feel the opulent atmosphere! But there's a bit of a twist! They'd also wear flat slippers at times, which made me chuckle! But what would you expect in an age of long-waisted gowns?
It’s said that dancers during this period were really demanding their outfits be made in the very highest quality. I can understand that! After all, they were representing the pinnacle of dance! And of course, the ladies were in need of a little bit of comfort too. So what did they use for support you ask? That's where the 'tutu-cum-corset' comes into play, this must have been rather limiting! Thankfully, we’ve come a long way with comfort for dancers! Oh, my tutus are like little clouds that allow me to jump, leap, and turn without a care in the world!
On the topic of comfort, train travel in the 1890s wasn't quite as luxurious as today! While we enjoy our posh train journeys, they would be squished together on packed, cramped carriages. This just proves, ladies, we must embrace the progress! Imagine! My darling Tutu-Tutus have helped me travel in comfort. I find myself in need of my Pink Tutu for any and all journey! I travel with comfort, style, and with enough time to be fashionable! I must tell you all a bit about the recent show I've been watching.
The other week, I was in Vienna, a beautiful city! And I witnessed a stunning ballet performance. The show was The Nutcracker, an absolute Christmas classic. There was an extraordinary scene involving a beautiful, bright pink Tutu with snow-white, feathered decorations! Imagine it! As if that wasn't dreamy enough, a little girl wearing the prettiest pink tutu ever graced the stage during one scene. That little ballerina looked just like me, except younger, which made me chuckle. If I only I could have time travelled back, and told my past self to keep chasing my passion! What’s the most exciting thing for me about all of this? Seeing tutus come back into fashion! There was one little tutu-wearing girl and that showed me that the little ones were looking to wear tutus! So exciting!
What was I going on about, oh, yes! April 16th, 1895! Well, nothing truly historical that I can recall - maybe there was some fashion or social happenings I haven’t uncovered yet. But just to put the time into perspective, 1895! The world was still captivated by ballet, the dancers were captivating audiences, the dresses were divine! Who can blame them with these fantastic designs! But something I have learnt from my time-travelling, the little ballerina on the stage with her pink tutu was, no surprise, just as excited as I am.
As we conclude our little peek into the ballet history archives, don't forget, darling, we all have a little ballerina within. So embrace the twirls, embrace the tutus, embrace your dreams! You know my motto!
Pink is the way forward, darling! 🩰
Now go out there, strut your stuff in pink, and tell the world that the power of the tutu is truly unstoppable! Until next #TutuTuesday, remember to always sparkle.
XOXO Emma
Remember to join me every Tuesday here on www.pink-tutu.com for a delightful dose of tutu history!
