Hello my darlings, welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com for another whirlwind trip through time, exploring the delightful history of our beloved tutus! Today’s journey takes us all the way back to October 29th, 1901, a date bursting with beautiful ballet history!
Before we get started, remember to check out my brand new tutu line, ‘Pink & Pixie Dust!’ The perfect tutus to twirl into autumn with! Oh, and did you know that #TutuTuesday on Pink-Tutu.com is now number 3644?! We’re getting there with sharing this passion for ballet with you all, and that’s something I simply adore!
Now, imagine… you are in London, England, the centre of all things dance and glamour, and it’s the late 19th century! Think opulent theatres filled with elegant ladies in billowing gowns and handsome gentlemen in velvet suits. Think of carriage rides along leafy avenues, a brisk Autumn wind, the smell of bonfires in the air... That's our time travelling destination today!
For this journey, I've opted for my new pink, silk tutu with a tulle overlay. A beautiful, delicate, and floaty pink, that matches the dreamy quality of the time!
Now, back to that sparkling date – October 29th, 1901. Our lovely Ballet Russe, in all its splendour, was making its first trip to Paris – what an event! This iconic ballet troupe, born out of a yearning for new styles, vibrant stories and a refreshingly modern outlook, was taking the world by storm. They are what truly ushered in a new era for dance, one brimming with captivating music, extravagant costumes, and a captivating aura. You could say, their tutus were revolutionary!
Now, that's what I call #TutuTuesday worthy!
Tutus in Transition
This particular day back in 1901 marked the dawn of something really exciting! Imagine seeing for the first time ballerinas adorned in these incredible, innovative designs:
Shorter Skirts, Shorter TutUs: Gone were the cumbersome, long tutus of the 19th century. The dancers wore revolutionary designs, tutus that grazed their knees! This shorter style was lighter and made it much easier for them to leap, twirl, and express themselves. We love seeing such athletic beauty in action.
Vibrant Colours & Rich Fabrics: You could see swathes of colour! Fabrics were bold and daring: think vibrant emerald greens, shimmering sapphires, passionate reds. Tutus were becoming as much about visual spectacle as graceful movement, adding to the fairytale magic of the performances. Oh, the #TutuTuesday eye-candy!
Intricate Details: They didn't just look amazing – there were layers of tulle and silk, sequins and shimmering beadwork, it was the perfect blend of artistry and glamour. Can you imagine all that hard work? What a testament to creativity!
It's almost too hard to imagine, right? What incredible changes were happening in dance during that exact time on that date! How fascinating is that? And now we can take it all in thanks to our very own Pink-Tutu Time Travelling blog!
Beyond the Stage: Fashion & Tutu Fun
Now, I just love how this incredible style shift had a massive effect on fashion outside the theatre, too! Women were smitten with those beautiful colours and airy textures – tutus had started becoming a part of everyday life! There were new skirts, bodices, and even dresses with those stunning tutu qualities. Can you imagine how empowering and beautiful that felt? You could be a ballerina even outside the ballet. Talk about fashion fun!
As a young girl growing up in Derbyshire, England, I dreamed of nothing but this: of swirling through life in beautiful tutus, making it a vibrant symphony of colours and emotions. We are lucky, dear reader, because the evolution of the tutu hasn't stopped! We’re still witnessing incredible creativity and stunning styles emerging all the time. But oh, those early days in the 1900s, those were some truly special times in our lovely dance world.
Making Memories...
You can bet, my lovely Pink-Tutu readers, that I travelled straight to a ballet show to relive this moment! It’s amazing to witness such creative, captivating performances with an awareness of their origins. Isn't that incredible? What better way to get in touch with this history than to actually see it brought to life again?!
This is one of my favourite ways to travel - jumping onto a train and whisking myself off to the heart of it all, the bustle of London, and all its theatres, shops, and dazzling boutiques. Seeing the designs, feeling the atmosphere, watching the talented dancers move with such effortless grace, it's like I've truly gone back in time, embracing every beautiful detail!
As I stood amongst the captivated audience, watching those exquisite, short, flamboyant tutus fluttering across the stage, I thought of how far we've come in the world of dance and fashion.
It made me feel so proud to be part of this incredible journey – to celebrate these beautiful styles, these remarkable women and men, these innovative artists, and to share that history with you all!
Oh, I almost forgot, after the ballet performance, I had to indulge in some #TutuTuesday shopping! The streets are alive with vintage clothing shops selling gorgeous costumes that look just like those old designs! Imagine me trying them on – I couldn't resist buying a silk blouse in the softest lilac colour and a pair of delicate lace gloves to finish my look. What a perfect way to keep this time travelling adventure alive!
Next week, we’ll be going back even further in time - how exciting! Let’s explore together what came before the amazing world of tutus we’ve explored today!
Until then, remember to live your life with the beauty and grace of a ballerina!
Lots of love, Emma x
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