Greetings, lovelies! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink-tutu-wearing time traveller, and I'm so thrilled you've joined me for another Tuesday of tutus! This week we're travelling back to 21st May, 1907 - a truly momentous date in the world of ballet history. Why, you ask? Well, let's just say the little tutu we know and adore was just making its grand debut on the world stage.
Imagine, my dears, a time before the glorious fluffy tutu, a time where ballet dancers twirled in long, heavy skirts. Think bustles and layers! They looked more like ball gowns than the ethereal fairy creatures we expect on stage today.
Our tale takes us to the Paris Opera House, where Diaghilev's Ballets Russes were causing quite a stir. They weren't afraid to shake things up and break tradition – can you imagine?! A bold bunch of artists, these Russians, pushing boundaries with their revolutionary choreography and innovative costumes. And right at the centre of it all was the innovative use of colour, and a new style of costume!
Now, picture a sleek, almost-naked silhouette, a glimpse of bare skin, the lightness of movement, and all in beautiful, intensely colourful hues! This is what we see in "Le Pavillon d'Armide", a ballet choreographed by the iconic Michel Fokine, a leading light of Russian ballet. The story revolves around Armide, a seductive sorceress who bewitches a knight, leading to some wonderfully dramatic storytelling, and - here’s the kicker - this was the very first ballet to feature the now-iconic, knee-length tutu, which completely changed how ballet dancers were perceived!
While I'm all about pink, these revolutionary tutus weren't quite pink yet. They came in vibrant hues of blue, red and emerald green! But imagine - the boldness, the freedom, the moveability - a complete revolution in ballet fashion!
Think about this for a moment: This dramatic shift in fashion, in just a few layers of fabric, completely changed the story, the aesthetic and the very soul of ballet. This wasn't just a costume change; it was a visual explosion, a liberation from the constraints of the past, and a dramatic unveiling of the ballerina's form - a vision of lightness, grace and breathtaking power. The story of ballet changed forever!
Now, it's impossible to talk about ballet history and not talk about trains, darling. This week, picture yourself aboard a steam train chugging from my favourite county of Derbyshire, to London's vibrant theatres. There's something so incredibly romantic about travelling to see ballet by train. It’s a whole journey of excitement, and anticipation for the wonderful performances, which always, always, take me back in time.
I'd be lying if I said this wasn’t the inspiration for my own, unique approach to time travel - it all started on the train to a ballet performance! Since I'm all about spreading the joy of tutus, my life as a ballerina turned time traveler means I get to wear beautiful pink tutus whilst traveling between centuries, spreading the word about tutus and ballet. It’s a delightful responsibility, you might say!
Don’t you wish you could hop onto a steam train and escape to a Parisian theatre in the blink of an eye? I think that's every tutu-lover's dream, don't you agree? Let's raise a glass of pink lemonade to the glorious debut of the tutu in 1907!
What do you love about the tutu? I’d love to hear from you! Tell me in the comments below and don't forget to check out the other blogs on pink-tutu.com and tell everyone about them. We’ll meet next week, darlings, and I’ll be wearing my very pinkest tutu, because after all, why just dream about travelling, when you can wear your dreams?
Yours in pink tutus,
Emma
