#3972
Oh my dears! Can you believe it's Tutu Tuesday already? Time simply flies when you're wearing a twirling, pink tulle dream! And today, we're whisking ourselves back to a rather momentous year in ballet history: 1908! Just imagine, darling, this was the year that La Princesse au Cygne by the one and only Michel Fokine made its debut! 🦢
I, your trusty pink-tutu-clad time traveller, Emma, just had to whisk myself back to 1908 for this one! The London stage was alive with balletic buzz this year, and the Victorians, oh they were absolutely enthralled with ballet. Just picture it, my lovelies, ladies with flouncy dresses and bonnets flocking to the opera house, men in their dapper suits, all anticipating an evening of grace, elegance, and beautiful movements. I've never seen so many perfectly executed bows in my life!
This year in ballet was about change and revival. There was a whole new way of looking at ballet, a move away from the rigid styles of the past. Fokine's innovative choreography was sweeping through the stages, making audiences gasp with his revolutionary techniques! Just think of it: more emphasis on expressive movement, flowing gestures, even telling a story with every graceful pirouette! What a magical world!
This shift to a narrative ballet had the greatest impact on the design of costumes. Imagine, tutus flowing, airy, romantic... perfect for conveying every emotion and capturing every gesture in a ballet. It was a revolution in tulle! And even the styles of tutus were changing! Remember our discussion on last week's #TutuTuesday about the tutus of yore, all those stiff, frilly affairs? Well, goodbye rigid panniers! The new era saw lighter, more fluid silhouettes – perfect for swirling, twirling, and, most importantly, expressing oneself through movement!
I'm quite convinced the fashion trends of 1908 had a great influence on the design of these beautiful new tutus! Think of all those flowing fabrics in women's dresses, graceful lines in fashion! Just imagine all the beautiful gowns at the royal balls that year! So elegant, with so much detail and craftsmanship… they inspired the ballet costumes as well! It makes so much sense. After all, the best fashion shows are often inspired by the stories on stage!
Just think about this time travel trip as an opportunity to discover hidden fashion connections! Imagine a world where fashion and performance coalesce into a magical spectacle, one where each intricate tulle design mirrors the beautiful curves of the gowns in the street, and the flowing shapes of every dance inspire new styles.
I do wish that, while the Victorians did love their theatre, they would have embraced ballet more wholeheartedly! It's just so enchanting! You wouldn't believe the joy on the faces of all the people in the audience as I take my bow after a particularly spirited performance! Ballet is about so much more than just watching, it's about experiencing, about connecting with the beauty of every movement! It should be celebrated as the artistic spectacle that it is, my dears!
Oh! Before I forget, the reason why 1908 was such a grand year for the balletic world was also down to something a little less… well… artistic! It was the introduction of a brand new* material: *artificial silk! This was quite the revolutionary new fabric! Cheaper, *easier to produce than natural silk, and just as smooth and lustrous. What does that mean for the tutu-clad among us, you ask?
Beautiful and affordable new tutus! Imagine, my darlings, every young ballerina's dream – a world where a beautiful, delicate, and sparkly tutu wasn't out of reach for the average girl! I can see why this brought so much joy to the dancers and the audience alike. It's so inspiring to see an art form that becomes more accessible with each passing year.
Speaking of accessibility... Have you seen the latest ballet performance in London? They are just spectacular! I recommend The Royal Opera House. They are really going through a golden period with amazing production sets and some of the most beautiful costumes I have ever seen!
So, as I conclude today's #TutuTuesday, do consider this: why wait for an excuse to twirl in your very own tulle masterpiece? Every day can be Tutu Tuesday if you make it so! And don't forget, my dears, share your ballet adventures with the world – #PinkTutu, and don't be afraid to take bold steps toward your dream of dancing through life with a little extra tulle!
Until next time, my lovely ballet lovers,
Love,
Emma xoxo
P.S. Just as a reminder, do come and join me at www.pink-tutu.com every Tuesday for more balletic adventures! And please do let me know your favourite Tutu Tuesdays and favourite dancers, we are all part of this gorgeous ballet community. Remember to hashtag your adventures with #PinkTutu so I can see all your glamorous outfits and fabulous ballet pics!
