#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1908-07-07

Hello my darling dancers and tutu-lovers! It's Emma here, back with you for another Tuesday, another trip through time, another whirl in my oh-so-pink tutu! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be back with you today for #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History! Today, we're travelling back to 1908, which, as I'm sure you'll all agree, was a grand year for fashion. The Edwardian era, in full swing, with its corsets and billowing skirts, was a sight to behold. So buckle up, dear friends, and prepare to be swept back in time!

(Let's face it, what's better than a little bit of historical ballet, a spot of shopping, and maybe a yummy cup of tea in between?)

This is, as always, Blog Post 3993, on my www.pink-tutu.com website! Just remember, if you're new here, my aim is simple - make the world a more twirly place one pink tutu at a time! My time machine (a glorious vintage carriage powered by sheer dancing joy, of course!), is a bit wonky - so don't worry if I haven't quite got my facts 100% - I like to embellish the historical accuracy a bit! You wouldn't believe the shenanigans I get up to with all this time travelling!

This year was a really interesting year for ballet, you know? It wasn't quite the "ballet explosion" we'd later see with the rise of Russian ballet and all those stunning ballets we see at the Royal Opera House. It was more like...well, a seed, just starting to sprout. This is the time when "The Sleeping Beauty" first really took off, with Anna Pavlova doing all those iconic, dreamy roles. I actually caught a sneak peek of a rehearsal of this in St. Petersburg a while back, it was magical! You see, the early 1900s saw a real shift in style, more flowing and delicate than the earlier, heavier styles. The ballerinas were starting to look more ethereal, almost like beautiful, dancing spirits. Just look at all the frilly tutus, you just knew that romance was in the air!

You could see that the Romantic ballet era, full of passion and graceful movements, was making its entrance! Think ethereal music, enchanting costumes, and ballets like "Giselle", "Swan Lake", and "La Sylphide"! They all felt so dramatic, and you know I love a bit of drama! (After all, it was in my DNA being from Derbyshire!) And guess what, this trend meant one thing - more tulle!! (Which as a pink tutu loving girl, I definitely approved of! We're all for extra twirliness here, right ladies?)

Now, where to get one of these beauties? Well, it's just lucky for you that 1908 was also the year a special, and very special indeed, shop opened its doors in London: The Ballet Boutique! Think Parisian charm, opulent fabrics and all the tulle you can possibly handle, all carefully arranged like a miniature ballet scene itself! It was truly the ultimate dream shop for any ballerina or ballet fan. And to top it off, they had this delicious line of lavender scented "Tutu Dusting Powder" (You see, you've always got to look after those precious, delicate tutus! ). They swore it was a blend of delicate petals, specially created to make ballerinas feel enchanted! Now if that doesn't make a girl feel like a ballerina, I don't know what will!

Speaking of "enchanted", 1908 also saw a fantastic production of "La Bayadère", at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. And guess what? This magnificent ballet had a big, beautiful, "Pink" tutu - I swear it looked as good as mine ( and my dear, you know my taste!) All sparkly and shimmering, it was like seeing the moonlight itself reflected on stage.

The sheer beauty and opulence of it just blew me away. It just had the "magical" element you need to create a lasting impression.

But wait, where is my pink tutu? It’s gone! Oops! I’m too busy writing that I forgot I’m travelling in a time machine. No time to waste. Back to the future now, my darling dancers. We're going back to the year I actually come from.

My trip this time was truly unforgettable, filled with beautiful tutus, delightful discoveries and more tulle than you could shake a ballet slipper at. I even got my hands on a few amazing antique pieces, which I’ll show you in my next blog post!

And don’t forget, if you're interested in diving deeper into the ballet world, and want to know more about the story of this special tutu in "La Bayadère" I would love to know! Or just let me know what your favourite era in tutu history is!

Remember to head on over to my www.pink-tutu.com website to check out my newest collection of gorgeous pink tutus and leave me a comment. I just love seeing all of you wear pink tutus, ladies. You know that is what this blog is all about, and all about the world of ballet, right?

See you next Tuesday! And keep those tutus twirling!

Emma xoxo