Hello darlings! Welcome back to www.pink-tutu.com It’s Emma here, your resident pink tutu enthusiast and time-travelling ballet historian! I’m thrilled you've joined me for another #TutuTuesday adventure, this time whisking us back to a simply divine September day in 1909!
Ooh, darling, the train ride to Paris was just exquisite! I simply had to get my hands on the most sensational blush pink silk frock for today's blog post, perfectly coordinated with a darling fluffy tulle tutu, obviously! (It would be utterly criminal to step off a train into the heart of Parisian fashion without a tutu, don't you think?).
And you simply can't imagine the delight of travelling to Paris by train in 1909! The grand stations were bursting with a wonderful buzz of excitement – and the outfits! So much exquisite feathery loveliness! I nearly fainted when a dear gentleman tipped his hat at my vibrant pink feather boa!
Let’s not forget that Paris is, of course, the heart and soul of fashion – a truly captivating mix of delicate blooms and elegant embellishments.
I simply adore the French ballet style – everything is just so… je ne sais quoi, and refined. I adore the artistry of the ballerines here; the fluidity of movement, the enchanting poses... The sheer beauty of the ballet makes my heart skip a beat!
Speaking of artistry, I'm off to catch the latest ballet at the Paris Opera, so I can bring you all the news, darling!
But before we chat all about the Parisian Ballet…
Let's journey back to our topic – the humble tutu! This marvelous garment, has come a long way since its humble beginnings, haven't they, my dears?
I mean, who could imagine dancing the Grande Jeté in the rather impractical and rather frumpy 19th-century, bouffant skirts! Such bulky and cumbersome attire. No, tutus are the epitome of femininity! Elegance personified! We must thank the French for this dazzling invention. The French are the undisputed queens of la mode, aren't they?
September 21st, 1909.
Today's blog post is all about this particular day - and why it's so important for ballet and tutul history. Let's put on our pinkest ballet shoes, twirl, and find out…
As a time traveller, I am truly privileged to witness the development of tutus firsthand - the beautiful transformation from those somewhat more practical earlier versions to the graceful designs that grace the stages of our time!
In 1909, we are entering the golden era of modern ballet, with beautiful designs that emphasized freedom of movement and beauty. Our lovely tutus in 1909 were, well, not as voluminous as the ones we are used to now. It's all about layers for the dancers now, which create movement as the layers fan out to give the dancers amazing flexibility.
In fact, 1909 was a year of ground-breaking* movement* and style, with **innovations from influential dance creators such as Mikhail Fokine, Serge Diaghilev and Vaslav Nijinsky, setting new artistic precedents, which really started the move from the grand, romanticism of the 19th century toward the bolder expressions and technical styles that revolutionised ballet.
Think the amazingDiaghilev's Ballet Russe and their wonderful dancers such as Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina. Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe revolutionised ballet’s look – they took modern ballet costumes and introduced bright bold colours, simple cuts – think simple leotards worn with dramatic and elaborate costumes and magnificent, flowing tulle tutus. Such *radical styles at the time!
You see, the modern ballerina of 1909 is more independent than ever before. The dance moves are freeer - a beautiful evolution that **reflected society.
On this very date - September 21st, 1909, * we had the absolute delight of witnessing one of the most exciting and revolutionary ballets of the time - “The Spectre de la Rose” * with Vaslav Nijinsky ( one of the leading stars of *The Ballets Russe) - making his Parisian debut* with this piece!! I could hardly contain myself during this spectacular performance at the *Théatre du Châtelet – the stage presence, the incredible, flowing tutus, just incredible, darling! The Spectres de la Rose* was quite literally breathtaking – Nijinsky’s elegant, ethereal performance was simply electrifying ! I dare say that 1909 was the year that modern ballet became a thing, darlings!
It was also in 1909, that, after many tours and performances in Russia and Europe, The Ballets Russe moved to London to create their grand and exquisite London theatre, and ballet became the most fashionable thing in the British social circles. You must have seen those amazing and dramatic photos!
Today in Paris, 1909, la mode is about elegance and beautiful simple lines. Look for a simple design with minimal frills - very feminine, and we want a simple silhouetted bodice. (no boning here) Think the beautiful Ballets Russe tutus and their dancers! A bit of whimsy - lace, delicate pink silk, feathers, - some embroidery* with subtle metallic or pearl highlights. *Minimalist tutus, if you will! The key is to embrace a bit of that beautiful *French romanticism, with the romanticism of the modern era. *Think *la mode, darlings! **
This is our moment in time for sophisticated elegance and bold artistry - it is an empowering and liberated age! The world is changing darling, so grab your beautiful and perfectly fluffy tutus, because life is about to get incredibly fabulous
Do join me on our next adventure into ballet history. Follow our Tutu Tuesday journey on www.pink-tutu.com Have a simply divine week darling!!
