Oh, darling tutus! Welcome to another week on Pink-Tutu.com. This Tuesday is positively positively bursting with excitement, my loves! It's time for a Tutu Tuesday jaunt through time, and this week we're swirling right back to the enchanting year of 1912. Oh, to have been in London then, taking in the wonder that was Covent Garden!
The wind whispers secrets through my pink tulle as I type this, transporting me back to that era. I imagine myself floating through the gaslight streets of London, my fluffy tutu trailing like a wisp of dreams, on my way to the opera house. That era was bursting with romanticism, and believe me, tutus were dancing across every stage.
You might be wondering what special occasion 10th December 1912 marked. Well, my dearest tutu aficionados, it was the night the Royal Opera House played host to a simply breathtaking production: Giselle. The story of the heartbroken village girl who falls for a charming but deceitful prince still makes my heart flutter just thinking about it.
Now, before we get into the fabulous fashion, let’s step back for a moment and look at the bigger picture. Ballet was going through a beautiful revolution. While traditional classical ballet had always held sway in France, it was starting to spread across the globe. 1912 saw it flourishing right here in Britain. The dancers had more athleticism and freedom in their movements, bringing an excitement and vitality to the artform, and you can imagine how fabulous the costumes were starting to get.
This was the era of leotards and tutus. We're not talking the structured, glamorous creations we wear today – though these definitely existed in elite performances. This era was all about capturing a romantic, ethereal, even fairy-like elegance. So you’re looking at soft, diaphanous fabrics with billowing skirts and minimal embellishments – they just needed to flow.
The beautiful, star-studded costumes used in Giselle in 1912 are a prime example. It was the era of tutus that swirled like smoke and clung to the body, emphasising the dancer’s lithe, graceful movements. Just think holographic butterfly wings and billowing silk skirts on a ballerina… you get the picture, my dears.
Now let’s be honest, the 1912 costumes might look pretty impractical today - if you weren’t as talented as a professional dancer, these wouldn’t have been the most practical. Think delicate hand-sewn lace and chiffon - absolutely fabulous but potentially susceptible to snags. But that's exactly what made the era so special: delicate and artistic. They evoked that air of Victorian romanticism that just captured hearts across the globe.
This kind of romanticism, with a nod to the artistic ideals of the Pre-Raphaelites, wasn’t limited to the stage. From the fashions of the time to the artistic movement that swept Europe - people were entranced with dreamy imagery and a desire to see something a bit ethereal and captivating. And believe me, there was no better place to see this than in ballet performances!
For my fellow time-travellers out there (we all wish, don't we?), I’m betting if you could pop back to the Covent Garden in 1912, you’d be amazed at how those dancers embraced these beautifully free-flowing movements, and with what a spirit of passion. The costumes may have looked simple in concept, but oh my, the execution… there were intricate details crafted with such passion. It’s easy to understand why 1912 is considered a golden age for dance, even if the colours in these tutus tended to be a little on the muted side for my taste… just think shades of ivory, champagne, soft pinks, and dreamy pastels. Oh, how we wish we had the fabulous colours of today, don’t we?!
As a side note - this is also why we take special pride at Pink-Tutu.com with the bold colours and whimsical patterns we celebrate with modern tutus! There’s so much freedom of expression that we take for granted today.
Now, I may be a time traveller, but I have to stay grounded. What is actually going on today in the dance world, you ask? Oh my, you have got to see the incredible work by Matthew Bourne - he's taking ballet into a new direction. It’s amazing - this whole era of contemporary dance and artistic interpretations of traditional works, it's completely captivating! This is why I travel – it's incredible!
From Covent Garden, with all it’s stunning, theatrical grandeur to the incredible ballet companies flourishing all across the UK, this is an amazing era to be living in! And to think… in 1912 the public would have been mesmerized by those flaming tulle skirts that seemed to move by themselves on the stage - so graceful and magical! As for me, my loves, I have got to take off - a new exciting opportunity has just appeared on the horizon and my little pink tutu and I need to dash off!
Catch you all next Tuesday, darlings!
With a pirouette and a flourish, Emma
#P.S. If you ever want a truly whimsical pink-tutu experience in the real world - try one of the fantastic events they hold at The Royal Ballet in London – they always put on shows you won't forget, darling! And, as always, don’t forget, I would love to hear your thoughts on this blog. You know the drill… tell me your ideas and leave your comments on the Pink-Tutu.com page - we love to chat about tutus, right, my loves?
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