Welcome, dear readers, to the 4231st installment of your favourite #TutuTuesday journey through the wondrous world of ballet tutus! Today, Iām thrilled to take you all the way back to the grand year of 1913. As ever, we'll be dipping our toes into the history of the ballet world and exploring those exquisite tulle creations that are the lifeblood of every ballerina. Letās set off on a train adventure, shall we? My latest time-travelling trip took me straight to the heart of Paris, a place that, for so long, has held the pulse of ballet in its Parisian heart.
Oh, the Glamour of it All!
1913ā¦ Can you imagine the hustle and bustle? There was something undeniably vibrant and thrilling about this year. The Parisian fashion scene was as dynamic as ever. Now, whilst a simple tutu could be purchased from a little shop down a Parisian backstreet, the most incredible bespoke tutus were dreamed up by couture houses, like the magical Poiret, with their designs draped in elegant folds, crafted from fine fabrics, and finished with sparkling sequins. These Parisian workshops hummed with the creative energy of the era, producing masterpieces fit for the grand opera house stages, and some lucky, if incredibly wealthy, ballerinas.
Speaking of grand opera houses, let's delve into the heart of this storyā¦
This month, the OpƩra Garnier - with its gilded interiors and incredible acoustics - held court with The Sleeping Beauty. Oh, wouldn't I have loved to witness this exquisite spectacle in its original form, from that iconic bluebird tutu to the sumptuous fairy tutus with their delicate feathered details? I dote on the romantic, lyrical story.
I love the idea of audiences adorned in their very finest attire. There's an element of formality in the elegant dress of this era. One thing that truly caught my eye was the womenās fashions. With the āNew Womanā making waves, skirts were significantly shorter. Fashion embraced a new, sleek silhouette, reflecting a greater freedom for women. Imagine being swept away to that time by a magic time-traveling tutu and taking it all inā¦ Iām not sure if Iād try to fit in with the high-society womenās clothing ā they must have been extremely constricted with those corseted styles, I am just so very glad they hadnāt caught on! They'd make ballet dancing extremely tricky, don't you think? However, if there's one item of clothing from 1913 that I would truly love to have in my wardrobe, it has to be the glamorous hats ā oh, the wonderful creations with plumes and flowers and ribbons galore! A wonderful splash of vibrant colours on a neutral dress... perfect!
The Beginning of the Pink Tutu Revolution!
Now, I don't know if you caught my latest blog post, but I must admit to a secret love for pinkā¦ oh, my absolute favourite colour! And if we look back at this historical point in ballet, wouldnāt you know it, pink started to gain momentum as a prominent colour on the ballet stage, at least in certain ballet productions in some lucky cities. You can find several Parisian photos in which a dancer was clad in a beautiful, eye-catching shade of rose-tinted tulle, adding a captivating touch to the overall scene. I have even heard of a story about a little, local ballerina who had her special pink tutu! What a fabulous fashion revolution to begin in Paris, right here in the year 1913. I know, it seems a tad cheeky, and some dancers in London would simply never go out in public in a bright, eye-catching colour like that. The dance was too solemn and proper for anything like pink, according to the āold-schoolā teachers. But even though my heart and mind scream pink ā there are more than a few pink tutus here in Paris.
Iād even like to have my very own pink tutu made, right here, at the heart of the Grand Palais, in this, Paris in 1913. Can you imagine a ballet show with everyone wearing pink, right here on the 28th of January in Paris? Pink for the entire stage? Think how spectacular that would look, with so much delicate pink tulle swirling aboutā¦ The dream of a ballerina pink for all! It might take some persuading but maybe one day pink will be just as mainstream for ballet as a soft white.
1913: A Year of Growth for Ballet
1913 marked a pivotal moment in balletās history with many significant milestones taking place in Paris. A particularly remarkable moment was the establishment of The Ballets Russes, founded by Diaghilev ā the extraordinary leader who dared to reinvent ballet with the use of costumes and stage sets by incredibly talented and daring artists. Their revolutionary aesthetic, incorporating innovative choreographic techniques and dynamic designs, left a long-lasting impact on the world of ballet. And whilst this year is already renowned for the incredible Ballet Russes performances - they're known to have quite a daring set-list with a rather 'modern' feel ā what the theatre-going Parisians werenāt aware of was the fact that ballet's own future was already well underway... even as we speak, right this very moment, and with the incredible Ballets Russes tours across Europe. We're seeing a significant movement across the continent. A surge of artistic energy for this genreā¦ something special in balletās evolutionā¦ and let's be honestā¦ a growing revolution in dance fashion. Just like me, and my little pink tutu!
So there you have it, my friends ā the beginning of pink, the dazzling lights, and the grand opera house stages, I have been blessed to take another magical leap in my time-travelling tutu. My love of dance and fashion is fueled by the wonders I uncover each week. I cannot wait for our next #TutuTuesday rendezvous.
Until next week, my dears, and always rememberā¦ wear your pink tutus with pride! š©°š
