Greetings, dear tutu enthusiasts! Emma here, back from another thrilling time travel adventure and ready to share the delightful secrets of the ballet tutu! Today's #TutuTuesday takes us back to 1915! Oh, how the world has changed… but thankfully, the magic of the tutu has remained as enchanting as ever.
As a Derbyshire lass born and bred, my heart leaps with excitement at the thought of venturing to the capital this Tuesday! Why, you ask? Well, this February 2nd, 1915, sees none other than Anna Pavlova gracing the stage of the Royal Opera House with her exquisite performance! Oh, Anna, the queen of the pirouette! A performance of her will be a feast for the senses. A ballet fan's dream! The delicate swirling fabric of her costumes, the elegant movement, the passion… it's no wonder I'm practically bouncing with anticipation. I’ll have to grab my trusty binoculars to get the best view!
This era, the early 1910s, is a beautiful time for tutus, let me tell you! They're reaching a peak of elegance, and they're practically whispering stories of princesses and fairies on the stage. Forget the fussy, heavily layered styles of the Victorian era - this era is all about soft, flowing fabrics and romantic silhouettes. The Romantic era of ballet, with its graceful choreography and emotional expression, has swept across the globe, and the tutus have become its shining star! And for me, nothing screams "Romantic" louder than a pretty, billowing, pink tutu!
I was particularly entranced by a style favoured by Russian ballerinas around this time: the Romantic tutu, featuring layers upon layers of tulle that cascade around the dancer’s legs in a gloriously dreamy cloud of pink. Think pink, think light and airy, think exquisite, think ballerina dream! It is the embodiment of grace and poise. Simply perfect.
But let's take a step back from the ballet, dear friends. London in 1915 is buzzing with excitement for this new, thrilling "movie" fad that is starting to gain traction. And the fashions in London this February? Stunning. Picture it: feathers, lace, beading, all woven into a symphony of gorgeous colours that's positively enchanting. Just imagine! So much to see, so much to inspire!
Just to think, all this time travel and excitement is funded by none other than my beautiful performances in the 21st century! Oh, yes, nothing satisfies my pink tutu soul more than dazzling crowds with my choreographies, dressed to the nines in my custom-designed tutus, of course! And what’s more, travelling by train to all my performances gives me time to people watch! You wouldn’t believe how many interesting characters there are to meet in the first class carriage! I love sharing stories of ballet and tutu with fellow passengers and watching the look of astonishment on their faces! It always reminds me just how magical the ballet is. It seems everyone wants a piece of this enchantment.
But I digress! Back to my current trip!
One thing that always makes my time-traveling heart swell with pride is how much the tutu continues to evolve with every decade! We're witnessing a golden age for the tutu - the time of the ballerina's absolute command over the fabric. It's all about the dancer. The fabric no longer just dictates, it empowers, amplifying every graceful motion, each jump and turn, every tiny movement. Isn’t it wonderful that such beauty can exist, with a bit of imagination and fabric, and an elegant swirl and dip, of course!
My friends, don’t forget – pink is the colour of pure joy, it’s the colour of magic, it's the colour of endless possibilities! That’s why I always encourage my readers, even you readers from this year, 2023, to wear pink! Even a little dash of pink! To wear it with confidence, to twirl in the street like ballerinas on stage, to show your inner ballerina to the world! Because when you wear pink, my friends, you’re not just wearing a colour - you're embracing a whole world of possibility.
I'm off to buy some London silk to take back as souvenirs from 1915, but do come back next week for another dazzling adventure in #TutuTuesday! And until then, please keep the pink flag flying high, and keep twirling, dear friends!
Your always-enthusiastic ballet enthusiast,
Emma xx
