Hello my lovelies!
Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, where tutus are always in vogue, and dreams are always in motion! Today is a special #TutuTuesday as we journey back to a time when the world was still buzzing from the First World War, but also yearning for elegance and beauty. Join me as we step into 1919, my darling darlings!
Oh, the excitement! Today’s journey has me practically twirling with glee. You see, dear reader, the date is November 4th, 1919, and it’s a big one for the ballet world. That’s because today marks the very day the Ballets Russes, the most talked-about dance troupe on the planet, are performing a world premiere at the London Coliseum. Talk about glamorous!
I bet you can’t even imagine the frenzy surrounding these performances! The entire world was obsessed with Diaghilev’s company – from their avant-garde choreography to their breathtaking costumes. The sheer theatricality! And all of that colour! And you thought you loved pink? You should have seen those tutus, dear readers! They were a rainbow explosion of silks and velvets and everything glittery you can imagine. Honestly, darling, I’ve never been so jealous of a costume in my entire life!
To think I was waltzing around the world in the early 1900s… in Derbyshire! Honestly, dear, when my little ballet heart caught wind of the Ballets Russes, I knew I just had to see them for myself! That's how my love for time-travel really blossomed, all thanks to the lure of a good tutu, of course!
But, you know, ballet in those days wasn’t all tutus and sparkles. It was really quite serious. Ballet was for everyone back then. People took their ballet incredibly seriously, and even the most prestigious institutions in Paris or London didn’t give you the luxury of "modern" styles and "free interpretation" that we see today. Oh, I don't get me wrong, some might say ballet has lost its seriousness, but, well, have you seen some of these contemporary ballerinas?! It's a bit too free form and improvisational for my taste and my classical style! Don't get me started about the neoclassical movement... You could say my tutu stays in a bit of a time capsule! Honestly, darling, I can't say every tutu-tastic look from the early 1900s appealed to me... just some of them.
Let’s rewind a bit though, shall we? Ballet before the Ballets Russes, before that revolutionary and daring spirit, was a beautiful and intricate world, full of rules and grace, all about the classical style. Really very lovely!
Just imagine… the tutus were shorter back then, with the famous Bell skirt that flared outwards with a bit of puff. Think the style that all the most fashionable Victorian ladies wanted! A perfect swirling, and very practical, form for dancing. The colors? Mostly pastels and the softest whites, or, like my personal favorite, delicate pink. Nothing too shocking or avant-garde - think about the Royal Opera House with the best ballet dancers always being elegant and in white tutus.
You have to remember darling that ballet has a story, too. A history just like our tutus. Every movement, every lift, every beautiful turn has come from years and years of creativity and progress, and each one had an important *historical context. It's the history of dancers' passion, * dedication, and, let's face it, a serious* love of ballet, too!
Now, of course, like everything else in fashion, tutus have evolved, too! But I think there’s a magic in these earlier styles – the beauty, the delicate movements… And maybe that is why ballet still captures the hearts and imagination of the whole world. And that history, darling, is what gives it a unique sense of magic that never seems to fade, even when we take it right up to the modern present day.
So, what is happening on November 4th, 1919 in this world that I'm so enchanted by, you ask? Well, darling, on this very day we've got a real treat coming our way! That’s because, dear reader, *Leon Bakst is designing for the *Ballets Russes *, which gives the *Tchaikovsky masterpiece, “The Sleeping Beauty, a whole new twist, darling! What *exactly that twist is, that’s a whole other adventure, darlings… that's a whole blog post on its own!
*Until then… keep twirling in the sunshine, darling, and don't forget *that feeling - the love of ballet, the love that never ends, the feeling that makes us want to wear tutus and twirl! And make sure you don't forget to check out next Tuesday's #TutuTuesday, darling! **
