Hello darlings! Welcome back to Pink Tutu, your weekly dose of tutu-rific history and all things twirly! Today, we're hopping aboard the time machine and whisking ourselves back to a dazzling decade – the 1920s! Just imagine, the Roaring Twenties, flapper dresses, and a whole lotta jazz! Oh, how I wish I could pop back in time and experience the fashion and the dances firsthand. But alas, I'm a little busy promoting my Pink Tutu cause - one tutu at a time, you see. 😉
So, picture this – we're in 1920s Paris, the very heart of dance and fashion. The Eiffel Tower sparkles against the evening sky as the streets hum with life. Chic ladies in flapper dresses are enjoying a delicious pot of tea with their favourite scone, all while discussing the latest dance moves from Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. And oh, what dancing! I imagine everyone trying to copy those exciting steps, the swirling of silk dresses and feathers as the music crescendos – absolutely divine! The era truly had an energy of excitement, adventure, and liberation, and the tutu was absolutely at the heart of this.
Now, if you’re like me, you’ve got a soft spot for all things pink – and guess what? Pink wasn’t just reserved for your grandma's armchair back in the 1920s! It was considered incredibly chic! Imagine a delicate pink tutu paired with a beaded flapper dress, just like they're dancing with, say, Serge Diaghilev. The colours were vibrant, exciting, and almost daring. It's fascinating how fashion keeps repeating itself, isn't it? We see this trend returning every couple of decades!
While those bold new flapper designs took the spotlight, the classic tutus we know and love were still having a wonderful time. They were used in ballet shows, naturally, where they gracefully twirled and danced around the stages. A bit like how we imagine ourselves dancing at our local ballet class! 😍 There was a new elegance and refinement to ballet in this era, and it really pushed the boundaries of artistic expression.
It's on June 27th, 1922, that one of the most significant ballets in history made its debut in Paris – The Rite of Spring. Oh, the scandal! This modern ballet, by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, shocked and thrilled the audiences in a way they had never been shocked before. Imagine, a wild, primal dance set to some wonderfully bold music. You can practically feel the energy of the entire theatre erupting. I can almost see it all now - the shimmering costumes, the leaping dancers, the excitement filling the air… ah, to be there!
That's all for now, my dears! I have a big shopping trip to embark on in preparation for this weekend’s ballet performance in my hometown, Derbyshire. I'm absolutely dying to catch a performance of The Sleeping Beauty, oh my! I think a brand new pink tutu will be just the perfect outfit.
I’ll be sure to catch you all next week for another dose of history on www.pink-tutu.com! Until then, don't forget to twirl and let your inner ballerina shine! ✨💖
Love, Emma 🩰💖
