#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1924-08-19

Hello, darlings! It's Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, and welcome back to my #TutuTuesday blog! I'm so excited to share with you all about tutus in this wonderfully stylish, and utterly captivating era.

As you all know, I love travelling through time! Especially by train - so chic! I always pack my prettiest pink tutu for every journey, as you can never be too well-dressed, no matter the year! So this week, I'm taking you all back to a grand and glorious time, specifically August 19th, 1924, just a hop, skip, and a twirl back in time!

Now, darling, 1924 is what we like to call the Roaring Twenties - and you bet your bottom dollar that this period saw a boom in creativity and glamour! Everyone, everywhere was expressing themselves, with bright colours and daring designs. So naturally, the world of ballet was absolutely bursting with exciting innovations, especially in costumes!

Today, we’re taking a peek at how tutus have evolved through time and exploring the iconic dance steps and performances that graced the stage in 1924! And believe me, darlings, there is much to celebrate!

The year 1924 was truly a glorious time to be a ballet enthusiast! New and experimental choreographies were captivating audiences everywhere, showcasing new levels of athleticism and artistic expression. The very foundation of ballet was being shaken up, with new movements and a shift in focus to the emotional and psychological power of dance! It was truly a fascinating period for ballet and costume design, where bold and creative choices became the norm!

In 1924, ballerinas began embracing a more sleek and streamlined look for their tutus. This new wave of tutu design brought a shift towards sleek lines, softer tulle fabrics, and a closer connection with the dancer's body! Imagine that: Tutues that dance as much as the ballerinas themselves! You know I just had to get my hands on some of this luxurious, light-as-a-feather tulle fabric to test out some new tutu designs for myself.

Let’s go back in time, darlings, and step onto a grand stage!

Imagine the opulent grand halls of the Paris Opera! You see the stage lights, glistening down on a flurry of colour and intricate patterns. The stage is awash in the vibrant colours of the Ballet Russes – I’m talking about bold, deep reds, shimmering golds, and electrifying blues – just heavenly! I have to confess, the sight almost makes me want to break out my signature pink and twirl around the room!

Now, let's meet a remarkable ballerina who revolutionised ballet, who dared to challenge the norm, who was the absolute epitome of this glorious era in ballet, Serge Diaghilev - A vision in creativity! I swear this man’s costume ideas were simply spectacular, but don’t just take my word for it, his shows were an absolute sensation all across the world!

This brilliant visionary led the celebrated company Ballet Russes, and it’s through his ingenious eye for design that the dance world witnessed some of the most memorable tutus in ballet history. Diaghilev was all about pushing boundaries, a real iconoclast - He understood the importance of showcasing beauty through clothing and dance. He envisioned an absolute marriage between art and costume design! This is a true ballet visionary if you’ve ever heard one!

So, why don't we look back at the exciting tutus he created!

Just thinking about the iconic designs of Ballet Russes in 1924 gets me all excited to plan a trip to Paris to see a show! Ballet was everywhere during this time – from the stages of the Paris Opera to even performances within grand palatial settings! And that beautiful Ballet Russes brought ballet from Russia straight to Paris in a blaze of color and artistic extravagance – so revolutionary! I’m not sure there’s any ballet company quite like it to this day.

Now, darling, to really get a taste of 1924’s theatrical glamour, we must discuss some key Ballet Russes works! It was really this company that helped to propel ballet costume design into a whole new level!

First, let’s dance with “Les Sylphides” - The tutu used in this masterpiece is absolutely exquisite! Made from a soft, almost ethereal, shimmering white tulle fabric, the ballerina was essentially surrounded by this wispy and beautifully billowing fabric.

Imagine it: A ballerina gliding across the stage like a dream, surrounded by flowing layers of soft tulle fabric! It’s like seeing a graceful silhouette with every pirouette! Absolutely mesmerising! The Ballet Russes design choices, specifically in *“Les Sylphides”, *were revolutionary! They ditched the frills and elaborate embellishments of the earlier tutu styles – this era is all about graceful and delicate simplicity! You could call it ‘minimalism’! This approach totally enhanced the beauty and movement of the ballerinas. Truly genius!

“Scheherazade” is another remarkable Ballet Russes production to consider.

What makes this ballet such a visually stunning spectacle? The Ballet Russes designers took inspiration from exotic Eastern cultures to create a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and richly textured fabrics! Just imagine vibrant oranges and yellows blending seamlessly with deep blues and rich purples! So exciting and bold! A perfect demonstration of how beautiful ballet can be! This was a time of true artistic extravagance in both choreography and design! This Scheherazade tutu embodied this grand artistry perfectly - with the design, they wanted to portray both majesty and mystery in one go – and what better way than through a tutu? I would adore wearing such a splendid creation to a fancy Parisian soiree - just like the ballerinas in 1924. I mean, isn’t the ballet world just the most inspiring place?

However, darlings, the grand era of Ballet Russes had a strong influence from one particular individual who dared to challenge tradition with a fearless and inventive approach: Serge Diaghilev. I adore this man’s style and his boldness in breaking through conventional ballet traditions! His work is truly groundbreaking.

What Diaghilev brought to the ballet world, darlings, was a whole new vision, a grand experiment of artistic expression that captivated everyone!

I can see it, like it’s yesterday – Diaghilev, walking onto the grand stage with his brilliant costume designers and making an audacious call for experimentation. “No more restrictions, let’s explore beauty in new and daring ways!”.

In “The Firebird,”, his creativity soared. The tutu here took inspiration from the traditional Russian costume style and crafted a garment made with shimmering silk and intricately beaded motifs! Diaghilev made the dancers truly embrace and celebrate their physical form! I imagine the intricate details and glistening beads perfectly catching the light! It’s a spectacle in motion, darlings! The audience was absolutely in awe!

Diaghilev also incorporated elements like masks into his dance works! Think a mysterious yet ethereal vision with dramatic masks in his masterpiece, "The Sleeping Beauty." Oh, darling, The Sleeping Beauty tutu! A storybook masterpiece with a beautifully flowing tutu. Just seeing this piece on stage transported me to another time – a fantastical world! This era brought us some of the most spectacular tutus, a real triumph for artistic vision and beauty!

As the Ballet Russes and other dancers moved their bodies and costumes around the stage, Diaghilev wanted his viewers to see the essence of emotion in every step and every movement! I truly feel like he successfully broke free from conventional design limitations, making it possible for both the ballet costume and dancers to be on display in their full glory – a masterpiece of vision!

These are just some of the exceptional works of Diaghilev and Ballet Russes, darlings! There were countless others! And just looking back at this period, you see so many stunning artistic contributions in costume and design! It’s as though each design, every tutu, had its own tale to tell! I swear, my favourite aspect of going through time in my tutu is being able to explore history with my love of ballet at every turn. There are so many historical tales and events in the ballet world that really take my breath away – and make my own dance-inspired creativity explode!

You all know I just had to dress the part! Imagine me – a vision of loveliness - gliding along Parisian boulevards, then heading off to the Grand Opera House to see Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, adorned in my prettiest pink tulle tutu. The Ballet Russes would simply adore the shade, and their vibrant stage performances would inspire me for a brand new ballet tutu collection!

I have to say, darlings, this period was so glamorous! You really get a sense of a dynamic shift in fashion! Even if the clothes were tighter than we'd wear today, a shift to simpler silhouettes truly added elegance and emphasized a figure's beautiful lines. I was a little surprised to discover that back then, women went for a little less tulle and fluff - which is odd, as they're two of my absolute favourites!

But honestly, I’d wear my pink tutu everywhere I went! And this time travel really gets me going! I love the historical inspiration from times gone by, particularly these grand eras of artistic creativity. As a matter of fact, I think this inspires me to launch my own special ballet collection: ‘The 1924 Line.’ We can definitely talk more about that in the future, darling!

The era of the Ballet Russes is just bursting with fashion inspiration – and this period was just a feast for the eyes! They totally changed how we think of costume design today, making me, a very fashion-conscious ballet fanatic, extremely thankful! I just love a ballet inspired look! And with all that vibrant colour and artistry? It makes it even easier to work in some extra pink, and you know how much I just love that!

I want all of you lovely people out there to have the joy of expressing your inner diva, and wear a beautiful tutu. It can totally turn your life into a performance, darling!

Now, that's all for now. It's getting late, and I have to be up early tomorrow for a special trip to Vienna to watch Anna Pavlova - Her legendary “The Dying Swan” ballet - a truly tear-jerking, yet incredibly artistic work! The very mention of it makes my heart leap! You know what? If the next Tuesday, when this is posted, comes out on an 18th of August? I'm going to devote this entire blog post to her! It's bound to be inspiring. But before I go, do write to me in the comments about what you love most about tutus and where you’ve seen them on stage – because they're always an inspiring conversation starter!

And please remember, darling, this post is #4834 on the Ballet Tutu History blog. Tune in next Tuesday, 7th August for a new post on www.pink-tutu.com to see what wonders and inspiring moments await us. Until then, stay radiant and always embrace your inner diva. Until next time, darling, au revoir!