#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1926-04-20

Hello lovelies! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, where all things tutu are celebrated! Today, we're going on another time-travelling adventure, taking us right back to the 20th of April, 1926! You might be surprised to find that this date holds a particularly special significance for the world of the tutu…and the whole world of dance for that matter!

(Here's a cheeky hint - remember the lovely George Balanchine, everyone's favourite Russian ballet choreographer? Well, he played a bit of a big part in what happened today!)

But first, a quick little trip down memory lane. I'm Emma, and you might recognise me from my little blog here, www.pink-tutu.com. As a Derbyshire lass, you might think I have a predilection for the colour green, but honestly, my love is reserved entirely for the wonderful shade of pink! And that includes the delightful tutu of course. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if my love for pink tutus was responsible for all my time travel adventures – after all, you can’t say the fashion police wouldn’t have something to say if they found you travelling between centuries in a pink tutu, eh? 😉 Thankfully, the magic of performance keeps the travel fund ticking over nicely, so all’s well that ends with a grand finale, right?

Today, however, I’m wearing my brightest, most cheerful, shocking pink tutu, with layers upon layers of fluffy tulle! The colour just suits today's journey so much!

I landed in New York this time, not just any old bit of New York though, the grand, fabulous, glitzy world of The Metropolitan Opera! Yes, that's right, this is where the magic unfolded on that special 20th April in 1926. And guess what? We weren't just dancing with any old choreographer; we were dancing with the great George Balanchine himself. Can you imagine being part of the ballet world, getting the chance to see and dance with such a legendary figure? He's absolutely one of my absolute idols, you know, his creations are truly mesmerising. He was already pretty famous at this point, he'd choreographed some stunning works with the Ballets Russes in Russia, so he wasn't unknown to the ballet world by any means.

So, we're ready to get started on a thrilling day with this historical ballet milestone. This is how our grand historical ballet day in 1926 will be laid out :

1. The Stage is Set: First things first, it's all about the theatre, it’s all about the stage, it's all about that moment of magic! Let's travel back and dive into that vibrant world of ballet. The air’s already crackling with excitement - and we're all eagerly anticipating seeing a ballet performance that will make history.
2. The Grand Ballet : Now, imagine a dance extravaganza in New York! This performance featured nothing short of 18 incredible ballerinas – imagine a stage bustling with graceful, fluttering dancers, a symphony of pink and peach tutus all twirling at once!

And here’s a lovely piece of ballet history tidbit for you: George Balanchine decided to present a little something special called the ‘L’Enfant prodigue’, or in other words ‘The Prodigal Son’ This masterpiece is what they were showing everyone that evening – all the grace and fluidity of the performance had the audience mesmerized and I reckon there were quite a few gasped and oohs coming from the seats. And let's not forget, the tutus! We’re talking light and delicate - nothing heavy here, just ethereal floaty fabric, perfect for those beautiful leaps and pirouettes! They made each dancer's every move just magical – like she was floating on air! The entire audience was on the edge of their seats! 3. Let’s Get Talking Tutudness! Now I hear you say, why this day? Why this tutu? Well, this special day marked an important occasion; this show launched what was then an experimental idea to America called the Society of American Dancers, or, SAD, if you like! Can you believe it, a group of artists trying something new - who would have thought?! It was the beginning of what turned into the *American Ballet Theatre, *an incredible stage for dance with incredible ballet dancers, making incredible art all thanks to George Balanchine. That’s our pink tutu moment for this Tuesday, my lovely fellow dance lovers!

Now I know some of you might say “Emma, tutus have been around for so long!” And, of course, you are right! You could argue they’ve been here almost as long as we have! ( Well, the whole human kind I mean). But tutus have evolved, they’ve gone through some changes, so it's all about sharing how they've graced us with their presence over the years, don’t you think?

Remember that gorgeous tutus are a big part of why I love ballet - and it’s no secret that tutus aren’t going out of fashion any time soon - or perhaps they’re already a classic and fashion never dies – what do you think?

Let's just say tutus always hold that certain something special about them. And if I could find a magical tutu I could get to wear every single day, that would be great, don’t you think?

Anyway, that was another quick #TutuTuesday blog journey to see just how wonderful our favorite fashion item is! Be sure to stay tuned next Tuesday when I’ll be looking back into a different date with another little snippet of tutu history! Until then, keep twirling and keep it pink, darlings!