Hiya lovely ladies,
Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! This is your one-stop shop for all things tutu! I’m your resident tutu-obsessed blogger, Emma, and today's post takes us on a dazzling journey back to the roaring 1920s, to uncover the exciting developments that reshaped the tutu's history. Let's delve into a little ballet time travel!
I love hopping on the Orient Express, the glamorous railway service that brings you from London right into the heart of Parisian culture. You just can’t beat it for fashion inspiration. My favourite station, Gare du Nord, is a world away from my home town of Derbyshire! Even the cobbled streets of London feel like a whole other world from my tiny Derbyshire village. But, even as a tiny girl in Derbyshire I knew tutus were special.
Back in 1926, the ballet scene was sizzling with energy! I can picture myself sitting on velvet red seats in the stunning Palais Garnier, watching the Parisian ballet troupes in all their glory. Imagine that! Imagine me there in my favourite shade of pink, shimmering amongst the other glamorous theatregoers. I wouldn't want to take my pink tutu off!
Today's special date, 27th of July, was no ordinary day in the world of ballet. We are a few weeks from August and a time for many ballet companies to hold their summer school programmes! There's always a sense of excitement at this time of year for aspiring ballerinas. In Paris and London, it feels as if all you can see is tutu everywhere you go, in every shape and colour. But of course, you already know I love my pink tutu!
So what makes 1926 so important to tutus? The dance world was buzzing with changes. For decades, dancers had been trapped in restrictive tutus, with heavy, elaborate skirts, even down to their ankles. Those tight, cumbersome things felt so uncomfortable – not at all ideal for free movement. Then, in 1926, a revolution arrived!
The genius of Russian ballet master, Sergei Diaghilev, started this revolution. He saw the importance of allowing dancers to showcase their artistry through graceful movements. A big change for that time. The classical, romantic style that I am absolutely fascinated with today came about because of the changing social scene! I adore ballet because of the artistry! He inspired many new creations and, by the way, had a close relationship with my very favourite couturier, Coco Chanel, whose own designs influenced so much of ballet costume change! So clever, those Russians. And the French have always been ahead of the game for everything related to tutus, the Opera National de Paris is still the world-class authority for ballet today!
Imagine my joy in seeing these revolutionary tutu designs! Lightweight, shorter skirts with an almost 'butterfly-like' flow allowed dancers to move effortlessly with a captivating new agility. What could be more perfect than dancing and moving freely! My heart sings just thinking about it! This new look with the flowing shorter skirts highlighted the graceful legs of the dancers! Now that’s a truly graceful art form.
In this era, tutus became increasingly bolder! Not only shorter in length, but featuring dazzling colours. A complete revolution in colour, with an array of beautiful pastels in dreamy hues! I can almost smell the lavender and rose. I know it would have inspired so many new pink tutus! The bold new looks were even more striking in stage lighting which seemed like magic when you are watching the ballet. You should visit the stage in the Palais Garnier and just try to resist that gorgeous stage lighting and how the costumes look, with its dazzling shimmering effect!
Of course, the colour of my heart has always been pink. I always wonder how the dancers of the 1920s would have felt when they discovered such exquisite pink tutus. But I will continue to bring it back to pink as often as possible and remind the world just how chic and graceful a pink tutu can be! What a joy it is to wear something that reminds me of the beauty of the ballerina, like dancing on cloud 9!
I’m going to take you back to London again soon for another tour, but today it is time for me to pack my time travel bag and head off to Derbyshire to watch a local show for the little ones and give them some inspiration, and maybe I can get a few more young ballerinas to discover just how wonderful a pink tutu is! It's the ultimate combination of feminine power and style!
Until next time my beautiful ladies!
Remember, keep those pink tutus sparkling and ready for anything!
Yours in all things tutu,
Emma xoxo
Disclaimer: As with all historical explorations, please note that the representation above is a joyful, fun-loving and positive view of this exciting era of change for the ballet world. If you want to do some extra research, be aware that historical events and interpretations might vary depending on sources and perspective.
I’m very keen on historical fashion and researching about ballets. Just like any time traveler, I sometimes find that things that were accepted and normal in the past are unacceptable or maybe even unthinkable today! So while I have tried to include the key ballet and fashion themes, a reminder to everyone: this blog is simply about ballet tutus and all the glamorous, sparkly history associated with ballet tutus, not a real history lesson. Please let me know if you are interested in learning more about the events I have mentioned!
Please remember that all comments should reflect the values that the site is based upon: Be nice and have fun!
