Hello my lovelies!
Welcome back to another exciting week of #TutuTuesday! Itās Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, and Iām absolutely thrilled to be waltzing into September with a splash of pink and a whole lot of tulle!
Today, weāre time-travelling back to the 1920s, a decade known for its roaring glamour, flapper dresses, and a fascinating evolution in ballet fashion! Oh my, the colours, the shapesā¦ it's absolutely mesmerising!
Today, weāre focusing on September 14th, 1926. It was a Wednesday, a perfectly midweek day for a little bit of ballet, wouldn't you say?
Firstly, letās imagine itās 1926, a beautiful Parisian evening. Think chic bistros, the scent of fresh bread and croissants, the rhythmic hum of Parisian life, and the echo of waltz melodies dancing in the air. We're going to a ballet show, and weāre not just talking any show, my dears. Tonight, we're attending a premiere, and as luck would have it, I have the perfect pink tulle dress for the occasion - a true classic, I promise you!
It wouldn't be the classic pink tutu we know and love today. You see, in the 1920s, the ballerina world was still under the spell of the Romantic tutu - longer, flowing, ethereal, and more often than not, made from layers upon layers of gauze. Oh, it must have been like wearing a cloud! So glamorous, donāt you think? But with all this romance, the tutu began to evolve.
Imagine the ballerinas swirling on stage. Their delicate tutus, a glorious explosion of pale pink tulle, a cloud of whispers that catch the light as they spin. Imagine it all set to the music of Stravinsky, with a ballet choreographed by Michel Fokine. It was just pure poetry, my darlings! They looked so heavenly, so captivating!
Now, I donāt mean to be overly romantic, but even though the classical ballerina dress was not as short as it is today, and we didn't have the pink ballerina tulle and the pom poms we know and love, there was such elegance, grace, and a real sense of theatricality!
Of course, as I have told you before, you know how much I love shopping and I was thrilled to have discovered a wonderful store in London. "Harrods", I think it was called? What an extravagant place, absolutely overflowing with luxurious clothing and trinkets! A little splurge for me meant buying some delightful beaded gowns. They were the most dazzling creations with sparkling sequins and elegant embellishments - such fun for a night at the ballet!
My travels through time have shown me that ballet really came into its own around the early part of the 20th century. This is partly due to the pioneering work of famous choreographers like Serge Diaghilev and Michel Fokine. They were visionaries, my dear, always breaking boundaries, seeking innovation and bringing about radical changes that transformed the stage.
I find myself pondering if in 1926, would anyone have thought that by 1961, the traditional ballerina would be wearing tutus made from one to two layers of tulle and that, from the 1970s onwards, the classical ballet tutu would eventually shrink in size? Imagine a whole generation wearing the longer, flowing gowns - I wonder how they felt when it all changed?
I know what you're thinking - tutus canāt be that interesting, can they? They are just fluffy things for dancing, right? Well, you might be surprised to learn that these beautifully crafted creations tell a wonderful story of style, elegance and change!
Think of it as a tutu timeline! And remember, ladies, if you ever need any information about the fascinating world of ballet, from costumes to technique to some fabulous shows you shouldn't miss, then you know who to call!
Have a marvellous week everyone and let me know if you are attending a ballet show this week - I'd love to hear about it!
P.S. Be sure to come back next Tuesday for more tutu goodness! And if you need to reach me for a quick chat, visit my blog at www.pink-tutu.com .
Your always stylish, pink tutu wearing friend,
Emma
A Little More About September 14th, 1926You know, I love to share little tidbits from the past.
September 14th, 1926, was the day the very first performance of "The Desert Song", a beautiful musical play in the genre called the āmusical comedyā. With its blend of romance and thrilling desert escapades, it certainly captured the hearts of theatre-goers around the globe! And what was happening on the other side of the Atlantic? The famous jazz singer and icon, Bessie Smith, recorded "I'm Tired But I Can't Rest", one of her hit records, and she sure made the music world āfeel the heatā!
This just shows that 1926 was an exciting year with all its energy and buzz about new beginnings, and who knows how many tutus twirled during those special moments? It makes me imagine the fashion of the time, the exciting energy, the music, the stage productions ā oh the times! And thatās why, even though we are now so many years later, a tutu can transport us to a time when everything sparkled and gleamed and where beauty and creativity truly did reign!
See you next Tuesday my dear readers, and let's keep dancing!
