Hello, my darlings! Emma here, back from a little trip through the ages! Can you believe it? Today we’re dipping into the past, all the way back to the 27th of March 1928, a date steeped in dance history.
Now, as you all know, my favourite thing in the world is a tutu, preferably a luscious shade of pink! And to tell you the truth, the 1920s were a time when those pouffy, graceful tutus weren't yet making a big splash. The iconic romantic ballerina look as we know it, those swirling tutus and delicate pointe shoes, was just starting to emerge.
So, how did we get to the magical ballet looks we know and love today? Buckle up, darlings, we’re taking a grand tour, all aboard the time machine, a glamorous express train I might add. We’ll start with this lovely date in 1928. It was just over 2 years since a delightful lady called The Lady in the White Tutu (well, it wasn't strictly white - I'm sure we'll get into the intricate shade details of it later!) first danced in her now infamous garment.
Ah, but before we start digging deep into the annals of ballet history, let's celebrate today. The 27th of March 1928! Such a magical day in Paris. Why? Because it was opening night of the Opera Garnier, for a fantastic production of The Sleeping Beauty, the classic ballet full of magic and graceful steps. Can you imagine, my darlings? To be in the audience that night! I wonder what colours and textures of tutu would have been seen. Maybe I could have made an appearance in my Pink Tutu for some fun inspiration… Perhaps they wouldn't have thought I was a total "freak" back then... maybe…
But alas, I'm a little too pink to visit the 20s right now.
Let's turn back the clock to 1841, to where the origins of that iconic tutus we adore started taking shape! Now, 1841 is far before this date in 1928. Back then, they wore what they called the 'Romantic Tutu,' this was still quite different to what we see on the modern stage today. This tutu had longer layers, and was almost a dress, think more elegant Grecian style with fabric flowing in a delightful dance of drapes and ruffles, much more full length with graceful flowing fabrics... like those magnificent dresses from a grand ball. And all these wonderful fabrics came from a glorious age of rich fabrics from countries far and wide... It must have looked simply spectacular with a shimmering skirt - a dream!
From 1841 we jumped forward to 1890 - a pivotal moment for tutus. Marie Taglioni - one of the very first ballerinas to use pointe shoes on stage, introduced her famous style. She chose a new silhouette, a much more slim fitting skirt, creating a beautiful silhouette.
Remember these are just two highlights, my darlings! There’s a whole galaxy of fascinating facts and changes in tutus, like the famous "layered" tulle tutus you see on ballerinas today, created in the early 20th century, just after 1928. Now these beauties made ballet dancing look even more magnificent and magical! Imagine, graceful movements and swishes! Absolutely spectacular, eh?
Now back to 1928. A year of revolutionary style in dance and fashion. The age of 'The Flapper Girl'. What were those flapper girls up to? Imagine, long dancing shoes, beautiful beads adorning all kinds of clothes, a whole new world of fashion and elegance! All those exciting and delightful looks were a direct inspiration to a new, revolutionary ballet tutu… What can we learn about ballet from this amazing period?
My lovelies, the truth is that everything you see on stage today is a beautiful collaboration between fashion, style and art - all inspired by each other. Fashion is a dance of time, a dance that we continue to inspire. Our history in fashion has led us to gorgeous ballet looks and we have the magic of those "Romantic Tutues" to thank!
Of course, my heart always beats for pink!
Keep an eye on the new trends, keep dancing, my lovelies, keep twirling in your own Pink Tutus! Don’t forget, you can also look at all our great previous Tutu Tuesday Blog posts at the bottom of our homepage www.pink-tutu.com!
Sending love, from my magical little corner of the world to yours.
Yours always,
Emma xxx
