Hello, my darlings! Emma here, your favourite tutu-obsessed time-travelling ballerina, ready to whisk you back to the glittering era of the 1920s!
Today, on a Tuesday that feels extra sparkly, I'm going to tell you about a very special moment in ballet history - 1929, a year of exciting changes!
You know I adore tutus, right? And, as much as I'm fond of the classics, I always get giddy seeing the ways they evolve, getting bolder and more beautiful. 1929? Well, that year, the tutu practically flew off into a new decade - with excitingly new ideas taking flight, just like a dancer in mid-air.
Now, where shall we hop onto the time-travel express? Oh, we'll be getting off in the beautiful heart of Paris, darling! The city of lights is always dazzling, and especially so during this period! It’s simply bursting with creativity. It’s like they’ve taken the phrase "laissez-faire" and applied it to everything, including fashion!
This was the year Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, you see? Yes, this incredible dance troupe with its beautiful music, dramatic designs, and - oh, you've just got to see the costumes, darlings! Simply breathtaking. But they weren't your traditional tutu style, let me tell you! These tutus, they had flair, darling. Imagine floating gossamer, billowing silks, and oh-so-much movement, a swirling vision that brought every story to life. Gulp, even I’d find it hard not to fall in love with the sheer loveliness!
So, what else happened in 1929? Well, in fashion, the world went utterly gaga for what they called flapper girls - the style was all about short skirts and dresses, sassy dropped waists, and plenty of jewels. Think about it - a perfect blend of boldness and charm, like our tutus - both bold and charmingly graceful, wouldn’t you say?
Speaking of charmingly graceful, can I share a secret, darlings? Today, on July 16th, 1929, there was a beautiful performance of “Le Sacre du Printemps,” (That’s "The Rite of Spring", my dears!). Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking piece is wild, a bit chaotic, but oh-so exciting! You'll totally want to watch a performance after reading about it – there are fabulous modern adaptations out there!
Now, if I may, let’s talk about a key factor in the evolution of ballet itself – a certain someone by the name of George Balanchine, a visionary choreographer. You could almost call him a fashion influencer before the internet!
Mr Balanchine is not only gifted, he’s incredibly practical too – he had the brilliance to take ballet out of those old, rather stuffy traditions, and make it about lightness and freedom. He simplified the movements to allow dancers more freedom of expression. Can you picture that? You are just so much more elegant when you don’t feel restrained, isn’t it? He realised this was the key to ballet really flying. The ballerina can truly fly, darling!
In the early days, you had the dancers all bundled up in a style called “la robe à la polonaise,” - all puffy skirts, heavy fabrics. No wonder they couldn't really leap! This new "Ballet" by Mr Balanchine was all about elegant, form-fitting silhouettes – the tutu? Less restrictive, more about flow, just dreaming through dance. He took this bold step – shortening the skirt, changing the design, and oh! - what beauty ensued! You could see the movements, darling, just as the world was seeing these stunning, modern creations! A truly wonderful example of how evolution can spark such beauty.
Just imagine! If he was around today, Mr. Balanchine would be giving us new styles and shapes – tutus that transform with lighting effects and swirling LED sequins! A truly magnificent spectacle!
Speaking of “spectacles”, darling, I can’t talk about this time period without mentioning a delightful event - the International Theatre Exhibition in Vienna. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? But what a celebration of artistry and theatricality, showcasing the best of dance, theater, music, costume design - absolutely everything! Imagine the possibilities, my darlings, for tutus!.
Just to sprinkle some London glamour into our Tuesday trip - can I tell you, darling? They launched "London's Most Beautiful Girl Competition"! Now, that’s fun! Imagine all those hopeful girls with a dream of grace, style and elegance – all in their most fabulous frocks, all aspiring to dance. Oh! It’s an event made for the tutu lover! A truly joyful event.
Of course, my dears - we can’t be fashion-focused without talking about the most wonderful shop in all of London, darling! Do you know Liberty’s? It’s extraordinarily stylish! It has been called “a shop-cum-art gallery” - ooh, la-la! Imagine a grand space filled with beautiful things, a fashion oasis. Think elegant fabrics and textures, silks that could be the envy of any queen, lace in all shades - all designed to make a tutu-lover utterly giddy with delight! I even managed to get hold of some gorgeous silk fabrics for a special tutu I'm designing. Oh, how I love Liberty’s!
Now, back to the wonderful ballet world -can you imagine, in all its fabulousness? In those years, 1929 especially, ballet started to be seen not just as an art, but as an artistic and technical marvel, a breathtaking event. Like a stunning ballet dancer in their dazzling costume! It was transforming.
Oh, but here’s a little nugget that might surprise you – this was actually a difficult time to be a ballet dancer, you see? Not as easy as in those times of Instagram and social media. There was a lot of pressure.
As much as the 1920s are an era of fun, freedom, and innovation, the world wasn't quite the same as we experience it now - less emphasis on diversity in our world of today, more emphasis on the traditional. But even that didn't stop the wonderful artistry, the movement, the creativity of that time! Just like a truly splendid tutu - it makes you feel free, beautiful, graceful and able to reach for the stars, wouldn't you agree?
Now, that was a bit of a whirl-wind journey, wasn't it, my lovelies? I've only just touched upon a time that's bursting with creativity, dancing, style, and joy, just like one of our dazzling tutus, wouldn't you agree?
Before we hop back into our time-travel carriage, can we just agree – that even if you never step on a stage, a beautiful tutu makes you feel graceful and elegant! The beauty of ballet doesn’t belong only to those who dance, it belongs to everyone. It’s the power of grace, movement, and expression. It's joy, elegance and creativity. It's about feeling a little bit magical in an everyday world, that’s why it’s so wonderful!
Don't forget to check out all of our *wonderful tutu styles on our site - I’ve got just the tutu for you to embrace your inner dancer – and why not grab a pair of comfy, colourful ballet shoes? You never know - the next ballet superstar could be…you, my dears!*
Until next week, and remember, darlings, a little bit of pink in your life can truly transform your day!
Love, Emma xo
