Welcome back to Pink Tutu!
It's Tuesday, which means it's time for our weekly delve into the fascinating history of the tutu! Today we're hopping aboard the time machine and journeying back to 18th November, 1930, for a look at the world of ballet fashion. It’s so exciting to imagine a ballet performance of the time - a night of glittering costumes, sweeping choreography, and the enchanting power of the dance!
You know, finding a date with something interesting happening on it, especially on a Tuesday, is not easy! Luckily, the 18th of November 1930 had some good things going on in the world of dance. The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden had a truly lovely programme that night - a gala performance showcasing the talents of two celebrated ballerinas, Tamara Karsavina and Lydia Lopokova! How amazing it would have been to watch such talented dancers. Oh to see Karsavina dance! She was a favourite of mine and of course, Diaghilev. He would probably call her "Karsavina, my beautiful bird!" Do you know, a few years prior to this date, on October 12th 1927, I travelled back in time, just for this very event! I went to a special Ballets Russes production featuring Karsavina - just delightful, really, so beautiful! And yes, the production was wonderful, was magical - even with the lighting and backdrop design at this point having some very odd colouring, to say the least! 😉
The tutus of this era were really something quite different from the designs you might see at your local ballet school these days. I mean, even compared to today, let’s be real, ballet fashion was all about flow and movement, not necessarily practicality! Tutus at the time were all about extravagance, romance, and theatricality. Think elaborate tiers of tulle and lace, delicate hand-beaded accents and shimmering fabrics! All very much reflecting the overall look of women's fashion at the time - I'd call it glamorous, and maybe slightly bohemian.
These tutus really helped create a fairytale feeling, didn’t they? But it's amazing to imagine what these ballerinas had to go through to dance in those tutus. No doubt it wasn't always a graceful waltz. I’d love to go back in time and get a firsthand account of what it was like to perform in one of these. But who knows, perhaps all the fuss of dancing in this style, made for some fantastic photo opportunities! You know me, I love a good photograph! The more the merrier! #TutuSelfie, I imagine them saying!
So today’s #TutuTuesday blog post brings up something I really want to highlight, the importance of looking beyond what we may consider as modern tutus and delve into how these fashion trends evolved over time. A peek back into history not only makes you appreciate ballet fashion more but also gives a glimpse into social changes and even technological advancements, don’t you think?
As always, I can’t wait to hear what you think! Share your thoughts, questions and photos!
Until next Tuesday,
Love,
Emma
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I can't wait to hear about all the great ballet costumes and events you’re enjoying too! Just remember to hashtag #PinkTutu and you might just appear in one of my future posts! 😊
