#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1936-06-30

Hello darlings, and welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! I'm Emma, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, and today we're taking a delightful trip back in time to June 30th, 1936! 🚂

Just imagine, darling, a world without those fabulous neon pink tutus that are all the rage now! Imagine… I simply can’t. I mean, even if my time machine takes me back to the Stone Age, I’ll have a little pink tutu with me! 😄

Today’s journey takes us to Paris, the heart of fashion, the city that breathes and breathes out style! We’ll explore what a ballet tutu looked like back then. Imagine: graceful movements, billowing tulle, but no hint of the glorious, dazzling pinks that rule the ballet world today. Think of those old, faded, primrose yellow colours you might see on a Victorian tea set… Now that’s the sort of pastel colour we’re talking about when discussing ballet tutus from 1936.

Oh, how the fashion world has changed, darlings! Today’s ballerina doesn't simply have to wear a tulle skirt on stage. Nowadays, they are artists, pushing boundaries with bold costumes, neon colours, even, yes, metallic pink! They have so much choice in their performance! It makes me thrilled just thinking about it.

What makes the tutu even more fascinating, though? It’s that the 1930s were a time of radical change for ballet, a period of exciting re-invention. The elegant, graceful tutu of the Romantic era, the kind you see in the drawings and photographs from the Victorian era, started becoming the shorter, more form-fitting tutu we see today. Think about it, that shorter, less bulky design really does accentuate a ballerina’s movements, making them look like graceful, lithe, delicate dancers who could fly, really fly! Think Swan Lake!*

You know me, darlings, always a fan of the dramatic, but when I watch ballerinas today in those gorgeous pink, flowing, tutus… I feel transported. It’s as if the dance transcends its time and space, even taking me with it, back to 1936!

Don't worry, my sweet little dancers. As your resident tutu guru, I am obsessed with uncovering the origins of this stunningly feminine piece of clothing, and with my super time travel abilities, I've got just the answer!

It all started centuries ago, darlings, not even with ballet! In the 1800s, long before it was known as a tutu, it was the “crinoline”, a stiff, bell-shaped skirt, worn by ladies. Imagine it – ladies' gowns like upside down lampshades! Now that’s the old fashioned style we can thankfully leave behind! 😅

For all the Victorian ladies (and trust me, darlings, they were always concerned with staying on the right side of etiquette… and what's a better way to do that than wearing something made of fabric? Swoon!)

...But by the end of the 19th century, a new age of fashion was dawning, and that’s when the tutu began to evolve. A Parisian dancer named Carlotta Grisi, in a stroke of artistic genius, dared to step onto the stage in a more lightweight, shorter design. Imagine the gasp, darling! It was a total scandal at the time… Can you imagine? No wonder those early dancers were considered artists - the audacity! But the world took to the daring change like, well, tutus to the stage!* 😄

As the 20th century kicked off, tutus took flight in a big way! And now, my darling, here’s where my heart goes “pitter-patter”, because the 1930s were just brimming with creativity when it came to ballet and fashion. Think flowing fabrics, swirling tulle, *beautiful designs for women who simply wanted to be empowered and gorgeous. We might not have seen the pinks I love today, but oh my darlings… You see my point? That decade is a major inspiration for what is popular today. What makes this all the more exciting?

On June 30th, 1936, the world's biggest stars were hitting the stage, showcasing tutus in all their elegance. That’s when one of the most loved ballet stories ever was given its grand debut - "The Sleeping Beauty" at London's Covent Garden!

My favourite ballet company of all time, my love for them knows no bounds. They were one of the companies that led the change in the way ballerina’s costumes, particularly those delightful, oh so elegant tutus, looked in this era! You must see the magic, if you ever get a chance!

What happened to those ballerinas on that day in 1936? I don’t have all the facts to tell you now. But, here’s my little ballerina wish... imagine how those dancers, twirling on stage in those fabulous dresses and tutus, feeling the lights of the stage, that intoxicating atmosphere… Well, I'm hoping they all knew, somehow, how they were shaping the future of ballet. Their graceful, elegant moves in their soft-pastel colored tutus became an inspiration to a whole new generation of dancers! Just thinking about those ladies, dancing away back in 1936, wearing those tutus... makes my heart sing! And they really could have predicted that pink tutus would rule the stage someday!* 💖

It’s funny how history unfolds, and how fashion becomes, not just what we wear, but a window into the changing spirit of the time. It’s a good reminder that all trends, all colours are inspired by something – or someone. Today, it’s the bold, fierce look in vibrant pink!

I can't wait to see what kind of amazing tutus will be adorning dancers in another 90 years, and if the trend of pink continues! Until next week, darling. Let’s stay fashionable. 💋

P.S. What are your favorite tutus, darlings?

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