Hello my darling dance-loving dears!
It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu enthusiast, bringing you another exciting instalment of #TutuTuesday, your weekly dose of all things tutus and their glorious history! Today's post is extra special, as we're jetting off on a whirlwind time travel adventure!
Hold onto your tiaras, darlings, because today we're stepping back in time to a fabulous November 17th, 1936!
You see, a life filled with pink tutus and ballet requires a good deal of ... well, let's just say, "resourcefulness" and I'm always looking for ways to expand my knowledge of this wonderful world we share, and, well, you can't really expand your knowledge unless you delve into the past!
It was only last week that I stumbled upon this incredible old playbill in my little vintage shop in Derbyshire – a poster for "The Nutcracker" at the grand Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow! And I thought, what better way to celebrate the history of ballet than to delve into a ballet performance in a whole other era!
Of course, I'd love to visit Moscow myself, but alas, even with my impeccable time-travelling skills, the journey would be a tad inconvenient! You know me – a proper girly-girl who doesn’t travel by anything that doesn't have a pretty little hatrack and a plush, quilted carriage! I may love travelling back in time, but I’ll happily leave all that aeroplane noise and rushing through the airports to the gentlemen – I can get more done with a good book and a cup of Darjeeling tea whilst chugging along on a grand steam train!
And besides, even without stepping into the theatre itself, the thrill of reading this playbill brought me right back to that grand, glittering, gas-lit era of the 1930s! Imagine all those stunning gowns and the men in their sharp tails and ... of course, those exquisite tutus! My imagination has been running wild since! I think you can say my tutus are taking a very special inspiration trip this week!
Let's Talk Tutush, Darling!
You might be wondering, what were the tutus like in 1936? It's true that the tutu was evolving constantly through the first half of the 20th century! In 1936, we're on the cusp of the 'romantic tutu' taking centre stage. I absolutely love the look of a classic Romantic tutu with it’s wide skirt, perfectly framing the movement of a ballerina's legs, especially those breathtaking ‘fouette turns!’ It is the classic shape that embodies that breathtaking feminine fluidity that I’ve always dreamed of!
Of course, my all-time favourite will always be the tutu with a generous heap of pink tulle. So it was a joy to read how, back then, those fabulous, talented dancers used fabrics such as silk, tulle, and net. It made me dream of how beautiful those shimmering and flowing creations would look onstage! Just imagine, delicate hand-sewn layers, the most graceful swirls, a tutu that’s not only pretty, but tells a story with every move. It’s almost impossible to look away, I say, almost! (As a pink tutu enthusiast myself, I can admit I would be busy watching the tulle! )
Oh, how I wish I could have experienced those performances first-hand! You can be sure that if I could, I would have taken copious notes on every detail, and perhaps even snapped a few snaps to inspire my next design creations! Maybe even inspired a line of my own signature pink tutus for this week! We all need a bit of romanticism in our lives, don’t you think?! I certainly can’t get enough!
I’m dying to hear about your favourite ballet tutus and any memories of watching a classic ballet. If you have any inspiring stories from past performances that made you think 'tutus are for life! ’ Please let me know in the comments. Let’s get talking all about tutu fashion from those early, golden years!
I’m off to whip up some ‘Ballet’ style cupcakes for today’s ballet class (and you can bet it will have pink frosting!) Be sure to pop by www.pink-tutu.com, where I post all of my blogs every Tuesday with loads of information for all you ballerina fashion enthusiasts. We’ll see you next week!
Love and bows,
Emma.
[Pink-Tutu.com]
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