#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1938-04-12

Hello my dearest tutu-lovers! 🎀 It’s Emma here, your resident pink tutu-clad time traveller, and welcome back to another fabulous edition of #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History!

Today we’re stepping back in time, boarding the Orient Express and arriving at a Parisian Spring – April 12th, 1938 to be precise. 🗼 Oh la la, this is such an exciting date for ballet, my darlings!

I’m picturing the streets of Paris bustling with life. The air is thick with the scent of croissants, coffee and maybe even a hint of jasmine from the blossoming trees lining the boulevards. Picture elegant ladies with chic bobs, sporting Parisian-inspired ensembles with tailored jackets and flowing skirts, and gentlemen sporting dapper hats and suits. I can already imagine the sound of excited whispers as they gather outside the Palais Garnier, eagerly awaiting a grand ballet performance.

But what is this extraordinary event, you ask? Well, buckle up my dear tutu-loving readers, for today we celebrate the extraordinary premiere of Serge Diaghilev’s Le Bal (The Ball)*!

Now, if you've read any of my previous #TutuTuesday posts, you know how absolutely thrilled I am to delve into Diaghilev's incredible legacy. A true visionary who helped propel ballet into the spotlight, Diaghilev's Ballets Russes was the talk of the town – the crème de la crème of dance!

Le Bal was a spectacular ballet in its own right, but today, we are going to focus on one key aspect: the tutus! Yes, my lovelies, the very first glimpse of a style of tutu that was set to become a staple of ballet costumes for decades to come! 🎉

You see, Le Bal featured a promenade, a dance where a string of ballerinas took to the stage, dressed in flowing white tulle tutus – imagine a cascade of pristine, airy feathers swaying to the music! It was nothing short of mesmerizing! 🤩

I can just picture those graceful dancers swirling on the stage, their movements highlighted by the billowing tulle. I bet those tutus weren’t too different from some of my favorites I’ve worn during my travels – light, soft and simply breathtaking! 💖

The significance of this, my dear tutu-lovers, lies in the fact that Le Bal introduced a completely new approach to tutu design – a simpler silhouette with less layers! 🤯 Remember those impossibly layered, extravagant Romantic tutus from the 19th century? This new approach was a fresh breath of air – graceful, delicate, and airy – truly a masterpiece of movement!

I can just imagine the gasps of the audience as they watched those delicate tutus twirling gracefully onstage! Talk about setting a trend! No wonder the Ballets Russes caused such a stir – they truly pushed the boundaries of dance and costume design, didn’t they? 🤩

To add another sprinkle of glamour to this premiere, Le Bal included the exquisite* sets and costumes by none other than **the legendary designer Christian Bérard. Can you even imagine?! I could spend hours gazing at the art deco-inspired sets, shimmering with opulence, with those stunning costumes just adding another layer of pure magic! 💫

Now, just to make this day even more special for us, let's jump back into our very own time travel machine, take a whirlwind train journey and end up right here in Derbyshire, England. Because on April 12th, 1938, none other than Margot Fonteyn, my absolute ballet heroine, was born in this charming county! 💃👑

Just imagine, this was the day this exquisite dancer entered the world – the day destiny set her course to become a ballet legend! Talk about a legacy! And with a name like Margot Fonteyn, I simply cannot resist putting on a stunning pink tutu to celebrate this magnificent ballet ballerina. ✨

So there you have it, dear readers! Today we explored the exciting history of the ballet world through the eyes of tutus. And for every #TutuTuesday, I continue to discover a treasure trove of fascinating facts, inspiring dancers, and beautiful ballet stories that just fill my heart with joy! 💖

As I always say: Embrace your inner ballerina, let your spirit soar, and don’t be afraid to let your pink tutu shine!

Don’t forget to join me next Tuesday for more exciting journeys into the captivating world of ballet tutus!

With love and twirls, Emma xox