#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History - Post 5604
Hello darling tutus!
It's Emma here, your favourite pink tutu-wearing time travelling ballerina, and today I'm going to take you all on a whirlwind adventure to the glorious 1939! Can you believe it? This Tuesday marks another incredible moment in ballet tutu history.
You might not be thinking "ballet" when you imagine 1939, and it's fair to say it was a turbulent year in the world. But for our ballet world, 1939 was about refinement and evolution – even if things felt uncertain outside the theatre walls.
Today, we'll be focussing on one exceptional piece of choreography - the premiere of Agnes de Mille's "Rodeo"!
Hold your horses! I hear you saying – ballet? And… Rodeo? Exactly! It was a total revolution, showcasing a style that wouldn't have been seen before in traditional ballet…
Let’s hop on that magic, pink tutu-trimmed, steam train and journey over to the American Ballet Theatre where “Rodeo" debuted at the Center Theatre in New York City on May 23, 1939! I was thrilled to be in the audience; even if I couldn't actually speak American! (What was "hello" again? "Howdy?" Oh my…blush)
And who did I spot there? The American dancer Leonide Massine, known for his amazing ballet technique and the founder of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. He's one of the few men who appreciates tutus as much as I do, darlings.
Oh my… let’s step back and remember The Ballet Russes, and Diaghilev, for just a minute. We're in the heart of tutu history now, a glorious, opulent time, with elaborate tutus designed by Alexandre Benois and Leon Bakst and amazing stagecraft to rival a Victorian pantomime (except not as, erm… naughty!). They changed how we look at ballet in every sense - and we owe it to those early tutus that my gorgeous pink tulle looks *so magnificent today!*
Okay! Back to Agnes and Rodeo. What made it different, darling? I hear you ask, already poised with your tea and cake, watching my post on your lovely laptop!
Well, first of all, it wasn't set to classic Tchaikovsky. It was to the glorious American cowboy music of Aaron Copland - talk about western swing! It combined the energy of square dancing and cowboy folklore with ballet techniques, and the tutus that were designed were nothing like the romantic, fairytale tutus of the Russian ballets – which is not to say I don't love those, darling!
Instead, Agnes de Mille, a genius, designed new costumes, and you wouldn't believe the controversy at the time, because they had longer tutus that trailed (a full 14 inches!) that had a much *more free and natural movement, which I think is simply divine, even if it wouldn't suit my personality to twirl in this particular tutu, darling. They weren't fluffy or fluffy and they weren't even really white! And of course, there were real cowboys who rode horses around the stage in their cowboy hats! It didn’t take a genius to understand it would be a smash hit in 1939! (But Agnes is a genius, obviously.)
This, my darling readers, was a big deal! A turning point. The use of these new ballet techniques, a focus on storytelling, the western setting, and even the practicality* of the new design (can you imagine the trouble the ladies would have had if the skirts had been shorter – imagine the windswept undies, darlings… *not very chic). Think of this tutu, then - *designed by * *de Mille herself, influenced by Native American costumes. It was trailblazing!
Of course, it would have gone down a storm if anyone could understand what they were saying when they performed “The Square Dance” on stage. (Don’t worry, they explained everything in programme notes, as usual…) But I really felt a sense of history there at that premier – as if we were watching a revolution unfold.
We always love our tutu tradition in the world of ballet, don't we darling? But it was so fascinating to be witness to such a daring leap into the future for a style – bold, free, and with just the right touch of American romance. And a huge change to what the average tutu in ballet looked like, and even a change in what it meant!
And there was so much dancing! Not just ballet, of course - it was full of cowboy dances! And you just know, with those twirling long skirts, it just added a certain feminine charm, right? Just think: those long skirts swirling… the sensational movement – the grace, and *so many pink tones and *rustled tulle, *oh my! It makes my *heart beat fast just thinking about it.
My fellow tutus, the way the dance moves swirled, the rhythm, the story, and even the way the cowboys moved … they looked so at ease in their clothes - it just gave everything such impact - the tutus, the music …it all just blended into this incredible, wild spectacle of beauty that was just so full of passion !
After the show, I dashed to the best department store in town, darlings! (We are always doing this… tutus, shopping, you know how I do…) to get some American fashion inspiration to bring back to Derbyshire for my lovely readers to enjoy! You should see my suitcase now… all shades of pink, naturally, but even a few cream satin shawls to give a touch of Rodeo and a new red cowboy hat! What do *you think of that?**
Anyway! I am just sooooo grateful that my pink tutus have allowed me to journey through time, right here, right now, in this incredible time capsule, in *1939, enjoying the history and excitement of *Rodeo, *darling! It really did bring us *new fashion that helped create the *ballet tutus we know today.
I do hope I've sparked your interest, and maybe* even given you an idea or two, darlings… So please don’t forget *share *your pink tutu* thoughts! And if you want more, click through to my other *Ballet Tutu History posts at www.pink-tutu.com, darlings… because I promise, there are **lots more tutus in my travels!
Until next week, dear tutues, and I will leave you all with one thought… pink tutus, everywhere! It can happen! (It's got to be better than grey tutus, hasn't it, dear reader! )
Until next Tuesday, my darling tutu readers! See you at * *www.pink-tutu.com !
Emma, x