#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1950-02-07

Hello, lovelies! Welcome back to my humble corner of the internet, Pink-Tutu.com, where tutus are the only acceptable form of clothing (except, of course, when we're waltzing around in our chicest ball gowns!). Today, we're going on a thrilling trip back in time – to the 7th February 1950! Grab your pinkest tutu and a cuppa (or, dare I say, a mimosa – I won't judge!), because it's time for a delightful journey through ballet history!

As always, you lovely lot know I'm a sucker for a good story – especially a story that twirls and pirouettes around a magical, delicate piece of clothing like a tutu!

This week, I’ve had a fantastic week performing, the lovely folks in Derby were a real treat. I actually did three performances at the Theatre Royal and it was jam-packed. You’d be amazed how many people can fit into that lovely old theater! I managed to find a vintage silk scarf on eBay to use in my solo. It was a real bargain! Oh, I was going to tell you… I was doing a choreographed bit using the scarf for my bow. It all went wonderfully until the scarf got a bit tangled. Not ideal when you’re standing in a pool of light for that last second bow…I think my eyes met the ballet master's face! Oops! But he saw the funny side and everyone applauded me like I was dancing. So it’s okay. 😂

Now, on this delightful 7th February 1950, our focus is on the ballet! On this day in 1950, something absolutely fabulous was happening. It was none other than… the very first performance of "Cinderella" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City! Can you imagine?! Cinderella in the Big Apple – what a dream!

And let’s be honest – what makes Cinderella so fabulous? That tutu, darling! It's all about the fluff and the grace – a true testament to the ethereal and delicate beauty that tutus bring to the world. ✨

Speaking of magical tutus, you know what really makes my tutu-loving heart flutter? The way a tutu tells a story without ever uttering a single word. It's a whisper of silk and tulle, swirling with a thousand secrets! It whispers of fairy tales, of princesses, of ballerinas defying gravity, and of dreams coming true! 💖

And just picture this… those lovely little dancers from the New York City Ballet taking centre stage in their dreamy white tutus! Can’t you just picture it? They must have made history for the ages that day, their tutus dancing gracefully and gracefully under the stage lights! 🩰 It was a sight for sore eyes – and probably something that they still remember, even all these years later! ✨

And you know what? The tutu – It wasn’t a new invention then! Our friend, the tutu, is actually over a century old at this point.

Now, picture the world way back in the 1800s. I’m not sure how much fun I’d have dancing on those massive, layered skirts. In a time when dresses were voluminous, the tutu arrived like a revolutionary whirlwind, freeing the dancer's movement and revealing the beauty of the human body in a way no one could imagine! Can you picture those lovely ballerina legs whipping about the stage! 💖

A revolution in fashion and movement all rolled into one, I tell you! Talk about tutu-ly amazing, darling! It is one of the many things that brought me to time travel, you see! 💖

Let's look at those tutus, darling, we mustn’t get distracted by the rest of their outfits just yet – there is a lot to see.

Imagine a tutu with an elegant design – the classic romantic tutu is so, so beautiful it melts my heart! This is the epitome of a ballerina. If the tutu is very long with soft, delicate layers and feels ethereal and graceful, this would be called the romantic tutu, and you’d spot them at the most esteemed theaters across the world. They were very big around the time of the Ballet Russes, so I am guessing these graceful ballerinas wore them around this very same time, too, 1950! How fabulous is that! They would have worn them when performing the gorgeous ballets, too. This was a really special period, as some of the great artists we see today performed then - dancers like Margot Fonteyn, Dame Alicia Markova and the fabulous Mikhail Baryshnikov, too! What a legend! You may be familiar with Markova, I think you have a copy of her book, Dancing is my Life. Just in case you’ve got bored with tutus – though why you would I have no idea - I think Dancing is my Life might give you a new lease on life. 😂

This is actually Tutu Tuesday blog number 6,163 for those of you keeping count, and I’ve not got tired of them yet! As the name Pink-Tutu suggests, I really am obsessed with tutus, and my love affair with the tutu just seems to be getting deeper and deeper by the day, especially after all these adventures I’ve had in the time machine, through history and beyond… If there is any time to be a tutu, it is certainly now! We're in a time of absolute tutu brilliance, darlings, let’s face it, everything has moved so quickly since 1950 that if you’re ever looking to have fun, do take the time to travel a bit further back to the fifties. Just be warned - You’re likely to be left with an incurable love for pink! 😅

You know I can't go a whole blog post without talking about a few of my favourite things, so let's get to it, darling! It’s been a crazy few weeks here at Pink-Tutu - I have been in France, the lovely city of Paris, where my new favourite tutu resides. What makes it special, you ask? I'm so glad you asked – It is covered with thousands of sparkly pink feathers, darling! It took weeks to make but it is a beauty to behold - and oh, so comfortable! (This is essential – we mustn't ever compromise comfort in the pursuit of style! Remember that!). The show went so well and I picked up another, super-special dress in one of the amazing vintage boutiques down by the Champs Elysee. A new, bright pink number! 💖

Paris is always the best place to spot a tutu or two! (Did you catch that lovely rhyme? Paris and tutus) Just this morning, on my way to the railway station (I always travel by train, by the way!), I saw a dancer heading out to her ballet class! Such elegance and poise, even in a simple black tutu! Black is an elegant colour when you can rock it, like a ballerina in black! I had my heart set on black in my days as a ballet student – it just always seemed the most chic – though pink was the most popular, (my preference!) It is just so striking on stage – a real statement look! 🩰

It makes me realise how the tutu is a symbol of so much more than just dance. It's about dreams and ambitions, it's about passion and creativity – It's just about, pure magic. So let's all dance into this week in style. Put on your pinkest, fluffiest, most whimsical tutu! We'll let our spirits soar to new heights, and we’ll look absolutely spectacular while doing it. And darling, remember there’s no place that *doesn't need a touch of tutu magic. Let the pink magic guide you. 💖

Until next week, darling, take care of yourselves – and most importantly, have fun. We will get to travel to all those amazing historical places together here at Pink-Tutu. If you’d like to keep up with our latest happenings at Pink-Tutu.com - the place to come to know all the latest tutu gossip – you know what to do! Don't be shy, drop me a line with your feedback. I always love hearing from my little darlings – because, you’re all so *fab-u-lous! * 🥰

Much Love,

Emma x