Greetings from your favourite pink-loving ballerina, Emma, from the magical land of tutus and tulle! š©°āØ Itās Tuesday, which means itās time for another #TutuTuesday!
Welcome back to the wonderful world of ballet history! This week, we're twirling our way back to June 6th, 1950, a time when the world of ballet was in full bloom. Can you believe it's been 73 years since that very day?
Now, you lovely lot might think a history lesson about tutus in 1950 sounds rather dull, but trust me, this one's going to be a real treat! Especially if you, like me, have a love for all things elegant and feminine. We're not just talking about tutus today, darlings, we're venturing into a world of incredible design, breathtaking performances, and oh, that fabulously fashionable world of the 1950s!
To get a taste of the time, imagine this: The scent of freshly-baked cakes wafts through the air, crisp cotton dresses sway in the summer breeze, and the soundtrack to life is the swingy rhythm of the 1950s. Across the Atlantic, in the glamorous city of New York, ballet is captivating the hearts of all, and in our very own London, weāre also getting swept up in the tutu-licious trends! It's an era where ballet was beginning to break free from its classical roots, venturing into a bold, bright, and beautifully experimental world.
And, my dear readers, if you can believe it, my Pink Tutu Travels has brought me all the way to New York for today's journey back in time! Itās a good thing I had my vintage pink feather boa packed for this trip. The New Yorkers seemed to think it was terribly stylish and very chic! Theyāve never seen anything quite like it before! The bright pink stood out amongst their muted palette and, of course, sparked quite the conversation about where they could find something similar. Of course, I didnāt reveal my time travel secrets, just told them how it's āsomething very trendy in Englandā. And, truth be told, I did manage to get one young lady's address to send a lovely pink boa upon my return. Perhaps the very same one from my wardrobe? Perhaps...
Now, where were we? Oh, yes! The amazing world of ballet in 1950. Just like today, there were tons of performances and classes happening all across New York. Ballet was a popular and growing form of art. There was this delightful theatre company, The American Ballet Theatre, where some incredible stars like Nora Kaye were dancing up a storm. Nora had everyone swooning over her stunning choreography, all wrapped up in her signature, fabulously fluffy, feather-trimmed pink tutus! What a sensation, eh? The American Ballet Theatre were so well loved that, even for a small, but ever-so-fashionable, country like England, they'd made the news with an eight-week season back in March! Talk about success!
And now, here comes the part where you, dear reader, will absolutely love me for: I know exactly where you can find more inspiration, even if you donāt fancy travelling all the way to New York just for the sake of some fabulous ballet! I'm always trying to unearth interesting, fabulously fashionable historical information, you see! Iām a big believer in learning the history of the tutus we love.
There are some absolutely stunning, vintage images online of some of these American ballet productions - including ones by The American Ballet Theatre! For a peek at how ballerinas in 1950 danced their hearts out in some absolutely magnificent tutus, you'll want to visit www.ballet.org. It's an incredible online library that documents all sorts of fabulous history. Donāt worry about searching; Iāve already done it all for you, just browse the 1950 archives!
But letās not just get stuck in the American world. There was loads of ballet activity happening here in England as well. And you wonāt believe this: We even had our very own āQueenā of tutus: Dame Margot Fonteyn! Now, I bet some of you are thinking āwhoās this Dame Margot Fonteyn?ā And the truth is, she's quite a star! And itās probably her that made the most of all those big, bright pink and red tutus. Her beautiful performances inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps! And speaking of inspiration, did you know that a little more than a year later she'd receive an award for *'Outstanding services to ballet' *? That's our Dame Margot for you, a real icon for us, all tutu-lovers in the world! You can see a few amazing pictures of her stunning costumes if you visit the www.victorianweb.org website - the images from this time are just lovely! It makes me think that they have some great examples of vintage tutus hidden away somewhere. I just might have to make a trip to see if I can get my hands on one. Iāll need to get those sewing scissors and get ready to go! Who knows? There may even be some inspiration for a new vintage collection in those very pictures.
I simply can't let June 6th 1950 go by without a quick detour into a London ballet school! Even all those years ago, the girls were going gaga for ballet! They werenāt just there to practice and learn. These young, talented girls just couldn't wait to slip into a tutu! If there's a good news story coming from 1950, then I'd have to say itās the popularity of the ballet classes! So much excitement and so many little ballerinas all with a shared love for dancing, with beautiful tutus, with a dream to dance on stage...
And there you have it, a peek into the vibrant world of ballet on June 6th, 1950, a day full of breathtaking dance, and endless pink tutus! And as I said at the start, you may have thought this was going to be a rather dull historical post but remember, *tutus have been with us for a long, long time, even way back to the 1950s and way beyond! * And that's something truly worth celebrating! *What's the best part, you ask? It means that there are *even more stories waiting to be told in the next 73 years! Howās that for some #TutuTuesday inspiration! **
As for me, Iām off to see if I can find any of those vintage tutus, either in England or maybe across in New York!
Join me again next Tuesday as I delve deeper into the captivating world of tutus and history. Until then, remember to wear your pink tutu with pride and twirl your way through life with grace and elegance.
Always stay fabulous!
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
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