Hiya darlings! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu-wearing time traveller, ready to take you on another whirl through the enchanting history of the tutu! Today, we’re hopping on a train to 1952, a magical year that saw a whirlwind of changes in the ballet world, a year brimming with a delightful blend of tradition and the whisper of something new.
I love travelling to this period. It’s such a gorgeous time to experience dance in London. It’s so exciting, the atmosphere around dance in the theatre districts of Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Bloomsbury, just vibrates with the promise of entertainment. Every turn of the corner offers a chance to admire a glamorous dancer or spot the next big fashion trend for the season. It makes my heart sing! And who can resist the delectable smell of freshly popped popcorn as you make your way to the theatre?!
Oh, the delights of pre-show buzz! I can hear the excited chattering in the stalls, the elegant rustling of satin dresses, the quiet clinking of silverware in the restaurant as people toast their evenings and prepare for a spectacle of beauty and grace. This was when I felt I had found my true calling, performing on the stage with the wonderful dancers from the Sadler’s Wells Ballet.
The ballet scene at the moment is filled with a wonderfully charming, vintage feel. Every move in ballet seems to resonate with a quiet power. And even with the recent influx of contemporary choreography, the classical ballet techniques shine brighter than ever! It’s all just SO elegant.
What was happening on the first of July in 1952?
Oh, what a delightful treat to have happened across the ballet world on the 1st of July 1952! This week in 1952, The Royal Opera House, nestled right in the heart of Covent Garden, hosted an exhilarating performance of “The Sleeping Beauty,”.
You all know I’m a huge fan of the tutu, but this is one ballet that really captures the full brilliance of the tutu! In “The Sleeping Beauty,” every princess needs their princess moment, their tiara-crowned-pink-tutu-filled moment on stage, right? And on this particular date in 1952, there was nothing less than a ballet extravaganza. The magic of the tutus, their volume and their movement, just makes the dancers float above the stage.
A ballerina like myself is always dreaming about my favourite dance numbers, especially in this show. The gorgeous dances from Aurora, and her pink tutu, a tutu worthy of all our #TutuTuesday dreams, really makes you sigh with joy. My personal favourite, and I’m not going to deny it, is the rose Adagio. This is when the princess comes into her own, her graceful steps and effortless turns, as if she's been designed to do nothing else in the whole wide world. Oh, the sheer beauty of it all! It takes my breath away every single time I see it. And those perfectly formed tutus... the work that goes into those magnificent tulle confections is unbelievable. I would LOVE to be able to travel in a tutu, but perhaps it would be best to travel with a small suitcase just to keep it safely away from dust and the wrinkles of travel. Although with a good steam iron and a spritz of my favourite perfumed water, everything is just perfect again, even a tutu.
Let’s take a quick peek into what those beautiful dancers were wearing back then. 1952 is all about a very traditional kind of ballet tutus – short, with a beautifully constructed bell shape and crafted from layers and layers of soft tulle.
These are definitely not tutus that just anyone can make at home! These were (and still are!) a real skill, one requiring expert craftsmanship to produce the lovely swishy movements. Imagine dancing in a dress that looks like a giant ballerina butterfly, it must be quite incredible.
For this performance of “The Sleeping Beauty,” I am assured the audience would have witnessed a spectacle of glorious colours and patterns in the ballerinas’ tutus. But my imagination sees shades of soft pastel pink, a bright shocking pink for the ballerina’s main costume, and even a dramatic midnight blue to add that contrast for the grand finales. Can you imagine what an incredible spectacle it would have been to see all the shades of pink cascading over the stage!
And while the traditional tutus still rule, it’s a very special time for a new style of tutu. Remember what I told you last week – those dancers were getting tired of those very restrictive costumes, those very old-fashioned skirts that didn’t allow their legs to move freely. So now they’ve found this exciting new style. And this year, a ballerina called Margot Fonteyn (isn’t that a divine name! Just so stylish) performed in something really quite spectacular. Imagine it! The ballerina dancing freely, the tutus gracefully twirling, but at the same time offering more freedom, not the very restrictive feel of older-style tutus. The ballet world was going crazy for this! Just brilliant, really.
But this isn’t just about tutus. It's about fashion, darling! The 1950s was all about bringing elegance into everyday life. Think of those iconic, feminine looks: elegant ladies with graceful styles in their outfits, bold colours, fitted skirts and cardigans and those wonderful pearl necklaces. This influence was spilling over onto the stage, too! Think elegant, ladylike dancing, tutus that gave the ballerina that grace, the fluidity, and a look of femininity that was very much aligned with the look of the era. The ballet stage became an expression of all the fashion-conscious things going on. The colours, the costumes and even the hairstyles… you can feel this sense of ‘fashion’ in every performance and the designs were certainly something special. I loved those tutus – they gave us all the confidence to shine.
And the train ride? Absolutely divine. Those vintage train journeys are just pure escapism. Imagine sipping on tea and nibbling on a little cream cake as you look out the window and watch the world blur by. The air would have had this sweet, perfumed smell and everything about the journey just had this magical atmosphere. Oh, I am lucky to be able to do this. But you can all have this wonderful adventure in your own lives, all you need is a good imagination and a love for tutus. Or, you know, just a pair of well-loved dancing shoes!
This trip back to 1952 is just a small glimpse of the world that shaped the incredible ballet landscape of today. We’ll be back next week with another #TutuTuesday blog, with even more tutus and an abundance of ballet joy for everyone!
Have a wonderful week, and until then, embrace those pink tutus and enjoy all the magic of the stage!
See you next time darlings!
Emma xx
(P.S Don't forget to follow me on www.pink-tutu.com and on Twitter @PinkTutu)
