Welcome back, fellow tutu enthusiasts, to another #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com!
It’s Emma here, your ever-so-slightly time-travelling ballerina blogger, straight from the heart of Derbyshire, ready to take you on a whimsical journey through ballet history. This week we’re stepping back to 2nd December 1952 – a time when the world of ballet was blooming with creativity and the tutu was reaching its peak of elegance! I'm loving the new pink tulle I just found for this journey!
Before we hop on the time-traveling train, (let's be honest, a comfy first-class carriage with a lovely cup of tea is much nicer than any other form of transport!) - I'd just love to hear about your favourite ballet tutus. Leave a comment below with your thoughts – did you ever dream of swirling on stage in a classic romantic tutu, or perhaps a sassy and dramatic tutu à la "Black Swan"?
Now, imagine it's a crisp December day. You’ve got a hot chocolate warming your hands and you’re heading to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London! (What's that? I haven't actually mentioned it’s a London thing? Well, don't you worry, it is. And this is going to be important!) There are so many amazing tutus in this place - from the classic ballet white and the more romantic fluffy tutus for the big grand pas de deux - what fun!
Oh, did I say Covent Garden? It was absolutely bursting with creativity and style! Back in '52, a special performance was taking place. It was an amazing "Swan Lake" with a brand new Russian ballerina called Margot Fonteyn starring as the elegant swan queen. She was already legendary in the ballet world - such stunning poise and precision. But here’s the really interesting part - her performances changed the history of the tutu. She took a very strict style of tutus - the Russian style - where everything was incredibly tight, like a corset for the entire body. It didn't let her move too much, even though she was so talented.
What did she do?
She brought it to the French style - and what's more exciting? The French tutu style is much more romantic, much more elegant, and much more freeing to wear! This means it could really flow like a ballerina's movements. Now we have much more beautiful dancing, the ballerina is truly on point with the music, and we can see so much more beauty in how their dress moves and looks! And oh, those French tutus are really amazing – fluffy, full, with such a beautiful graceful swirl.
Just the word "tutu" conjures up such lovely images! We think of the delicate, swirling tulle, the graceful steps, the dedication and skill of a ballerina. What’s amazing about ballet in those days is that it’s really exciting - it's always new, with more beautiful moves, and we even get to enjoy new types of costumes.
Just imagining being in that 1952 audience, a bit like "Back to the Future", must be incredible! You’ve got the music swirling around you, you can practically smell the fragrant scent of perfume and feel the velvet seats under your coat - perhaps with a beautiful knitted cardigan over it - it was quite cold back then! The orchestra playing the beautiful music is making a delightful sound - how we could use their talents today! Imagine if we had them performing on a street corner! (Well maybe, maybe not. They would have been in great demand!)
So, you know what I have to say - go and see a ballet!
Let’s finish off today’s Tutu Tuesday post with some fabulous memories, I’ve discovered some amazing shops where I've just bought some gorgeous new pink tutus! They’re so pretty. But if you have your own favorite ballet tutu - and let's be honest - we all have a favorite – do tell! I just love to hear about the things we're passionate about. You could even join me, we'll head over to the Covent Garden shops for some more gorgeous tutus - that will make us feel just like we’ve travelled back in time! Let me know in the comments section what your favourite is and where you got it! Maybe you have one tucked away, ready to be worn - now we're thinking about ballet - we need to start our #pinktutu hashtag challenge!
Join me for next week’s #TutuTuesday!
Your friendly ballet blogger,
Emma x
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I can't wait for our next journey together.
💖
