Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-travelling ballerina, Emma, back with another #TutuTuesday! This week we're whisked back to a glorious spring day in 1954 - think vibrant floral prints, billowing skirts, and the sweet, uplifting melody of a ballerina's pointe shoes clicking across the stage.
I landed in a whirl of pastel pinks and lemon yellows, the air alive with the buzz of anticipation for the latest Paris fashion show. Oh, darling, you wouldn't believe the heady glamour of it all! I had a most delicious afternoon of swirling frocks, elegant hats, and silky scarves, all swirling together like the graceful movements of a pas de deux.
But of course, I'm most fascinated by the story of the tutu - and in 1954, the ballet world was in a right flutter, not with feathers, mind you, but with a new, revolutionary tutu style!
A New Look for the Tutu
Remember the big, romantic tutus from the 1800s and early 1900s? Imagine swirling skirts made from layers upon layers of tulle. Picture graceful ballerina legs appearing like the stem of a delicate flower. The beauty, darling, the pure beauty of it!
Well, the tutu is, let's say, evolving, darling. You see, ballet was in a stage of change, and so, too, was the tutu. Now, imagine a more modern, streamlined look. Fewer layers, sharper lines, and a much more practical style. The new "tutu-to-be" became more compact, perfect for highlighting a ballerina's strong and powerful leaps and turns.
There were some tut-tutting about the loss of the voluminous romance, darling, but just look at it this way – a new style of dancing needed a new look to accentuate it!
What's in a Name? The Birth of "Tutu"
You see, darling, back then no one used the word "tutu," as we know it today. They called them "ballet skirts", or "tutus" – a fancy french pronunciation of “tulle.”
It's hard to imagine a world where we don't just call this iconic piece by its fabulous name, isn't it?
I believe this trend came from Maria Tallchief, a brilliant ballerina of her day. A star of the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, she famously introduced a tighter and less layered version of the romantic tutu. But it still looked pretty grand, and very impressive, and very tutu stylish.
London at the Top
I am off now, back on a train ( I adore traveling by train, darling. ) I have a big ballet performance in London tonight at Covent Garden – now that’s really a treat! It's still the pinnacle of dance, darling – and the ballet in London is absolutely fantastic.
Shopping for My Dream Tutu
And I can't forget to visit Liberty's! I just have to find a piece of beautiful tulle for my own ballet costume. My latest vision is a dream, darling, and, you guessed it, it involves a lot of pink tulle!
I know, I know - I'm a little bit obsessed with tutus! What can I say, darling? They're like a little bit of magic in every single twirl.
Don't forget, darling, it's Tutu Tuesday and it's a joyful occasion - a celebration of beauty and grace, but also, a chance to be bold and beautiful and embrace all that is magical and fabulous in the world!
That’s all for this week. Until next Tuesday! Be sure to share your own #TutuTuesday pics. Tell me what you love most about tutues.
Yours in the tulle,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
