Hello, lovelies! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time traveller Emma, back again with another dive into the dazzling history of the ballet tutu!
This week, we're whisking ourselves back to 21st June 1960. The sun is shining, the air is warm, and I'm - naturally - dressed in my favourite shade of pink with a tutu swirling around my legs. Let's hop aboard the express train and journey to the heart of ballet, where the tutu has taken its rightful place centre stage.
Today, I'm in Paris. Imagine the chic cafes, the beautiful streets, and the air thick with the scent of fresh croissants. Ah, but let's not get distracted.
On this very day, June 21st 1960, Rudolf Nureyev, the legendary Russian dancer, defected to the West, and as he did, a piece of ballet history was written! This event, as you can imagine, caused quite the stir in the world of dance. You see, before this moment, a ballet dancer in the Soviet Union was a symbol of their culture and a voice of the state. For a young dancer of Nureyev's calibre to defect was an extraordinary, momentous decision.
While all of this is taking place, I'm on a mission to discover more about the tutus of this time! Paris, I hear you cry? What could be more divine than Parisian style! As a dancer, I find it endlessly inspiring. So, where better to see the trends than on the beautiful ballerinas gracing the stage in a production of “La Bayadère” at the Paris Opéra! Imagine this beautiful ballet! It’s full of stories about India and love – it's the stuff dreams are made of!
Speaking of dreams, in 1960 the tutu wasn't the delicate, feminine confection it would become later. The romantic tutus with layers of tulle, each so billowy and beautiful that you just want to twirl until you reach the clouds, are just a few years away. In the 1960s, the emphasis was on streamlined, minimalist design. The romantic styles were starting to fade, but were still being worn by many ballet dancers! It was the end of a dance era!
Imagine the thrill!
I feel my inner ballerina leaping for joy when I think about the ballet shoes, the music, the costumes. Oh, the costumes, especially those amazing tutus!
In my opinion, ballet performances are full of dazzling artistry and beauty. From the graceful movements of the ballerinas to the rich colours of the costumes, a ballet production is truly a work of art.
Don't forget, darling, that each time we explore these wonderful days of the past, we’re actually exploring the evolution of the ballet tutu. So join me! Take a trip down memory lane with me! Put on a beautiful, fluffy pink tutu and join me on our time travelling journey!
Here are some tutu-related things that would have happened back in June 1960:
The Ballet Shoes! The "pointe shoes" – those exquisite slippers that enable dancers to dance on their toes! At the time, pointe shoes weren't as readily available. They had to be custom-made to fit a dancer's foot perfectly! That would have been a wonderful skill to have had! They certainly weren't available in mass-produced, multi-pack quantities like they are today!
The Tulle! In June 1960, tutus were made from a different type of tulle – much less soft and billowing – than the beautiful fluffy, almost weightless tulle we see in productions today! If you were lucky, they even used layers and layers of fine tulle, so imagine those tutus flowing so beautifully and looking light as air as the ballerinas took flight across the stage! The tutus they were wearing were a lot more practical than their present-day cousins – they still needed to move quickly and effortlessly in these tutus. It's a good job that I've brought my magical, fluffy pink tutu, as that one would probably be a bit impractical in this era.
Fashion! 1960 was the start of the Swinging Sixties, where bold colours, shorter hemlines, and vibrant prints ruled the day. If we're looking at this time in dance fashion, you can imagine that fashion is more subdued – but that doesn't mean it lacked style! This means lots of colours -* beautiful shades of blues, purples, yellows and greys!* You could expect beautiful geometric patterns, polka dots, and abstract designs. And what could be better than seeing these designs used to accentuate the dancer's every movement. The colours and design were even used in the ballet performances, so imagine watching a performance and being overwhelmed by beautiful and creative colours and designs. They would have really given these dances an extra dimension and energy!
More about those Tutus! While the tutus of today would still have been around in this period – those more practical tutus with very few layers – it was the start of the big changes in design. Ballet productions began to explore more diverse and adventurous styles! These included "Romantic tutus" – as I mentioned earlier, those beautifully fluffy and layered tutus – and they were becoming the preferred choice of ballerinas across the world! Imagine the elegant, swirling, flowing movements they allow.
Isn't the tutu so much more than just an article of clothing? It’s a magical item that adds such glamour to the art of dance! It’s not only a beautiful garment – it also symbolizes the freedom and lightness that we all yearn for. Don't you agree?
Today I’ve taken a leap in time to June 21st 1960 and been immersed in a fabulous journey back to the Paris Opéra! I even tried my luck in some French vintage clothing boutiques (don’t you love vintage?) looking for that perfect pink tutu – a mission to make all my dreams come true! But, don't you worry – if all else fails, there's nothing I can't fix with a bit of magic and some well-chosen fabric!
Oh, but what about my favourite pastime, train travel? This is the only way to get across France. I’ll tell you about this journey – but, darling, that's a tale for another Tuesday!
I’m Emma and I'll see you next week for more ballet-tastic adventures in fashion and tutu history! And don’t forget, darling, my goal is to get everyone in the world to wear a pink tutu.
P.S. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our *newsletter to be the first to know about all the latest Tutu Tuesdays! Just look for the little sign-up box at the bottom of the website, www.pink-tutu.com, where I can share the latest ballet and fashion news.*
