#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1964-07-07

Hello my darling tutu-lovers! Welcome back to another glorious edition of my #TutuTuesday blog, your weekly dose of all things pink and twirly. Today, we’re stepping back in time to 1964-07-07, the date this blog-loving ballerina, ahem me, is magically transported to. You see, I travel in time, all for the love of the tutu and the fabulous world of ballet! And it's amazing to say the least.

It all began in Derbyshire, a little town called Matlock, but my little tutu heart craved adventure, so here I am, exploring ballet history, and sharing it with all of you.

It is so fun to arrive and feel the exciting buzz in the air - London has this incredible energy about it! As soon as I arrive I need to find a quaint little tea room. And of course, what I must do first is check out the theatre scene, there’s nothing better than seeing a great ballet! Especially after the train journey from Matlock.

I've learned from all my travels that in 1964, ballet was blooming in England, even on the 7th of July! So imagine my delight, on arriving today, in discovering a delightful performance by The Royal Ballet happening right here in London. This very date marks a magical performance of "Giselle." Oh, how I yearn to see the enchanting, ghostly figures dance in that famous haunting story, especially with those long, romantic tutu skirts!

It makes me smile, knowing these ballerinas are dancing with tutus so different from mine. You know, the "bell-shaped" tutu, made famous by dancers in the nineteenth century? They’ve embraced the ‘50s fashion and moved toward shorter tutus. Shorter skirts make their incredible leaps, pirouettes, and high extensions, even more daring! They call this the “demi-pointe” style, I love how they have kept the classic silhouette of the tutu - It still has that full shape.

Now, let’s get into the detail - the magic of the ballet tutu always catches my eye. I love how they keep it in style through the years, only making little adjustments. In this time period, dancers used "panniers" under their tulle - just layers and layers of tulle – creating the fuller shape that we love. That is what makes them swirl so beautifully in those grand entrances, the grand jeté, chassé, and the lovely graceful arabesques! It makes it look almost effortless.

I simply love it! But the key detail for me? The perfect pink! In those times, they went for a brighter, more vibrantly coloured pink than the modern pastel shades. Just picture it, vibrant pink tutus swaying under the stage lights - it's positively breathtaking! It makes it so theatrical and elegant!

It makes me long for a world where we all twirl in our pink tutus! In fact, my personal mission is to bring tutus to the masses!

Think about it - can you imagine a world where even our bus conductors wear tutus? Where the baker’s icing piping bag comes with a tutu to give extra lift to that delicious chocolate cake? And every new Mum gets her very own pink tutu at the hospital, ready for those hospital dances and little cuddles. We’d all have so much more joy and twirls in our lives, wouldn’t we?

Now, speaking of tutus... let’s travel back in time a little further, so I can fill you in on those original, gorgeous 19th-century tutu shapes, and tell you why those original tutus inspired a whole generation of ballerina dreams… (If I'm allowed to! I just love to talk tutus - it’s such an elegant subject!). But we'll save that story for another day, so be sure to visit pink-tutu.com next Tuesday. I hope you’ve enjoyed today's trip to 1964-07-07. Do pop back next Tuesday, to join me as I journey through more ballerina-tastic adventures! I’ll have a fresh batch of pink tutus ready for you all! And until next time, keep twirling, darling tutu lovers! #TutuTuesday #balletlove #1964

Your dearest,

Emma.