Hello my darling tutu-lovers! It’s your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-travelling blogger, Emma, back with another dose of #TutuTuesday, your weekly fix of all things ballet and tutu-ific! Today, we're twirling back to the groovy year of 1968, a time when mini skirts were all the rage, and the world was brimming with rebellious energy.
You'll have to excuse my somewhat out-of-date look today, lovelies, I've got a rather dashing (but unfortunately outdated) maxi dress on which looks like something right out of the "Summer of Love" - you wouldn’t be caught dead in that outfit today, even with the most amazing ballet flat, trust me!
Speaking of flats, did you know that back in 1968, ballet shoes were actually starting to become more widely available and popular? Now, my fellow dance-lovers, that was a HUGE deal, it gave rise to ballet as we know it. No more having to spend a fortune to find the perfect shoe. Now, it's all about personal taste - pointe shoes for you fancy, delicate danseur (a dancer of course!) or cute flats for the fun, lively girl next door? But you wouldn't believe how the whole look, that is the style of dancing, had evolved over the years from the classical tutus of old to this fabulous new trend. The dancing has become looser, more modern, more expressive - which reminds me of the magnificent Giselle performance at The Royal Ballet this very afternoon, which brought tears to my eyes.
As I'm here in London, I feel so lucky to be surrounded by some of the most dazzling ballet productions and talent around the globe. This is where the dance craze all began (as far as I know) - I was, actually, in Paris only last week for a particularly spectacular Don Quixote by the Ballet de l'Opéra.
This period, dear tutu enthusiasts, was quite a unique time in dance. You see, back then, tutus, as we know them, weren't even considered the epitome of ballerina style! Instead, a more bohemian, less restrictive approach to dancing was becoming increasingly popular.
But even with all the shifts and changes in dance fashion, I couldn't resist popping on a little something pink. After all, a tutu girl is always a tutu girl, regardless of the time and trend!
Today is Wednesday, August 13th in 1968, and London is humming with exciting developments for ballet enthusiasts like us. As I said earlier, this morning I popped to Covent Garden to catch the exquisite, world-famous Royal Ballet performing the iconic Giselle. This stunning masterpiece was just breath-taking. The emotions, the power, the sheer artistry - it was all simply spectacular! You could even say the tutus have got more extravagant now – think tiers and tiers of chiffon, layers upon layers of sparkles, you name it, and we’ve got it!
Did you know, London is bursting with exciting ballet performances, it's such a treat to see how it has transformed. As a fellow dance devotee, I can truly tell you, there’s never been a better time to experience the magic of ballet.
Oh, but my train is about to leave!
Off I trot to my next adventure – I hear there’s a delightful ballet competition happening tomorrow. Oh my gosh! I just have to try a ballet class – wouldn't you? The excitement is nearly unbearable! But alas, another week, another TutuTuesday, which means you can look forward to more dance tales from my time-traveling adventures, right here, on pink-tutu.com.
Until next week, remember to always embrace your inner tutu-loving diva!
Your fashionable, pink-obsessed, time-travelling blogger, Emma.
P.S. If you've seen an incredible ballet performance, or have some tips on a spectacular show you’d recommend, do let me know! We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below! You could say it’s almost, but not quite, as important as the dance itself… almost.
