Hiya darlings! It's your favourite tutu-clad time-traveller, Emma, back with another #TutuTuesday! This week, I've journeyed all the way back to May 4th, 1971. Buckle up, lovelies, it's a trip down memory lane in the most stylish of ways!
This week I hopped on the train to the Big Apple, NYC! Now, this was a whole different ball game from the balletic bliss of 2023. I love all the sleek high rises and all the stylish folk – you could practically smell the sophistication! Everyone in 1971 was so glamorous, particularly the ladies, and of course, you simply can't talk about style back then without mentioning the fab fashions. Let’s face it, the 70s had some absolute knockout designs! Think bell bottoms, daring jumpsuits, and those amazing platforms that would make even a ballet dancer look like she's walking on clouds. And you know me – I was straight in there searching for the most fantastic vintage finds for the blog!
Oh! You have to come see this place, a real treat. It's a theatre named Radio City Music Hall – imagine! And you’d never guess what I saw! The Rockettes! Imagine a roomful of those beautiful dancers, all perfectly synchronised, twirling around in dazzling outfits. Now that’s a performance, my darlings. There was so much precision and energy; I nearly took a turn on the dance floor!
Talking of energy, can we talk about the absolute legend of ballet back then? Rudolf Nureyev! This man, he could make even the most rigid petit allegro look utterly enchanting. It’s no wonder they called him the 'divine one'. I couldn’t help but think – oh, to have been there in the audience as a little girl watching this legend perform. Those eyes, the expressions – incredible! The ballet world would have been quite a bit less glitzy back then, I imagine, and he definitely made up for it in drama and sheer artistic passion!
However, with such beauty comes a little dose of the vintage reality, I suppose. Remember I said I love all things about ballet? Well, let’s just say tutus in 1971 were somewhat more... restrained than today. The tulle wasn’t so fluffy; in fact, it was often a touch stiff. Now, while that may be ideal for performing all those stunning ballet steps without too much floppiness, you just have to admit – our modern tutus really bring a whole other dimension of floatiness and swishy-ness to a ballet, wouldn’t you agree?
Speaking of tutus, let's delve into the actual history of the garment – my favourite part of this whole time travel adventure! Tutus, darling, have a really long history – believe it or not, their evolution starts right back in the 18th century. We wouldn’t even recognise them as tutus at all, back then!
Imagine what ballerinas looked like back then, all in floor-length silk skirts with all sorts of draping and flowing fabric, looking almost gown-like. Now I love those historical looks - just imagine waltzing around the stage in those gorgeous outfits! A very different vibe altogether. And it’s true! Those graceful long gowns helped develop that graceful floating quality that's synonymous with ballet! But even then, ballerinas were looking for something less restrictive – much less restrictive, I should say! The focus moved from practicality towards aesthetic beauty - making ballet costumes look gorgeous! And that's where the story gets truly interesting.
The iconic tutu you know and love, darlings, became the rage in the late 19th century thanks to that very influential ballerina, Marie Taglioni! Remember the 'La Sylphide’ ballet? I mean, what a story – she is literally dancing on air! And wouldn't you know it, Marie's tutu in that famous performance is exactly where things started going upwards. Now we were finally embracing length, and you know how I feel about shorter lengths... and boy did this change things.
Imagine this fantastic invention of the mid-1800s, and let's call it what it was: freedom! This new short look on stage really took a twist and began shaping how ballet became such a beautiful, artistic, and frankly very impressive theatrical artform. From then on, ballet was going to embrace these airy, floating tutus in all their glorious, whimsical forms – we started moving from rigid long skirts to a style where we actually could really see the dancers' movements! The change really highlights the dance itself, wouldn't you say?
So as time went on, designers became braver with shapes and patterns, from fluffy layered tulle to dramatic bouquets of silk petals. There were tons of embellishments; we’re talking crystals, feathers, sequins… oh! Even lace and pearls. The design really blossomed in that beautiful flamboyant romantic era – like a flower bursting out of its buds. We had tutus that had it all, with each style representing the feeling of the choreography, from sad and tragic scenes to light-hearted, fluffy and fun moments, even dramatic and thrilling parts. They became more than just costume – they truly became part of the entire performance.
Just as the design started to get a little crazy with layers and all sorts of intricate embroidery, there came a time to tone things down. This is the beauty of ballet: constantly shifting and reimagining! Ballet fashion, from that time period right through to the mid-20th century, began focusing on more simple, sophisticated forms. Now this isn’t to say that it didn't retain the beautiful, glamorous looks and feel! No, not at all. The style focused on clean lines and that ethereal lightness - think of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake'. Just the name itself is romantic. And who doesn't love the graceful swan tutu? Pure perfection! That’s how those simple designs helped keep things elegant and never losing that timeless quality.
And you know, here I am back in the future, thinking – is there anything we could add? Perhaps a little pink here and there – how much would it really change things!
Now don’t be thinking my brain's lost its sense! This new era of ballet embraces creativity. It is alive, darling, constantly evolving to tell new stories! While we’ve come full circle, celebrating that gorgeous flow and elegant movements, our modern tutu definitely needs a little pink touch! Now you know me – I think tutus are fabulous whatever their color or style - but my darlings, we all know there is nothing quite as beautiful and joyful as the magical quality of the shade of pink, wouldn’t you agree?
But that’s me, your dedicated time travelling, tutu-wearing, pink-obsessed ballet lover – ready to turn up the volume, with a twist of pink to any tutu, whenever and wherever possible!
Stay tuned for another fantastic #TutuTuesday, lovelies! And remember – always go big, and always go pink!
XOXO, Emma xx
*Don't forget to check out our shop on the Pink-Tutu website - we've got something for everyone! *
