#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1973-01-23

Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink-loving, tutu-wearing time traveller, Emma, here, ready to whisk you off on another fabulous journey through ballet history. This week, we're travelling all the way back to 23rd January, 1973, the year that really put tutus on the map (well, in the fashion world anyway, you can't go wrong with the iconic ballerina aesthetic, can you?).

Now, imagine the scene, lovelies! I've just hopped off the Orient Express, my vintage suitcase stuffed full of silk scarves, fluffy feather boas and a selection of glorious pink tutus to be worn on this incredible historical adventure. And, where do we find ourselves? None other than New York City, baby!

New York, the heart of American culture, buzzing with life, just starting to wake up to the vibrant energy of the 70s, and guess what? This is where ballet fashion took a dramatic turn. It was a bold, dynamic period with tutus getting an injection of bright colour and exciting experimentation. I wouldn't be caught dead in a boring old, classic white tutu! Let's get playful, darlings!

The year 1973 was a year for getting down, baby. It was the year of "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps! Disco, that revolutionary music, changed everything. We had bell-bottom trousers, platform shoes, glitter, and yes, you guessed it! *Tutues, oh yes! *

Think of The School of American Ballet and you’ll be in the very heart of this glamorous dance-inspired evolution. From 1971, they started a fashion design class in the hopes of promoting young talent and innovation.

Now, *who wore a tutu that year in New York City, you ask? *Well, darling, let's just say the “Ballet and the Visual Arts: The Fabric of an Image" exhibit at The Fashion Institute of Technology really had fashionistas going wild!

Oh, I can just imagine the atmosphere of New York in '73. It was electric, exciting, everything new, and tutus were front and centre, darling. I wouldn’t be surprised if the local supermarkets even had tutus for sale in the checkout lines. Now, that would be some history!

And, if you think the fashion in the streets of New York was on fire, then imagine what it was like watching The New York City Ballet! Those graceful ballerinas wearing their perfectly poised tutus were the definition of elegance! It's all so much more graceful than that awful "Disco Duck" song. Don't get me started, darlings!

New York in 1973, it was all about celebrating and finding your own inner ballerina, be it a Broadway show or a trip to a local dance studio.

Oh, how I just have to incorporate the 1973 New York fashion trend into my own collection. I can envision it: Tutus of bright pink with bold psychedelic patterns, with just a dash of sparkles! Imagine the fun. Think bell-bottom tutu, darling, or even better, a fluffy pink tutu in bold orange sequins that will really have heads turning!

Well, it's a new week, and the fashion gods must have heard my prayers, because my darling, I’m going to do some serious shopping! I have a rendezvous with vintage stores and exclusive boutiques across Manhattan! Let’s see, where can we start? The Metropolitan Opera is always worth a visit, of course!

Oh, and for lunch, there is nothing finer than having high tea at The Algonquin! The quintessential English ritual, even though it is a far cry from a Derbyshire countryside cottage! But darling, it wouldn’t be a visit to New York without a stop by Bergdorf Goodman. That beautiful shop!

With my pockets stuffed full of credit cards (that Dad secretly slips me every time I travel back to the 21st century), I'll be finding my ideal tutu for my next show. I will show off a true vintage 1973 style tutu in the 2023 Royal Opera House's Swan Lake show - with an extra, glitzy, New York flair. Watch out, darlings!

Keep an eye on www.pink-tutu.com! You’re all invited to see a special 'vintage New York inspired' fashion segment at my upcoming London performances. And be sure to join me again next week, when we delve even further into the past. I promise you'll be delighted with where we end up!

See you all then!

#TutuTuesday #balletfashion #1970sfashion #vintagetutus #NewYorkCity #pinktutu