Hello, my darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com and another exciting episode of #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History. I hope you are all doing wonderfully well this week and looking your very best! It’s been such a lovely few weeks for me here in the 1970s. What a fascinating decade it is!
Now, as a bit of background for you newbies – if you haven't yet discovered my fabulous site, welcome! I’m Emma, your fabulous, fashionable, pink-loving, tutu-wearing travel guide through time! Every Tuesday, I hop on my trusty time machine – funded, naturally, by a whole lot of magical tutu-powered ballet performances – and explore the history of tutus. From the days of early ballets to the modern creations gracing the world's stages, we cover it all. But it's not just about history, it’s also about spreading the love of ballet, fashion, and, of course, all things tutu!
This week, my trusty time machine took me all the way to December 9th, 1975! Now, if you are like me, then you already know what a huge year 1975 was for ballet. Can you believe it’s already been over forty years since we were treated to the brilliant Baryshnikov’s “Giselle" at the New York City Ballet? Such a treat! Now that’s what I call a performance! It really was a year to remember. Of course, it would be churlish of me to not mention the Kirov Ballet’s return to the West with their brilliant production of The Sleeping Beauty starring Natalia Makarova, oh the memories!
Speaking of Makarova…she certainly was on the roll that year! On the 9th of December, she was even back at Covent Garden with "The Sleeping Beauty", with Nureyev dancing as her Prince! That’s why I wanted to time-travel back and catch that show.
My favourite moment of that particular night was watching the entire cast swirling in their graceful tutus as they danced to Tchaikovsky’s glorious music. Oh, it really is pure magic! It’s also really something to see everyone enjoying the music and the magic – it’s just fantastic! They’re so full of grace and elegance; truly, these dancers are my heroes!
You see, when I'm here, I don't just get to watch these magnificent performances. I get to soak up the atmosphere, feel the electricity in the air. I love wandering the theatre streets, window shopping at the dress shops, imagining all the elegant gowns these wonderful ballet stars are getting ready to wear. Oh, what a beautiful world it is when ballet and fashion come together!
Just imagine me, perched in my darling little cafe, sipping my Earl Grey, wearing a sweet pink tutu with a dainty velvet ribbon and admiring everyone passing by. Every glance is like a delightful glimpse into fashion history, like seeing an entire era of fashion history come to life! Such divine fun. Do remember though that we never break character while we time-travel. I’m always fully dressed in a fabulous pink tutu - sometimes I even add my tiny sparkly tiara for an extra touch of whimsy!
So what do you say, lovelies? Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone started wearing pink tutus? Just think of it - a sea of pretty pink as we danced our way through life, embracing creativity and celebrating our love for this fabulous dance! Think of how much joy it would spread. Wouldn't it just be lovely?
The ballet tutu is an absolute icon! Not only a magnificent tool that brings a sense of weightlessness and elegance to the dancers but also an absolute staple of beauty, grace and femininity. When you imagine the costumes that represent the grace and beauty of dance, what else comes to mind?
Don't forget, loves, we need to spread this message far and wide! This week, it's a little challenge: let’s get everyone, everyone, talking about tutus. Tell everyone you know, from your next door neighbour to your barista to your hairdresser to your uncle Bob, about ballet! Then ask them what they think about pink tutus – just wait, you’ll be amazed at what a great reaction you’ll get! You might even inspire them to put on their own tutu for an impromptu performance! It doesn’t matter if it's pink, red, blue or green, but just do it! And remember, even if it's just for a little while, wearing a tutu lets us express our inner selves and celebrate life. I truly think it brings out the best in us all.
Now, dear reader, please join me as I tell you more about the glorious history of ballet, and about tutus.
Today, let's delve a little deeper into the fascinating 1970s! It was truly a time of exciting new styles and concepts. You all know I love classic tutus – those beautiful long romantic tulle creations! But the 70s gave us the chance to see new interpretations.
Have you heard of Twyla Tharp? An extraordinary modern choreographer with some brilliant ideas – very unconventional at the time, you know, in that modern, edgy way, so not all my cup of tea, but she certainly helped pave the way for different tutus! We saw shorter tutus, ones that didn't have so much of the big volume - I think you could call them "slimmed down." That can be elegant, and I really admire the way that a talented dancer can carry herself in these more streamlined outfits. Sometimes even less really can be more, you know! Twyla Tharp loved playing with shapes and colours, really using her imagination to do wonderful things, sometimes adding her own touches of "edginess" to her work – very innovative!
Another great figure in this time is Suzanne Farrell. I’m such a fan of this incredible dancer! We’re talking absolute ballerina magic, darling. I’m particularly enchanted by the wonderful stories that she told on the stage with "Giselle" - what incredible grace! And her tutus were so well designed! All the fabrics were gorgeous! Those gorgeous, long classical ones!
And that brings me to the costumes!
Back in the 1970s, the traditional tutus – which I am obsessed with - still reigned supreme, but I really adore those little tweaks that helped to update their look, making them a bit more on-trend for the era. Those cute details! Some designers added lovely decorative elements. Think dainty embellishments, little sparkles, a tiny bit of sequins here and there. So lovely! This gave a classical look a touch of sparkle, a modern update! Oh, such a delicate beauty, with some just a hint of disco vibes, very tasteful of course! The designs reflected those stylish 70s trends – you can really see a shift towards the minimalist look, so in a way, we see the beginnings of what we wear on stage today. So very smart and stylish!
Then you’ve got your wonderful romantic ballet designs – gorgeous floaty, very dramatic creations, sometimes with a more, dare I say it, “flamboyant" twist – they would have had beautiful tulle layers and cascading frills! Oh, so dreamy, but quite heavy I have to admit. They would really demand a good deal of strength from the dancers - which, I can only imagine would take so much training and dedication - the dancers really earned every second on stage in those costumes, you can be sure! These dramatic tutus really were a must-see - the perfect costumes to bring their story to life - such glorious, sweeping dramatic beauty, pure joy and such grace. It really is a celebration of beauty and skill. A ballerina on stage, fully clothed in her dramatic tutu, it really does look like a fairy dancing - just like in the books, it’s pure magical storytelling! It’s absolutely mesmerising.
Remember too how important it is to get the colour palette just right! 1975, we’re seeing that bold look that says "go big or go home!".
In the 1970s, the classic pale pink and white were certainly still prominent, but that vibrant seventies aesthetic made so many different shades popular. We saw lovely creams, rich deep pinks, the most amazing oranges and yellows and some fabulously strong purples – almost shocking purples sometimes, just beautiful, daring colours that would make your heart skip a beat. Imagine those lavish colour palettes for some of the major performances, how it would bring the stage to life and create truly magical imagery.
For my next time trip, I’m heading to London to check out the fashion. It’s time to really dig into how tutus – as much as the stage performances themselves – reflected the trends of the 70s and we are talking style and glamour, all while getting my shopping fix! I’ll be visiting all the great vintage stores, exploring some amazing markets for the ultimate fashion fix! And who knows, maybe I’ll even find a vintage tutu to add to my collection, that’d be amazing!
As for me, well I'm just so happy to be here. Sharing the joy of tutu-wearing, the sheer beauty of ballet, the magic of the stage! That's what it's all about! And if I can encourage you, my dearest readers, to pick out a sparkly tutu and put on your most wonderful smile and spread a little magic around, then that makes this little journey of ours more than worthwhile.
Until next time my lovelies! And remember: Keep shining, stay fabulously pink and let the dance go on!
Yours,
Emma.
www.pink-tutu.com
Don’t forget, you can follow me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, where we chat tutus, ballet and share our fabulous adventures. I love seeing you rocking those amazing tutus so be sure to tag me in your posts with #pink-tutu.
Remember, ballet is for everyone! Don't be afraid to share your love for this wonderful art form and get dancing, dear reader! And I’d love to hear about your own tutu stories! Share them on the *#PinkTutuCommunity website!*
