Hello, darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com for another fabulously frothy edition of TutuTuesday.
This week, let's take a little trip back in time, to December 20th, 1977! (Ooh, wouldn't that have been an amazing vintage fashion era?) Imagine, punk rock was exploding all over the place, but on stage, it was a whole different story...
My time machine is just a little rusty (still trying to find a way to make it go on fumes instead of ballet shoe dust!) and wouldn't you know it, my landing wasn't quite so elegant as usual. I ended up bumping into an absolutely darling couple - imagine my joy when I realised they were heading to see a Royal Ballet performance at Covent Garden!
Talk about lucky - it's my favourite London venue! The Royal Ballet has always held a very special place in my heart. Back in this day and age, it was all about tradition - long romantic tutus, those iconic, flowing skirts, and all the glitter you can handle! Think Giselle, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, The Nutcracker. Those ballet classics truly inspire me with their grace and romanticism!
And it gets better, darlings. That evening at the Royal Ballet they were staging The Sleeping Beauty, one of my absolute favourite ballets! You can practically hear the Oohs! and Aahs! when Aurora bursts onto the stage, a vision of pure loveliness in her magnificent pink tutu, which is a complete contrast to the shimmering royal blue, gold and jewel toned tutu that Dame Margot Fonteyn - my absolute idol - made famous! The Sleeping Beauty became legendary thanks to Dame Margot and the brilliant, brilliant choreography by Marius Petipa, (his original staging was in 1890!).
Speaking of Dame Margot Fonteyn, wasn't she the absolute picture of elegance and grace? Sigh! Can you imagine that? Dancing alongside Rudolf Nureyev, their performances together were literally history-making, full of the kind of romance that only classical ballet can bring. It really is such a thrill to know these legendary dancers graced the stage just before my own time travelling escapades.
But of course, tutus aren't just about the Royal Ballet, are they, sweeties? My mission, as you know, is to make the world a better place, a place filled with sunshine, sugar plum fairies, and the most wonderful tutus. (And of course, pink - you can't have a good tutu without a whole lot of gorgeous, glittering pink!)
Whether it's a shimmering, graceful paillettes (tiny sparkling beads) on a tulle skirt, a more modern twist on a tutu, like a Tutu dress or even a * tutu skirt*, or maybe even a simple, classic "pencil-line" ballet tutu made of beautiful cotton tulle.
But of course, we must remember that back in 1977, these kinds of styles weren't quite as "street" fashionable as they are now. I remember those gorgeous high-waisted bell-bottoms though. They had such great pockets for all my sparkly things!
The modern ballet tutu actually took its roots right back to 1830's, thanks to the beautiful (and now very famous) French ballerina, Marie Taglioni and the choreographer Jules Perrot! Marie's revolutionary style and skill set in her choreography of the famous "La Sylphide", her incredible movement made it imperative to design a lightweight costume, so this ballet got the ultimate makeover.
So, I just want you to remember, no matter where your imagination takes you - whether you're twirling in the spotlight, taking a class, shopping for your new, pinkest, tutusiest ensemble at Harrods, Liberty, or even Marks and Spencers... the legacy of the tutu is timeless and ever-growing.
But wait... there's more! You know me and all things glittery, so we're going to go deeper into the Tutu and how its evolution is so very much part of the History of Ballet.
My time machine is calling. London is Calling... I just know I will find the most wonderful ballet accessories in Carnaby Street to fashion up my Tutu (and maybe grab some disco pants too!!). Until next Tuesday, darlings... Let your inner Ballerina loose!
