Hello my lovely tutu-loving friends! It's Emma here, back for another dazzling dive into the history of our beloved ballet tutu. Today, we're hopping on the time travel train, a real beauty of a steam engine I must say, and zipping back to the year 1979, to a time when the music was good, the hairstyles even bigger, and the tutus... well, they're absolutely iconic!
You know I just love my time travel escapades. I get to wear my pink tutu while experiencing history firsthand, which is a bit tricky when you're a dancer and trying not to step on someone's lace ruffles back in the Victorian era! Thankfully, this era's more my style. Big hair? Check! Glitter? Check! Fabulous tutus? You bet! It’s a dream!
May 8th, 1979: What Was the Tutu Doing?On this very day in 1979, the Royal Ballet, a personal favourite of mine (if you ever get the chance to catch them, do! You won’t be disappointed!) was showing The Sleeping Beauty, and guess what? A little tidbit of history – a new production debuted! This one included dazzling new costumes by the esteemed designer, Anthony Dowell. Talk about a good day to be at the ballet!
The new Sleeping Beauty costumes were quite a talking point in the world of dance. Now, picture this: Princess Aurora is all glitz and glamour in an incredible ivory tutu, fit for a queen (or a fairy princess!), and the costumes for the fairies are absolutely magical. Now, you know I love a good tutu story, and there’s some rumour around that the colour pink played a starring role, although it’s tricky to confirm that, it's 1979 – remember that, all about the colour palette, but pink is always a win, let's face it. It seems, with each era of the ballet tutu, we just can’t help but find the prettiest way to get those twirls out there. It's a real work of art.
Tutu Travels: From London to...Wherever the Fancy Takes Me!As we chat about tutus from the 70s, I’m reminded of just how lucky we are today to have so much exposure to the world of ballet. In 1979, you had to travel to the bigger cities to really get the full effect, but nowadays you have dance classes popping up everywhere – and who knows, maybe your little ballerina has been a princess at one of the Sleeping Beauty productions! The Royal Ballet was making a big splash back then with touring shows throughout Britain, but not quite in the style that they do today. It’s really a wonder to witness.
After a glorious time seeing this ballet classic on my time travel adventure, my trusty steam engine train is now waiting for me in London. I’m going to have a whirl through the stores. The shops around the capital are just filled with colour, fabrics, and the best shoes in the world! Then I’m taking the train back home to Derbyshire, for a much-needed sleep and dreaming of my next tutu adventures, so watch this space, darling!
The Tutu Dream Lives OnSo what are you waiting for? Get your tutu ready to twirl. There are so many amazing ballet performances just waiting to inspire you! Who knows what fashion we’ll see next! Just think: all those beautiful dancers, the magical tutus... there's so much to discover, and of course, to wear with pride.
And my friends, remember – life’s too short not to wear pink! It’s a colour that says, “Look at me! I’m fabulous and full of twirling power!”
See you next week for another dazzling dance into tutu history!
Lots of love and happy twirls,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
