Hello darlings! Welcome back to my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History blog, this is post number 7705! It’s your favourite tutu-loving Emma here, coming to you live (well, as live as time-traveling ballerinas can be!) from a time capsule of fashion and fabulousness – New York City in the late 1970s.
This week we're going on a whirlwind tour through the world of ballet tutus, all leading to the absolute pinnacle of pink perfection on this very date in 1979! Oh darling, get ready, you won’t believe what happened today!
So, where to even begin? Let's step back a bit to a time when tutus were already stars. Imagine if you will, the glamour of New York – Broadway was humming with showtunes, everyone was in jeans and oversized shirts, and ballerinas were gracing the stages of the most famous ballet company in the world: The New York City Ballet.
Now, don't get me wrong, the tutus weren't always the pretty, puffy clouds of tulle we adore today. Early ballet had some, shall we say, interesting outfits. Imagine a loose-fitting, ankle-length skirt in an off-white linen – not exactly what inspires pirouettes! Thankfully, as time went by, the tutu started evolving, slowly transforming into the heavenly garments we love.
It was during the Romantic Era in the 1800s that the tutu took its first big leap into becoming an absolute sensation. Think soft layers, silk and lace, swirling skirts – oh darling, it's almost enough to make my time-traveling heart flutter! And remember those beautiful, airy, white tutus of Giselle? They practically changed the face of ballet, making it something graceful, feminine, and utterly ethereal.
But fast-forward to our fabulous 1970s! The world of ballet was undergoing its own revolution! This era was all about innovation and experimenting. Shorter tutus, longer tutus, layered tutus, *even *tulles of all colours, some as daring as a bright, electric blue, but always the key element: they were **exuberantly expressing movement and showcasing every incredible plié, jump, and leap.
Oh darling, you have no idea the sheer delight of watching a ballerina dance in a tutu, her limbs becoming a beautiful blur of colour, like a kaleidoscope in motion! It's magical, enchanting, and simply pure joy.
But on this glorious day in 1979, something utterly spectacular occurred! And by spectacular, I mean a complete shift in how the world viewed the ballet tutu. And it all had to do with one truly iconic event: The New York City Ballet premiered its breathtaking production of George Balanchine’s ‘Stravinsky Violin Concerto’.
Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Balanchine had an absolute thing for tutus, and it shows! This dance, my darlings, featured the most extraordinary, most innovative use of the tutu! It's impossible to capture the magic in words – you'd have to see it to believe it.
Think tulles of an elegant pink, flowing like liquid silk, catching the light in an utterly entrancing symphony of movement! I almost forgot to breathe when the dancers glided on stage! The tutu became an absolute icon that night! Everyone from the critics to the fashion magazines declared it a masterpiece of modern ballet! It was the beginning of a beautiful new era for the tutu, a true testament to its elegance, beauty, and sheer undeniable power.
You see, darling, the tutu is not simply a garment – it's a symbol, a metaphor, and an expression of everything graceful, powerful, and feminine. And there is truly nothing more beautiful in this world than a ballerina swirling and leaping in a pink tutu, embracing the freedom of movement and leaving the audience utterly mesmerized.
Now, this darling is exactly why I embark on my time-traveling adventures! I spend my days seeing these breathtaking ballets and soaking up all the fashion and beauty of these extraordinary eras! The next week I'm off to Vienna! I cannot wait to experience the fashion there and what exciting trends and tutus await!
Oh darlings, as always, you’re inspired to find your own inner ballerina and rock a tutu or two? Tell me all about your favourite ballet, fashion find, or a show you loved in the comments below. Don't forget to tune in next week, for another week of dazzling ballet tutu history. Until next Tuesday, don't be afraid to spread the pink tutu love!
