#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1984-05-08

Hello darlings! It’s Emma here from www.pink-tutu.com with my weekly #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History post. This week’s date, 8th May 1984, is just brimming with excitement! We are just about to enter the heady days of the 1980s in the world of the tutu and the excitement levels are definitely high. This is my 7950th post! Who knew, back in the old days, how much I would come to adore this period!

It’s so thrilling to think about how many tutus must have been whirled about at theatres, schools, and studios worldwide on this day, all those beautiful pink and white puffs and swishes, a joyous vision for any lover of dance. I feel my heart swelling with emotion. Oh! To see the gorgeous ballerinas of the 1980s - those graceful twirls! It's not all rosy, however! Whilst tutus are always beautiful, 1984 also marks a certain period where there was a rather drab style being promoted! Can you believe it? A little bit like those horrible clothes of the 1970s that have been resurrected, (they do say fashion comes around again, bless!).

But for all that, there were some exciting developments that meant, well, you could have your very own beautiful, swishy, full tutu of pure delight for the fabulous price of 63 pence! Honestly! How wonderful would that be?! You can just imagine little ballerinas across the world thrilled to have this fabulous creation in their possession! But don't just think of children, darling! Every dancer needs a little sparkle in their life, no matter how old they are. That’s a bit of truth I wish was remembered everywhere! There is so much beauty and joy in tutus for every age. We just have to find it, don't you think?! Just think of all the fantastic, vibrant tutus whirling and twirling around at the local ballet studios in Derbyshire, my own special corner of the world! They’ll be having their own wonderful time too!

But this is a day with lots of extra sparkle! What was going on in the theatre world back then?

Oh! Darling! You won’t believe it! The Royal Ballet was starring as everyone’s favourite tale from Hans Christian Andersen in “The Little Mermaid”. And in America, The American Ballet Theatre was presenting the classic romantic tale “La Bayadere”, featuring all that dazzling, shimmering white! Isn’t that simply fabulous? These two events make my ballerina heart just about burst! So much drama and beauty, it must have been incredible. Oh! How I dream of experiencing this with my own two eyes!

Perhaps there were a few little “Nutcrackers” on stage somewhere around the world too? But no matter where in the world we are looking, there’s simply no denying the power and beauty of dance to bring the whole world together! Dance is a universal language, so they say, and you can’t get any more wonderful than seeing that demonstrated on this magical date!

Of course, no proper #TutuTuesday post is complete without some shopping and fabulous frock ideas! How else can we put those darling pink tutus to use? Now, in this fabulous time, they were certainly making a statement! It was the age of shoulder pads, big, bold hair, and legwarmers – all just perfect with a darling pink tutu, I simply can't imagine life without those beautiful items! You know I love a vintage feel! And oh, dear! I just have to find that original “Grease” poster. The wonderful Olivia Newton John as Sandy – an icon! So if I had to create a 1984 inspired outfit that incorporated my beloved tutus for this special date, I’d add a cute pink vest and some leggings, topped off with legwarmers – then throw on that gorgeous oversized cardigan and some seriously stylish, enormous shoulder pads! But not for a ballet class, you hear, because I don’t want to put those lovely costumes through the washing machine. And remember those legwarmers – always in the most dazzling shades. If I can’t find some gorgeous pink or yellow then turquoise and electric blue are always my favourites. Those colours! That is how we do #TutuTuesday! I simply adore all those fab colours, don’t you?!

You know I’m all about travelling in style, too. With everything beautifully packed into my travel suitcase, I’d grab my ticket at the local train station for the fastest train out! You’ve never been on a proper train trip until you have travelled on one in those days, all with so much extra space for all the extra legwarmers and other goodies! The journey is as enjoyable as the destination. But be warned darling – you must bring along something extra glamorous – some vintage shades, if you can manage! These must be absolutely fabulous with this whole outfit! But remember those safety instructions on those tubes and keep the large oversized handbag safely in your lap or it will get trodden upon – an unfortunate and unnecessary end for a lovely, perfectly coordinated fashion bag!

There's simply nothing better than spending a night out in a beautiful and exciting theatre on a wonderful night like this one! A delicious drink, an absolutely beautiful performance – all whilst surrounded by fellow tutu enthusiasts and aficionados! It's magical! This truly is an iconic date! Now, I will be looking for some gorgeous pink tutus at the best shops in town, for when I get my own little ballerina to dress up in style, to make those amazing dance costumes part of their wonderful day, too.

Don’t forget to subscribe to www.pink-tutu.com and leave a comment telling me all about your day. It is great to hear from you and to get those ideas flowing for those fabulous outfits. See you next #TutuTuesday!