Hello darlings! It's Emma, your favourite pink tutu-wearing time-travelling ballerina, and it's #TutuTuesday! This week we're twirling back to June 14th, 1988, for a trip down memory lane – or, should I say, a graceful glide through the decades of the ballet tutu. Buckle your ballet shoes, darling, we're taking a grand jeté into the history of this iconic garment!
This blog is number 8164 for my Ballet Tutu History blog, by the way, which I post every Tuesday on www.pink-tutu.com! Do you ever wonder what happened in fashion history, all those years ago, and how the trends that inspired us got here? Well, darling, I do! So, to help me with my own fashion choices, and because I am just ever so slightly obsessed with the tutu (don't tell my bank manager, but this blog is partly funded by my passion!), I decided to document everything I can find about these wonderfully impractical, ridiculously lovely, and, oh, so wonderfully, beautiful, creations!
I have a feeling you’re going to absolutely love this post, darlings! As you know, I’m completely devoted to this gorgeous garment! If we're talking about ballet tutus, 1988 was a year brimming with incredible performances, a vibrant stage of theatrical masterpieces.
I have to say, the sheer variety and creativity on stage back in those days was simply awe-inspiring! My absolute favourite show I saw was The Royal Ballet's "The Sleeping Beauty" at Covent Garden. I don't know about you, but I just adore that fairytale ballet - it’s so captivating. They are truly magical shows, don't you think, darling? The costumes are just breathtaking – so intricately designed and just absolutely captivating – and let's not even get started on those pointe shoes, darlings!
1988 was, you see, an exceptionally stylish time for fashion – which meant tutus! Those who danced on the great stages of the world were wearing truly gorgeous ballet costumes that I simply had to bring you! If you hadn’t seen them on stage, you certainly did see them in glossy magazines!
Do you know, my darling, the tutus worn in ballets in the late 1980s were a far cry from the ones worn even twenty years before! I simply had to take you all back in time to see how they’ve evolved. Imagine if you had gone back in time just thirty years before – they would have looked so different! Think long and flowing and oh-so-very romantic. But what a surprise when the fashions for the dancers and tutus became shorter and stronger, so to speak, more athletic! Those skirts, my dear, became much tighter – those designers just couldn’t resist a tiny, tighter skirt, and who can blame them – oh, it’s just so stylish, it’s fabulous! And all in fabulous pink, of course – my favourite colour in the world, darling!
It’s quite fascinating, don’t you think, how this evolution has shaped what we wear in ballet today. Think about the costumes we see on stage in today's world and compare that to what was on show back in 1988.
What did you all make of “La Bayadère,” my darlings, performed by the Kirov Ballet – remember how gorgeous those tutus were in Act 3? Don’t even get me started on that finale. They were amazing, weren’t they? So much for an evening of classical tutus – just you wait, my darling, because in 1989, you are going to be introduced to tutus for some seriously modern and contemporary pieces – don't you just love a twist on classic ideas, darling?
Now, I know that you may be thinking that these historical posts on the pink-tutu website might be a bit far removed from your everyday lives. You may not have access to a live ballet performance, nor have the ability to jump on a train to Derbyshire in England to take a class in a real tutu, and even your family and friends might look at you oddly when you talk about fashion choices back in 1988.
But darling, trust me, all this knowledge is key to building up a stunning collection of pink tutus! That’s right, my lovely, tutus are absolutely a statement! You don’t need to be in the centre of a big stage to look and feel fabulous, or to show off your creativity! What matters is feeling utterly fabulous and confident in whatever you’re wearing, my darling. It is absolutely all about rocking those clothes, not just looking the part! Even a little dash of ballet history can add that special something to any look – or so my many followers all tell me. They just love the tutu look, no matter where in the world they live.
Did you know that, a hundred years before 1988, ballet tutus were incredibly different? Imagine my time travel through the years to see the most magnificent costumes and see their transformations, darlings! Can you imagine dancing with such a dramatic and romantic costume – so big and puffy. Now that would take serious talent and skill, darling.
Anyway, in the Victorian times they really were made of lots and lots of “tulle” – an exceptionally delicate fabric which needed a lot of careful planning, and, as if that wasn't tricky enough, it needed plenty of padding so the tulle didn’t move.
Can you imagine having to squeeze into that, darling? It must have taken forever! And, remember how tight your corsets used to have to be in Victorian times to give you that fashionable silhouette! That is why the ladies would get so faint – and often drop off at formal gatherings. It was actually incredibly risky, I am told. Just don’t ever imagine you could wear those tutus today!
Just think what fashion has become now in our time, 1988, darling.
Now, we’ve had a look at some fascinating history, darlings, so let’s see what's happening right now in 1988, while I am here.
Let's jump to the next big moment. Remember the magnificent production, "La Sylphide"? I have to tell you about it, darlings, because it had this gorgeous pale-pink silk tutu – which looked just exquisite. And it made such a fantastic splash on the scene, too, with the world's greatest ballerina of the moment - the magnificent Margot Fonteyn - wearing it. She did some absolutely outstanding performances in that stunning tutu in Covent Garden that year, so watch this space as I see what she does over the coming months in 1988!
I think those Victorian ballet dancers had it easy - at least they had their corsets to support them - whereas we are on pointe shoes now - our balance is tested every second.
How I do adore ballet and being able to time travel so I can experience the magnificence of history!
This week's post, darling, has gone by in a flash! Now, don’t forget to let me know what your favourite pink tutus are, darling, or if you’ve got some history of your own that you want to share, let me know, too!
Until next time, stay fabulous, keep twirling and remember: Never, ever stop believing in your own magical dreams, darling. After all, they just might take you all the way to the stage. And who knows what we will all discover together, in our time travel, next week, darling?
Emma x
www.pink-tutu.com
Remember: I am from Derbyshire.
