Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu aficionado, and welcome to another Tuesday of Tutu Tuesday! Today, we're taking a little trip down memory lane to February 23rd, 1993. Can you believe it's been nearly thirty years since that day? My, how time flies!
This week, I thought we'd chat about the history of ballet, focusing on those oh-so-magnificent tutus, of course. After all, what's a ballerina without her tutu? Imagine the indignity. It's like a lovely afternoon tea without the scones – simply unthinkable!
But before we get to the history, let me just tell you about my little adventure back in time. Oh my, what a day! I landed smack-bang in the middle of New York City, right by Lincoln Center. You can't get more baller than that! The energy was just buzzing with excitement. The streets were filled with people all dressed in their finery – so stylish, so fabulous!
Now, I did pop into the famous Barneys store – it's a must for any self-respecting fashionista! - and just couldn't resist a little splurge on a silk scarf for my hair, adorned with delicate dancing butterflies. Honestly, the colours were just divine.
And speaking of butterflies, what a coincidence – February 23rd 1993 saw the premiere of "The Butterfly Lovers" in the Big Apple. I simply had to see it, of course. This delightful opera-ballet hybrid had audiences enchanted with its beautiful story and exquisite dancing. Talk about feeling those tutus twirling! I swear I could practically feel the energy ripple through the whole theatre. It was almost enough to rival the joy of my own dancing, almost.
Afterward, I enjoyed a delicious dinner at The Russian Tea Room, sipping my vodka with cranberry and admiring the vintage elegance of the space. Honestly, the place was brimming with history - and who knows what wonderful tutus have graced those rooms over the years!
Now, back to our journey into tutu history! I want to tell you about the iconic tutus worn in La Sylphide.
"La Sylphide", my darlings, premiered way back in 1832! And do you know what? It was that performance that actually launched the romantic era in ballet. The music is simply heavenly – ethereal, romantic, just the sort of soundtrack you would expect to accompany such lovely dance! But more importantly, the lead dancer in "La Sylphide" was clad in a revolutionary new creation - the Romantic Tutu.
Think of it as a dance revolution, an iconic evolution, a wardrobe revolution all at once! A lighter, softer, shorter tutu, created especially for this piece. It freed the dancers, allowing their movements to be lighter and more expressive, letting them truly fly across the stage. No more restrictive and cumbersome garments. It allowed the female form to be showcased beautifully. This beautiful dance with the delicate ballerina, swirling with delicate gauze tutus in a stunning combination of colour and shape? Perfection.
And it was that revolutionary change that inspired everything we know and love about tutus today. So when you see those light, floaty tutus with the flowing layers, you have to thank "La Sylphide" - and that innovative choreographer, Filippo Taglioni, for giving us that exquisite and unforgettable vision. It simply doesn't get better than that!
In the years that followed, many new types of tutus popped up, inspired by the Romanticism era. Think "Giselle" in 1841, and the lovely story about a peasant girl in love with a hunter. Even The Nutcracker in 1892 – featuring a whimsical tutu – had to have its inspiration in the era of "La Sylphide."
Fast forward to 1993, the era we've travelled to today! It was an exciting time in ballet, with so much change and experimentation happening. Even though classical ballet traditions were still strong, modern choreographers started weaving a new, modern interpretation on the iconic, classic forms, adding their own unique flare! I mean, look at the brilliance of a contemporary ballet like The Four Seasons or Sleeping Beauty with its beautiful and classic costumes - *so stunning! *
From a dancer's perspective, though, a ballet tutu is more than just a beautiful dress, it's a whole other language.
You see, every fold, every seam, every layer, tells a story. Just as the movement of a dancer's body is beautiful, the shape and cut of the tutu allows the graceful, fluid moves of the dancer to shine. Every step and every turn is heightened with each layer of tulle that makes a perfect swish as it catches the stage lights. Just fabulous, wouldn't you agree?
And that, darlings, is what brings us back to the big "why" of this entire Tutu Tuesday! It's not just about history and it's not just about fashion. It's about understanding the importance of tradition in every form of art. And the ballet tutu? It is a timeless, elegant, and simply beautiful representation of tradition and excellence in the world of ballet.
Speaking of beautiful, don't you just love the look of a lovely, perfectly layered pink tutu? Oh my goodness! It is simply heaven for the eyes! I can't tell you how much I love wearing pink tutus - but this is a blog post about tutus in general, and that means a few other colour suggestions! A splash of violet, maybe a subtle splash of blue, the bold colours really work with ballet. Let's face it, it's a ballet show after all, a story unfolding in movement. The colour simply has to support the story, don't you think? And how can you go wrong with some elegant black!
But for my next visit back to 1993? Well, I can’t wait to bring some more of my personal flare to this iconic era! Can you imagine everyone wearing tutus to the theater? Imagine how beautiful the city would be! Every building, every landmark adorned in pink, fluffy, dreamy perfection - I simply can't wait! Oh, you can’t imagine how many pink tutus will grace New York for the next time I’m around, just wait and see, it's going to be absolutely brilliant!
Well, darlings, it's time for me to head off for another ballet adventure. I have a few more destinations on my schedule, all on the quest for the most spectacular tutu discoveries and more gorgeous fashion adventures. But I'll be back next Tuesday for another Tutu Tuesday, brimming with even more tutu stories and some brilliant ideas for how you can make your tutu dreams come true!
Until next time, remember:
"It’s tutu easy to bring a touch of magic to every day, darling! "
Stay twirling, my darlings, Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
