Hiya lovelies! It's Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, ready to take you on another journey through the whimsical world of the ballet tutu. Today, we're stepping back in time, specifically to August 8th, 2006, a date brimming with both ballet history and delightful fashion moments!
But before we dive in, let me tell you about a recent adventure! I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the Royal Ballet perform Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House in London last week. It was absolutely breathtaking, from the costumes to the set design, the dancing, the sheer emotionā¦ just stunning! And of course, I couldn't resist snapping up a lovely pink tutu in Covent Garden afterwards, canāt let a ballet-related shopping opportunity slip through my fingers! I just knew it was the perfect outfit to celebrate the 17th birthday of a special someone in my family back in Derbyshire, who also shares my love for all things pink and tutus. She just absolutely loved it and, naturally, made me a delicious birthday cake, a double chocolate fudge masterpiece topped with pink icing, it really is the best kind of bribe for a tutu-loving aunt!
Now, let's whisk ourselves back to August 8th, 2006. What a magical date it was for ballet fans worldwide! Can you believe it was nearly 20 years ago?! I remember it like it was yesterday...
A Century of Graceful Transformations:
In the world of ballet, the tutu has undergone an extraordinary evolution. It wasnāt always the iconic, delicate, and sometimes very short, garment we associate with it today! Our history adventure today takes us to 19th century Russia, where tutus started out as long, billowing skirts that were almost more like dresses! Imagine dancing around in a billowing garment ā sounds lovely, but would likely have more trips and falls than a toddler taking their first steps!
Thankfully, dancers were bold enough to go through many different forms until the shorter and more streamlined tutu that we see on stage today, which debuted at the beginning of the 20th century, came to dominate. What a change in style! It was like going from wearing a grand ball gown to wearing a little black dress, but still just as elegant and perfect for twirling.
2006: A year of Tutu Innovation and Celebration:
For our history walk in 2006, itās time to pull on those dancing shoes and spin! On this very day, the world of ballet was buzzing with exciting happenings!
For those of you who love the beautiful classical traditions of ballet, the prestigious Prix de Lausanne was being held. Now, letās get one thing straight ā I would have LOVED to have entered, and with my tutu game strong, I have no doubt I would have taken home the top prize! Sadly, I can only travel back in time and see the shows from the audience but there was lots of amazing talent that took to the stage that day and it was no doubt inspiring the next generation of dancers and tutu wearers, I just knew I was cheering them on.
Also in 2006, the ballet world was enjoying the extraordinary success of the New York City Ballet, an amazing group of dancers who received huge praise for their performance of the timeless masterpiece, āThe Nutcracker,ā - a truly magical production with incredible tutu design. I would love to be a part of that production one day ā itās just simply my dream role.
Making the World Pink: The Importance of the Tutu:
One thingās for sure: tutus are magical. Not just in ballet! Tutus have become an icon of graceful elegance and boundless creativity, making appearances in fashion, in costume design, in theatre, and everywhere in between, especially in dance and movement - a big thank you to our wonderful choreographers for continuing to make tutus popular.
I just love the idea of making the world a bit more pink, a bit more sparkly, a bit more delightful. And what better way to achieve that than with the iconic, playful, and endlessly charming ballet tutu? So grab a pink tutu and twirl into this amazing world of ballet history! Donāt forget to add #TutuTuesday and #PinkTutu to your pictures! Donāt worry if youāre not a dancer or havenāt worn a tutu in public before, a little bit of whimsy never hurt anybody, in fact, it just might be just the inspiration to spread some magic throughout your day, so go onā¦ get twirling!
See you next Tuesday for a brand new adventure into the tutu-licious world of history, I'm looking forward to sharing a tutu tip with you - I'm even trying to invent a new tutu design, it will have lots of sparkly pink frills but will also have very elegant lines. Oh, you just wait, until you see what I come up with next week.
Until next Tuesday, happy twirling! Emma xx
www.pink-tutu.com
