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Hello darlings! It’s your favourite pink-tutu-wearing ballerina blogger Emma here, and it's #TutuTuesday! As always, I'm so excited to take you on a whirlwind tour through time, exploring the fascinating history of the ballet tutu. Today's date? November 18th, 2008. Buckle up, loves, because this week we're taking a trip to… New York City! Oh, how I adore this dazzling, vibrant city! It's the perfect place to discuss a ballet classic - Swan Lake.
1877: A Whirlwind of Swans and Tutus!
Hold onto your tiaras, dears, because today’s topic is a real ballet darling: Swan Lake! I just love the story of this exquisite ballet! For this week's blog, I've stepped into the shoes of my fashion-forward self in 2008, and I’ve had a splendid time exploring New York City and soaking up the ballet buzz.
Now, I couldn't possibly chat about Swan Lake without talking about its most iconic aspect – the swan tutu, oh darling! It’s the embodiment of everything a ballerina aspires to be - ethereal, elegant, and utterly magical! Did you know that Swan Lake wasn’t always set on the grand scale it is now? In its debut back in 1877 in Moscow, it was seen as a flop, sadly! It wasn’t until a decade later, in 1887, with an incredible production featuring The Great Lev Ivanov, that it truly took flight! And then it reached even greater heights with another fabulous staging by Marius Petipa in 1895! Imagine that - Swan Lake became a sensation - its ethereal beauty and drama really captured the audience's imagination, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The sheer impact of the swans' costumes, which became more streamlined, creating a graceful, ethereal, swan-like silhouette, was mesmerising! Imagine the stunning impact when the ballerina twirled on stage in her soft white tutu! Talk about breathtaking!
1909: From Romantic to Modern
And that brings us to 1909, darling, when we see a fantastic new twist on the classic Swan Lake * from one of the greats – the extraordinary *Michel Fokine! Oh, he brought a completely new wave of artistic interpretation to the ballet. In a fascinating and groundbreaking new interpretation, Fokine chose to make a distinction between the swans, as opposed to simply having them all as White Swans, a lovely choice that captured a more realistic and emotional approach to this breathtaking work. He chose to differentiate between Odette – the White Swan and Odile – the Black Swan – both, dressed in the most beautifully tailored and stunningly created tutus that are just so incredibly beautiful and emotive.
1984: Baryshnikov and *White Swans
So, we skip along to the 1980s, and there's a Swan Lake premiere of an extraordinary performance featuring the legend, Mikhail Baryshnikov! Talk about star power! And a production, by the American Ballet Theatre of Swan Lake – wow – truly magical! And even more fabulously, Baryshnikov took on the lead role, showcasing a new direction with this beloved story in this spectacular interpretation, by choosing White Swans, instead of Black Swan and not making the dramatic shift between the characters, instead opting to go with this fabulous concept and the visual wonder of the dancers all dressed in their shimmering tutus! Imagine that for impact! Talk about beautiful!
2008: A Tutu Treasure
Oh my dears, we've come full circle! Fast forward to November 18th, 2008, a date I've totally chosen because it's close to the *20th anniversary of the creation of the *London Royal Ballet's stunning costume design for this iconic ballet,* the design of which still has *such an enduring legacy for Swan Lake – it so reminds me of how we've moved forward with a modern twist on the design of this spectacular classic ballet, without losing the original beauty.
Today in New York, there are probably a hundred amazing productions that are inspiring a whole new generation of ballerina-fashionistas to make a grand entrance into the world! Imagine it – I'm totally thinking a New York City-themed party with my pink tutu on and a glamorous crown for the ultimate Swan Lake party – can you picture the elegance?! We could have amazing ballet snacks with cupcakes, delicious chocolate, and a whole spread of beautiful, fluffy, pastel-pink meringue swans – because that's the power of a tutu – it has so much room to create endless imaginative ideas! Fashion inspiration is truly limitless with a pink tutu – you can imagine a world of colour and beauty with endless combinations – it's what I love so much! A classic pink tutu, just makes a ballerina's world, magical. Oh, it is *just so much fun – fashion and ballet – a wonderful match!
Well, darlings, until next time, remember to keep sparkling! Pink tutus are, after all, an investment! Just because it's fun to wear tutus.
Don’t forget to head over to my website, www.pink-tutu.com, for more ballet fun and to see my fabulous pink tutu picks!
I love hearing from you lovely people. Let me know what your favourite part of the ballet Swan Lake is! And don’t forget, if you want to follow my journey and see what I get up to around the world, you can find me on all my social media channels @EmmaTutu. I am just totally delighted that you joined me today! Happy tutu-ing and until next week, loves!
Love, Emma 💖✨🌸🩰💋
