Hiya darlings! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, where pink tutus are the lifeblood and ballet history is always in the spotlight. Today's #TutuTuesday journey takes us right back to 2013-07-02. Grab your teacups, your pom-poms, and prepare to twirl with me through time!
Oh, you simply wouldn't believe the fashion I saw on my latest jaunt to the past. Imagine, darlings, if you will, a time when the tutus were… gasp… white?! It's true! This week, I was transported to a world where the stage was dominated by pristine, classic tutus, much to my shock (and to be honest, a little disappointment, as I have a very special fondness for the shade of pink).
Now, don't get me wrong, I understand why the white tutus reigned supreme for so long. They represented purity, elegance, and that ethereal ballerina aesthetic. A beautiful look, certainly, but oh darling, sometimes I just long for a little splash of colour on stage. It's like adding glitter to a ballet shoe - you just know it's going to make a statement.
So, I popped in on a performance of Swan Lake, (a timeless masterpiece that, whisper it, could definitely benefit from a hint of pink in the choreography…just my opinion, of course). Imagine my surprise when the swans were all dressed in white, from their beautiful cygnet feather bodices right down to their flowing tutu skirts. It felt almost, dare I say it, too pure!
Don't worry darlings, this is just my opinion - and of course, this time period wasn't entirely devoid of colour. A flash of shimmering gold and red, maybe even a touch of lavender on some of the costume's trim – but overall, the palettes remained pretty traditional.
On a side note, the music in this era was simply divine. Those strings! That woodwind! Honestly, I just wanted to twirl and twirl with abandon right there in the audience, although I imagine the crowd might not have taken kindly to that. My trip also coincided with a spectacular fashion week event - you can imagine what a fashion-lover like me did!
You know me, darlings - I have a serious case of “vintage chic”. The tutus on display at the exhibition were just breath-taking - all layers of lace and chiffon, all meticulously hand-stitched and so feminine! Honestly, if I could time travel just for a day, it would definitely be for a trip to this vintage fashion exhibit. Imagine - you could actually try on all those amazing tutus, from Victorian crinoline ballerinas to those stunning, modern dance pieces that only come from the best ballet stores, (Oh! How I yearn to visit those!) It would be a dream, darling! A true tutu paradise.
The rest of this 2013 journey involved my favourite past-time - the train journey. What better way to travel than by a train? And imagine – the station itself was a spectacle! You could spot ladies dressed to the nines with stunning hat designs and amazing suits with bold colours. If you're a fan of hats, darlings, then this would be the place to go for your fashion inspiration. Honestly, just seeing how people in that time carried themselves with such elegance, and a keen sense of fashion was amazing. I'm sure even those people of that era, dressed in all that finery, wouldn’t mind a pink tutu.
I'm so grateful for the chance to take this historical journey and explore the past through the lens of tutus.
Now darlings, don’t be shy to leave me a message! Tell me your favourite ballerina history fact! Maybe your most treasured tutu, your first ballet class story! Oh, don’t forget your questions. Anything to do with the glorious ballet world will have my answer.
Remember, you're all a-dor-able and keep shining bright, just like a sparkling pink tutu!
Until next time, darlings!
With a twirl and a sparkle,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
