Hiya, darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things pink, pretty and pirouette-tastic! It's your favourite day of the week, Tutu Tuesday and we're waltzing back in time to uncover the captivating story of the ballet tutu, my absolute favourite piece of dancewear. Today's date is October 15th 2013, and believe me, you won't want to miss out on what we'll be uncovering!
Now, I've been travelling through time recently (oh, it's quite a rush! Especially when I arrive in the wrong era and accidentally wear a dress a little too short...!), and I was reminded how incredibly lucky we are to have these beautiful creations called tutus in our dance world!
Before I reveal the big surprise I have up my sparkly sleeve for today, let's take a little trip back in time, shall we?
Remember the 'Romantic Era' (circa the mid 1800s) when ballerinas used to wear a very different garment on stage - these big, flowy ball gowns? Quite the contrast to the delicate wisps of tulle we see today!
They were really pretty, but so heavy they stopped them from jumping about and leaping beautifully!
I just can't imagine wearing those big skirts to a performance. Can you? We'd probably be falling over constantly and tripping on all that fabric!
Then enter our little heroine (she's the heroine of our ballet story, not my story, which would definitely involve shopping sprees and afternoon tea! - that's a whole other adventure, darlings) - Maria Taglioni, a legendary ballerina with amazing grace, who, legend has it, inspired this beautiful creation we know and love: The tutu.
A revolution! Just imagine what she had to do to make that happen! It was like saying 'forget the fancy frocks, let's have something lightweight, something graceful, something that shows off the line of a ballerina's body! '
Suddenly, instead of long, heavy skirts, she was swirling and spinning in this beautiful little puff of tulle!
Now that was an evolution, wouldn't you say? The dancers literally took flight and our hearts have soared with them ever since.
Speaking of soaring - this week, we're honouring a legendary ballerina from the 'Romantic Era' whose dancing style revolutionised the ballet world! *Maria Taglioni's legacy has made us dancers look just fantastic. Let's celebrate her iconic legacy by throwing on our tutus (any shade of pink, my lovelies!) and swirling gracefully! We are a testament to her incredible inspiration!
Okay, so now, for the BIG NEWS, my dears, about today’s date, 15th October 2013.
It's the birthday of our fabulous friend, the amazing, talented, the breathtaking Alina Somova!
Can you believe this glorious ballerina turned 31 today! She is such a talent, it just goes to show that any age is a time for inspiration, for dancing and dreaming big! She embodies all the spirit, the grace and strength that makes a ballerina special!
To honour such a beautiful inspiration, I encourage you all to have fun with it, girls! Do an extra pirouette! Try that new arabesque you've been working on!
Take a look at your ballet outfits in your dressing room and thank her (and all the dancers who came before her) for being brilliant. If it wasn't for these gorgeous dancing heroes, who knows what crazy contraptions we might have to wear today! (shudders)
It's also the birthday of the glorious Natalia Osipova. I just have to mention her, because we can’t celebrate a ballerina's birthday without acknowledging her gorgeous performance. Her talent makes my heart sing!
We’ve lots more amazing celebrations to look forward to this week. I’ll keep you updated with new and exciting events on our Instagram page @pink-tutu!
This is the moment when I start my own little waltz with my trusty Pink-Tutu. The colours, the layers of tulle - it just speaks of artistry! It's the perfect way to celebrate all those amazing ballerinas and inspire the next generation of dancers to step on the stage and take the world by storm!
As you might know by now, my absolute love is travel - and I just cannot wait for this weekend! We're off on a little train trip to see *The Royal Ballet! It’s the best place for seeing the crème de la crème of ballet dancing! The theatre's stage has seen everything from Giselle and The Nutcracker to the newest and most avant-garde ballets.
Oh, but before I go - there’s something else I’ve got to tell you! This weekend I'm treating myself to a little fashion spree and then enjoying the most gorgeous afternoon tea with a friend (she’s a bit of a ballerina herself). Maybe I'll even indulge in a delicious cuppa and a piece of delicious Victoria sponge cake! Oh my gosh, I love the excitement of new clothes, delicious cakes and watching wonderful dancing!
See you next Tuesday my sweet darlings, for more of this magical story!
Keep those toes tapping!
Emma
*(For those of you who missed the *first episode of this history blog, my lovely friend is taking me back through time. It's an exciting journey that has revealed so much about how our tutus came to be. My life as a ballerina, shopping for the best new ballet tutus, catching up with my girlfriends on fashion and travelling - this is my journey. You can join me each Tuesday. Now - on with the dancing, ladies!) **
