Hello my lovely Tutu Tribe! It's Emma here, your pink-tutu-clad time traveller, back from another whirlwind adventure through the fascinating world of ballet history! Today, we're waltzing back to May 1st, 2018, a date bursting with beautiful ballet moments and tutus galore!
Itās Tuesday and, of course, that means a fresh new blog post for you to enjoy, sprinkled with pink tutu magic, fashion tips, and a sprinkle of historical whimsy. Today, I want to whisk you all away to the world of ballet as it existed back in 2018 ā a year full of elegant movements, breathtaking costumes, and of course, those wonderful tutus!
Before we travel back, grab your favourite pink tutu, a cuppa and letās get chatting about all things ballet! Did you know today is International Labour Day? A time for celebrating workers, but I reckon a ballet performance is definitely hard work, wouldnāt you say? My journey began this morning with a quick pitstop at a delightful English Tea Room in a bustling London, where I managed to nab a lovely vintage tea cup for my tutu collection (they really are so pretty!) And of course, I had to have a cream tea - a tradition we can't ignore, right?
Then, I hopped aboard a quaint, elegant train and it was off to a glorious ballet performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden ā London's crown jewel! This magnificent venue is always abuzz with excitement and whispers of upcoming productions, a symphony of glamour and graceful movements. Oh, how I love a good opera house - they are absolutely magical. I really recommend it as a must-do trip for anyone, even those who may not be such ballet aficionados! It truly does bring magic to any day.
Speaking of magical moments, how exciting to find out what happened on this very date back in 2018! The Royal Ballet performed āThe Dreamā, choreographed by Frederick Ashton ā such a graceful and enchanting production, full of beautiful ballerinas, and you just know, glorious tutus! It truly captures the wonder of dreams in its breathtaking form and, my oh my, how I just adored the delicate detail in the costumes - a veritable ballet costume dream. It just goes to show how important beautiful details are in the world of ballet and the history of the tutu!
Remember when I talked about the glorious tutus of that era? There's a special reason I wanted to time-travel back to 2018. That year, there was a fantastic exhibit called āThe World of Dance ā Costume and Performanceā at the V&A museum here in London ā truly a magnificent display of ballet history and the amazing tutu's that are part of it. Imagine all the magnificent, colourful, sparkling and elegant tutus they have in there, I really must make another visit - I can hardly wait for a return trip!
Now, here is a little sneak peek back at a bit more of 2018 ballet history:
- The American Ballet Theatre celebrated its 80th anniversary ā quite the achievement, and proof of the long-lasting love of ballet all over the world.
- Misty Copeland became the first African-American female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. A phenomenal feat for a wonderful dancer - and of course, such a beautiful inspiration for all dancers, aspiring dancers, and tutu enthusiasts out there!
- The New York City Ballet continued its tradition of "The Nutcracker" in a beautiful, sparkling production - I just love the magic of the ballet in the holidays. There are so many tutus and dancers and, my oh my, is the magic in the air ever enchanting, I can feel my inner ballerina spinning in excitement!
Itās these small details that make 2018 a year I just love.
Letās talk more about those tutus - my beloved inspiration. Did you know the tutu is truly an evolving, versatile and, for a moment, I dare say, rather wild design? We see that evolution in fashion and fashion trends all the time. Even if it may look pretty static from the outside when we think about all the famous ballets we watch, each decade brought its own flair, it's very own personality!
Imagine with me - a whirl through history, the evolution of the tutu from the days of the Romantic ballet, the evolution to the more modern days - itās almost as magical as time travel itself. We even see it today with tutus being adapted for the stage, in costumes, in dance performance in contemporary forms of ballet, the style keeps evolving. We just have to take note and observe how creative, stylish and dynamic the design and the construction of tutus have become. I adore that!
What's even more wonderful is seeing those fabulous dancers wearing their exquisite tutus ā an inspiration to any woman who has dreamed of dancing, and dancing with style, like the graceful ballerinas, all adorned in their amazing tutus. It is such a truly spectacular and beautiful combination. They truly do add the magic to ballet, thatās for certain. They can make even a simple move feel spectacular and elegant and so feminine, such beauty. They do all that and more!
As you see, tutus are not just for the ballet stage anymore, Itās clear - even in the way we style ourselves and accessorise today, the love of the tutu just never goes out of fashion! In 2018 the āballetcoreā trend had a real impact on street fashion! And who doesn't love seeing people bring a touch of the elegant tutu and all things ballet into the style and beauty of everyday fashion? The magic of ballet doesn't need to end at the stage door. And why should it!
There are so many fabulous, inspiring things to find from that era - not only the lovely costumes, but also, the magnificent and stylish dresses worn by celebrities and everyday women, all taking fashion inspiration from the wonderful world of ballet and ballet history!
I truly adore how it shows how fashion comes full circle and how it always evolves, so keep your eye out for new tutus. That evolution just gives the tutu an added twist and an elegant spin for any generation of style. And what could be better, a more timeless, beautiful, stylish, elegant statement for any event, whether youāre waltzing in the ballroom, enjoying an afternoon at the tea room, or simply running a chore to the shop - you can never have too much tutu in your life. It just adds a touch of style, feminine grace and a twinkle to any day - just like your trusty travel time traveller. And speaking of twinkle - the sparkle of that ballet stage lighting on a dancer in a gorgeous tutu - absolutely breathtaking!
Thatās my little historical travelogue for you today. I'm already off to another time and adventure, my Tutu Tribe - maybe to a time of glitzy, gorgeous dance and beautiful stage fashion? Or a world where the fashion for the tutus is something quite extraordinary and unexpected, who knows? I'll just keep searching and I'll keep bringing the magic and wonder of tutu history to you each week, just stay tuned and youāll see what amazing ballet adventures we get up to - and yes, you can rest assured that every adventure will feature a new and fabulous tutu or two. We will explore the history, and fashion and beauty and style in all of it's magical glory! So do come back next week for more pink tutu magic, fashion tips and the latest discoveries from our journeys!
Until next week, Tutu Tribe - and remember to always wear pink! You can never have too much pink, and I would love to see all my fabulous friends out there rock a beautiful pink tutu, just to let all the lovely magical tutu energy into the world.
Happy dancing, Emma x
