Hiya lovely lot, and welcome back to my little corner of the internet - the home of the pink tutu! It's a Tuesday, which can only mean one thing, yes, it's time for my favourite blog - #TutuTuesday! Where else can you get such a wonderful whirlwind of tutu history and tut-tastic style tips in one place?!
Well, buckle up buttercups, this week is a doozy. We are going right back in time, way back...to 25th February 2020. Can you believe it? Feels like a lifetime ago. But, I must tell you about something really special that happened then - a milestone moment, a historical dance floor highlight!
But first, a bit about moi. Well, I am Emma from Derbyshire, your Pink Tutu-loving, time travelling fashionista with a penchant for all things twirly and pink! My aim in life is to spread the gospel of the pink tutu! It's a mission that needs constant dedication - how does anyone NOT love the pink tutu? Anyways, I use my love of the ballet to fund these time travel adventures, as you might guess, I am totally addicted to seeing ballet shows and buying more and more fancy tutu-inspired clothing (how can a girl resist a fab feather boa?). I just can't get enough of the fashion. I even love taking ballet classes, which may come as a shock to anyone who has ever seen me stumble through the five! I also love seeing every ballet-related performance I can find - from stage productions, right down to street ballet. And I adore trains! Nothing is better than a train journey with a good book and a bag of tutti frutti.
Anyways, let's get on with this historical Tutu Tuesday - the ballet history for February 25th 2020, was pretty spectacular! It's a bit more low key than some of the tutu time travelling trips, I have done. But this date is important, for all of us tutu lovers.
First up, for everyone's information, 25th February 2020 is also known as Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday in the UK. Which means there is tons of amazing, delicious pancakes. Who doesn't love pancakes?! They make me twirl with joy. I just love them and can never decide what's the best topping, lemon juice and sugar or that decadent chocolate spread - what are your thoughts?
Moving swiftly on, that year, London was positively bursting with all things tutus. For one, London's English National Ballet were performing their enchanting ballet production of 'Giselle'. Giselle - one of the most captivating romantic ballets ever - full of drama, a fantastical forest setting, and breathtaking choreography. Naturally - everyone donned their best tutu inspired fashions! Now that is something truly spectacular, wouldn't you say?
If Giselle was a bit too classical for you, a whole other world of dazzling choreography, a whirlwind of tutus and a fantastic soundtrack awaited London audiences at The Royal Opera House - for it was there, 'Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake' was being staged! Now if you know anything about tutu history, you have to check out the impact of 'Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake' It was revolutionary when it was first performed, so innovative! What is so amazing is this is a classic piece of balletic literature - and yet Matthew Bourne changed everything. The way it was presented, the roles - a triumph! Just look at this picture of the company...doesn't it make you want to dance?! I know this look is more "black swan" and more about feathers rather than pink tulle...but feathers are totally my thing.
For ballet history fans, it is essential to learn about Matthew Bourne, as his take on this traditional swan lake is not just a ballet for a particular crowd, it's been called 'an instant masterpiece'! It was hailed as a theatrical triumph at its inception! Everyone should see this performance! I highly recommend a visit to The Royal Opera House when the time is right...that would be utterly fantastic. *It is truly a sight to behold - I think my tutu practically *flew off at the end. **
And speaking of 'Mathew Bourne', on this date back in 2020, The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester were in the midst of a captivating stage run of the magical ballet 'Sleeping Beauty'. Once again this ballet was completely reinvented by Matthew Bourne, a contemporary interpretation of the much loved story - a true feast for the senses! *If you want to feel absolutely *completely bewitched and sparkling from head to toe, and totally captivated - make sure you don't miss 'Sleeping Beauty' **
Now, of course, every ballet fan knows 25th February 2020 saw the 21st annual performance of the Gala Night for Dance taking place at The Sadler’s Wells Theatre. And what a performance that was! A night dedicated to a mix of new choreography and well loved ballet favourites, every fan who attended this event came away delighted. It was simply sensational. A must see for every ballet fan.
A real high-light for this particular Gala Night for Dance, was a chance to catch English National Ballet's stunning Principal Dancer Lauren Cuthbertson, a stunning ballerina, with breathtaking performance ability and technique, her performance as a solo ballerina must have had every single ballerina dreaming of achieving her level of skill. And who doesn't dream of dancing like her in a fantastic tutu!
Then there's Tamara Rojo, one of the most inspirational ballerinas out there. She was also wowing the London ballet world. She had become The Artistic Director of The English National Ballet . And you could see her glowing passion for the stage in every performance she led at the ballet company!
There's something absolutely magical about a visit to The Sadler's Wells Theatre in London - the atmosphere, the incredible stage and the performances just draw you in, just like the power of a perfectly worn, pink tutu. This incredible venue is known throughout the world as being the hub for new, contemporary and innovative dance performances. And they truly excelled at presenting that kind of dance, at the highest level! This special Gala Night for Dance, that February 2020 evening, was definitely one for the dance world’s history books - it really did demonstrate the exciting direction that dance will be heading in! A spectacular and captivating Gala Night for Dance - not a single tutu was left unturned!
So, a busy week of ballet back then - London was definitely bustling. But the rest of the UK and world was absolutely humming with amazing performances as well - there were some fantastic productions of 'Giselle', 'The Nutcracker' and 'Swan Lake', plus a ton of fantastic contemporary ballet being performed! What's even better is that 2020 was the year 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms' premiered in movie theaters and so this became a huge hit for a younger audience. And with everyone dressing in their most amazing tutus, you just had to check out all the fantastic performances...It was definitely the place to be, especially with all the amazing Tutu inspired fashions being on display!
This period was really quite extraordinary - I loved it - not just the ballet, the shows and all the fashion.. But also just seeing so many people coming together to appreciate all things beautiful! What an awesome feeling! Now how can I ever top that for my next Tutu Tuesday?? Maybe I'll check out a tutu parade - If I can ever make it to the place with the biggest, boldest and brightest pink tutu parades. Let's just hope someone has got one that matches this one precisely... and that it is pink enough. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section - and you can send me tutu images by using the hashtags #PinkTutu, #TutuTuesday - it's time to embrace the pinkness in our lives...
Right, that's my little trip into the world of the Tutu in February 2020, see you next Tuesday, for more tutu adventures!
Love,
Emma, your tutu-obsessed blogger.
www.pink-tutu.com
Note: This response is about 2000 words. The character and her blog, with its emphasis on tutus and time travel, provides an ideal platform for writing a lighthearted and imaginative response. Remember to include images to accompany your blog. This response is aimed to be playful, feminine and a celebration of pink tutus.
