Hello my fellow tutu enthusiasts! Welcome back to another dazzling edition of Tutu Tuesday on www.pink-tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things fluffy and fabulous. It’s the 16th of July 2024, and guess what? Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Ballet's legendary performance of Swan Lake! That’s right, 100 years of graceful swans, dramatic leaps, and the most magnificent tutus you can imagine.
As a self-proclaimed tutu enthusiast, my heart always skips a beat when I think about Swan Lake. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it performed numerous times in theatres around the world – London, New York, even Paris! It's just so beautifully dramatic. I mean, just imagine: one minute you've got those beautiful white tutus twirling and glistening under the spotlight, and then bam! Black tutus take over, a whole new vibe, a sense of menace, but still, incredibly beautiful! That contrast is why Swan Lake will forever be one of my all-time favourite ballet productions.
So, you might be asking, what’s a Tutu Tuesday blog post without a little history, right? This week, I thought I'd hop aboard my favourite train (the Caledonian Sleeper, of course!) and take you on a whistle-stop tour of the fascinating evolution of the tutu, focusing on the iconic Swan Lake!
Let’s rewind a little… In the Victorian era, those long, flowing tutus with layers and layers of fabric (think ballerina fairies in romantic ballets!) were all the rage. Those magnificent pieces took an age to get into, and probably needed a whole team to help with all the intricate lace and ribbon ties. Can you imagine the backstage rush? Talk about dramatic entrances!
But Swan Lake wasn’t performed for the first time until 1877! Now, 1877 – what were the big fashion trends, what were tutus looking like at that time? Well, those long tutus, sometimes with very short underskirts, were the norm. Imagine the dramatic swirling and billowing those skirts made, probably in silk or satin – oh, I just adore the texture of silks and satins, they’re so sumptuous. I wouldn’t mind recreating that myself… muses and sketches on a napkin. However, in the 19th century, it was still a bit unconventional for ladies to wear short dresses on stage, or at all! The fashion at the time called for floor-length gowns, not airy tutus like we’re used to! However, ballet was developing, and so were fashion styles and tastes.
So, with Swan Lake being written a couple of years before the first ever production, who knows exactly what it looked like originally? Some experts think it was meant to look almost like a ballet slipper – the iconic tutu we all recognise wasn’t quite invented yet. The tutu was about to become the iconic symbol of ballet as we know it – and guess who is largely responsible for that change?
Marius Petipa, everyone! This legendary choreographer (he was from France, not England! They have some fabulous fashion over there!) had an absolute vision when it came to dancing and movement. Imagine a tiny figure onstage, with a single beam of light focusing directly on the legs and footwork – no hiding from the audience! He revolutionized choreography in Russia with this beautiful focus on the body, which is what really brought about the short tutus! Can you imagine what a gamechanger it was at the time?!
Petipa wasn’t just a visionary in the artistic world; he was also a man with excellent taste in fashion! He thought long and hard about what was best for ballet. What would let dancers move gracefully? What would emphasize those graceful movements? This is what lead him to choose short tutus for the ballet!
And let's be honest: we're so grateful, aren’t we? I mean, just imagine dancing in a heavy long, sweeping gown. That would not be graceful or stylish! Short tutus were so iconic at the time.
The ballerina’s ability to show off every delicate movement, the emphasis on precise turns and extensions. He changed the dance world, and it changed ballet history forever! Swan Lake became a revolutionary piece in itself because of Petipa’s beautiful ideas. I think Petipa really knew how to work a tutu! I wonder how he felt seeing the world take his revolutionary creations to the stage! I could travel back to that time and go for tea with Petipa! I wonder if they still sell Earl Grey? Maybe it would be called Lady Grey or some such ridiculous fancy name. daydreams momentarily.
It was, of course, more than just tutus and a talented choreographer! A new vision in terms of ballet costumes came from those very artistic, but somewhat decadent Russian Imperial Court theatres – fancy and glamorous! I do like a little bit of opulence! I wonder if there was still any lace around, that would have made the costumes and tutus exquisite.
These costumes were meticulously crafted, not just to be pretty, but also to show off every move the ballerina made, so graceful and elegant – those Russian artists truly knew their onions, didn't they!
You know I'm obsessed with the colours of tutus, and there are so many iconic shades out there! Some people say it was the Swan Lake performance in London in 1911, and a brilliant dancer called Pavlova (and a super clever fashion-forward dancer she was!) who introduced the all-white look for Odette, the Swan Queen, and Odile, the Black Swan. To this day, dancers wear these tutus and they are truly stunning – not to mention a joy to wear! I’m writing my next travel wishlist: *The Swan Lake stage of 1911 – gotta see it for myself.* It's said to be one of the most iconic ballets and dance scenes ever - not just for the storyline but also for those dreamy tutu performances! I mean, imagine how captivating and spellbinding it must have been to watch! You've got to appreciate the creative minds behind these iconic tutu designs – I wonder what inspires those amazing dancers to step out into the spotlights!
In my own fashion line (which is soon to be launched in every shade of pink, naturally!) I like to play around with tutus in my own way: maybe a hint of pink here, a dash of floral embroidery there, a feather plume at the waist! I love mixing the vintage styles and adding a bit of modernity and pizzazz! This is a combination I want to take to my next fashion show; I hope the local community hall is ready to experience my fabulous world of tutus and the perfect dance routine for my opening fashion show!
I’m excited for you all to wear pink! (No need to convince me to do the same!) What are your favourite types of tutus? Do you have a favourite dance performance? Don’t forget to share your favourite tutu pics on our socials, I want to see! It’s Tutu Tuesday, let's all be sparkly and gorgeous!
Until next time, lovelies!
Emma, your Pink Tutu enthusiast from Derbyshire!
P.S. Be sure to look out for a whole host of #TutuTuesday posts in the coming weeks about everything tutus. You’ve got to stay tuned! You won’t want to miss my post about the historical tutu styles that I really need to add to my collection – now that is what I call time-travelling in style!
[Disclaimer: As this story is entirely fictional, there may not be historical references to these very specific facts. Any resemblances are completely coincidental!]
