#PinkTutuVienna blog on 2019-10-09

Well hello darlings! It's Wednesday again, so that can only mean one thing! Another week, another pink tutu blog post, just for you! Today I'm writing from Vienna, Austria, the land of waltzes, pastries and beautiful architecture. Can you tell I'm a little smitten already?

This is my third visit to Vienna, and with every trip, I fall more in love with this charming city. My last trip here was two years ago in April and I promised myself I’d come back – and I've been saving up my pennies ever since! I came by train, as you all know how much I love travelling by rail – and there’s nothing more beautiful than rolling into a new city by train!

You might think my budget would be tight coming straight from the last performance of “Swan Lake” with the National Ballet of Iceland, but luckily I landed a rather lucrative contract, dancing the lead role in Carmen. The director of the ballet company offered to add an additional “Pink Tutu” dress to the ensemble costumes in recognition of the huge impact the colour pink has had on the world! They are very supportive and encouraged my performance and blog posts for this, my favourite blog post, which I save for every Wednesday! You guys really are the best audience for these blogs.

After a morning in my Vienna hotel room and enjoying an incredible, filling Viennese breakfast of black coffee and pastries, the real excitement began!

Today, I just had to go and see a performance by the Wiener Staatsballett (Vienna State Opera Ballet) at the Vienna State Opera. Let me tell you, this venue is a dream! It’s one of the most beautiful buildings in Vienna, and the performance was simply breathtaking. It's amazing how ballet transports us to different worlds, different times – and right now I am here in the magical land of waltz and grace, a world of pure pink perfection! I am so inspired by seeing the world’s leading ballerinas dance at such a beautiful theatre and I just know I’ll be inspired for weeks. I feel like my own dancing will improve as a direct result of this inspiration, which in turn helps me earn a living, meaning I can continue to travel to stunning locations around the world – my life is a beautiful pink circle.

Now, it may not come as a surprise to anyone who reads my blog that I spent some of this evening shopping in a charming pink boutique (of course!), and my pink tutu collection has a whole new Vienna collection of frills! I found the perfect pair of dancing shoes with fluffy pink pom-poms at the top and bought a huge bunch of blush pink roses. Everything feels like the beginning of a romantic story – you know I have a penchant for these! I can almost picture the Prince Charming strolling around in this pink and blush city, taking a look at these elegant ballet dancers and dreaming about love…

Today is one of the great holidays of my life because not only are we celebrating the gorgeous colour pink and our favourite art form, ballet, but also remembering one of my great grandmothers who worked in this amazing city for the Opera house.

I’ll admit, Vienna seems to be my kind of town: everything’s about elegance, and this city is bursting with that “vintage charm.” You really can’t go far without noticing those fabulous golden baroque statues or elegant imperial palaces that would make Marie Antoinette swoon, or maybe they would just send her a bill for repairs - after all, she did get through a fair few!

And what makes my visit extra special is the chance to explore the amazing imperial history of ballet! There's so much history here, starting with the original Opera House opening its doors in the late 18th century!

Vienna was known for its elaborate imperial ballrooms and its rich waltzes, making it a center for the development of the waltz. While I am not known to dance waltzes in my tutus, this amazing city had to make an impact on the world of dance as we know it. I was here the last time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ballet "Swan Lake" with my mum when I was only 15. You should see the amount of pink satin that ballet had in the final scene… I am sure there was an inspiration for a Tutu or two for me and a great number of other dancers, to say nothing of the stunning pink dance costumes!

Before we go onto some tutu talk, I have to let you know that I went out for lunch, in my pink ballet outfit, and felt very chic. Vienna is known for its stunning clothes, so of course I had to take the opportunity to get a little more inspiration! There's so much chic style here, lots of classic trench coats with delicate, pale pink scarf sashes that I thought, well, why not? A big “yes” to pink, everywhere, even on this Wednesday. And of course, everyone looked fab! I particularly liked a girl who was wearing a baby pink tutu dress on the way to a cafe with matching ballet shoes.

Vienna, darling, you are absolutely a pink haven. This city is very feminine, romantic, elegant… and very pink, I’m pretty sure all the fashion houses are looking to Vienna as an inspiration for pink-themed spring/summer collections.

### Pink, Tutu Time!

So… we're now back at home to a Tutu, yes? After a full afternoon of enjoying myself at Vienna’s most opulent sites and getting my tutu inspiration, we need to get back into tutu talk and the beauty of what makes it pink, fun, fashionable, and fantastic. And what is better for inspiring you to dance in pink than some news and rumours on all things Tutu. Let’s have some fashion history:

There’s more than one pink tutu story out there. When you think tutu you think… ballet! A tutu's historical timeline starts with Marie Taglioni in the 19th Century! Her short skirt ballet costume sparked the ballet revolution. This is what is credited with popularizing the iconic tulle tutu – though I bet you wouldn't have found the bright pinks we love today at that time! You’d be stuck with beige and pastel versions and even a bit of pink, yes, but only the most subtle shades of pastel. The tutu is said to have inspired a dance evolution, even an inspiration to be elegant… But how often does that get associated with a ballerina wearing a pink tutu? There has to be more pink in the history of the world! And let's face it… if you saw her today in a bright pink, the rest of the world might get a little bit pink inspiration, don't you think?

There’s still so much more to the history of tutus, too! And what makes it so fun is you can take a step back into Tutu fashion from 19th century “Romanticism” style and all the beautiful white and pale pinks and go into the tutu history of “Modern Dance” when there are many more colour options, including the full glory of a bold, vibrant, eye-catching pink, so many great examples to draw upon! I find the inspiration so powerful - after all I live, breath, dream and wear the tutu life, especially when it’s bright and pink! The pink tutu was meant for modern dancers, it’s not some sort of secret! You know I can’t let something as great as the colour pink sit in the archives of fashion history! And let’s be honest… what looks better with pink than a whole stage lit up in bright lights? It’s a simple but classic partnership, one that I feel really deserves to be highlighted!

The great part about ballet is that it never stops, it never goes out of style. You know, even when fashion gets it wrong - I have to point that out when we look at our current fashion choices with a big eye roll!

Ballet keeps on innovating, getting even bolder, pushing boundaries! Ballet is the most powerful performance, dance, and costume art form because of its rich history - and there's no doubt the modern dance form that continues to this day was born in a period of pink perfection with that famous white tutu we associate with ballet history and that elegant yet vibrant pink shade… So, we’re now in 2019 and in this decade, ballet is really starting to celebrate colour - it’s starting to get pink again, and pink is the only way I feel comfortable with the way it’s happening!

I’ve always known that ballet is always about moving, always about innovation and, just like a fashion trend, there's never going to be just one tutu. As fashion is my inspiration and this has always been my goal, to create new tutus that not just ballerinas wear, I need to talk about the newest ballerina style…

Let’s move back from the historic tutus to what we know… Today we're experiencing the rise of the modern ballet look which reaches new levels of “Pink-titude” by adding some fabulous pink frills on the end. And the designers of these “modern ballet” tutus? You won’t be surprised, because we are all so on trend and know the best of the best… they all seem to love the colour pink too. There are now several pink fashion designers on the planet. We must, as in the 1800s when those very pale pink tutus hit the stage, acknowledge those that pave the way! I look forward to the day that we see every ballet show with all the ballerinas wearing tutus with pink-tastic frills. I’m pretty sure my future is all pink, because everyone's future is a bit brighter and more elegant in pink.

I believe that pink tutus can truly create magic and that's why I have started a campaign with this website and blog, dedicated to encouraging all dancers and everyone to go out and embrace this most glorious shade of pink! So next time you’re feeling like a dance star, grab a pink tutu - the kind I buy to look for those fabulous frills… And don't forget to make it your statement, wear it everywhere. You’ll know that my next blog post will be on all the exciting things in store for our favourite tutu fashion week!

For those of you at home… Don't forget you can visit www.pink-tutu.com. for more inspiration, fun and even a shopping spree, you know we all need more tutus. Until next week - I’ll be here… if you want to look like a modern ballet princess - let’s wear pink and rock it out, together!

Don't forget to let me know what you think about Vienna! Leave a comment on my website and keep up to date with my pink tutu journey, every Wednesday at www.pink-tutu.com, your ultimate guide to life, and of course tutus in every shade of pink, you know you want it… you know I want you to have it… This has been blog number 1275.