Hey darlings! 👋 Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, reporting live from... drumroll please... Planet Earth! Yep, that's right, this week I'm taking a break from exploring the cosmos and indulging in a bit of terrestrial delight. 🌎
But why, Emma, why?! I hear you cry. Well, you see, my lovely pink tutu-wearing friends, this week I have a very important engagement back on my home planet. A ballet engagement, of course! Can you imagine a Wednesday without a ballet performance? Absolutely unthinkable, darling! 💖
And what better excuse to finally unveil this fabulously flamboyant fuchsia creation than at a night of swirling silks and twirling tulle? Yep, this week's show is Strictly Come Dancing Live, the über-fabulous stage production of the Strictly Come Dancing television show, featuring your favourite dancers and their glittery costumes. It's going to be absolutely fabulous! 🎉
But let's rewind a little, shall we? This week's Pink Tutu World adventure began with me in my usual sparkly abode on a decidedly non-sparkly Tuesday morning. Now, anyone who knows me knows I adore a bit of retail therapy, and my pre-Strictly excitement was certainly sending my sartorial senses into a tizzy. 👠
My shopping escapade began at my favourite boutique in the Derbyshire Dales. This is where I find the most fabulous tutus. Yes, tutus on Planet Earth do exist, but you do have to dig a bit deeper to find them - just like uncovering an ancient treasure! My secret weapon is a little, independent, artisan tutu boutique just around the corner from where I grew up. It’s not as easy as popping onto Space Amazon (which is admittedly my usual modus operandi) but they really are something special, like beautiful fairies sewing their magic into every seam. 💫
This time, my loot was dazzling: a lavender tulle with sequin embellishment (because sparkle never sleeps) and a feather boa - because feathers always make an entrance! ✨ Then, back to the homestead to get my ballet chic ready! 💃
Of course, this was not the only essential item on the to-do list for my Strictly Come Dancing date. Let’s be real: any ballerina needs her essentials:
- Hair Spray: You must have the perfect bun for any performance!
- Fake Lashes: Extra lash power for extra sparkle on stage! ✨
- Sparkly Lips: My go-to pink lipstick to complement any tutu (the one I call "Tutu Love") 💖
- Pink Tutu (obviously!): Because, well, how can I possibly leave the house without it? 😉
Wednesday morning rolled in and I found myself sitting on the train to London. And by myself, I mean in full ballerina regalia. I love watching the passengers stare at me. Just wait until you see my outfit, they think to themselves... and that is just what I like to think! 🤣
In fact, I just LOVE seeing people’s reactions to my tutus. Some look confused, some look bewildered, and some actually look thrilled! The people on Planet Earth are surprisingly open-minded about this very specific sartorial choice of mine. Who would have thought, huh? 😉
London. Oh, how I love the city! 🗼 The energy of the capital was buzzing and it certainly wasn’t taking any of its usual glamour and sophistication away from the theatre for my ballet show that night! ✨
As I walked through Covent Garden, the air hummed with excitement, anticipation... and my own private bubble of sparkly pink-ness. I just can’t resist picking up a couple of new pink treasures from one of my favourite shops, The Vintage Emporium. I snagged a delightful vintage scarf (pink, obviously) and an old copy of the ballet classic “Swan Lake”... for research, you know! 😏
My final stop was for the essential coffee and croissant. Nothing screams “ballerina sophistication” quite like a delicate pastry. Especially after all that tutu-shopping. 💖
At the theatre, the crowd were ready for an incredible evening of entertainment and I had my camera primed and ready! You see, on Pink Tutu World it’s all about the visuals! So, naturally, I was going to document it all, for my lovely readers... but don't worry, darling, no spoilers!
One thing you have to understand about Planet Earth is that their art, while quite charming, is much more simplistic. While there is quite a strong connection to ballet in their historical artwork, the fashion seems to be lacking. Think big skirts, corsets, and what seems to be an over-emphasis on velvet and dark shades. Oh, the things I have learned about fashion through fashion! 🤣
However, what really takes the biscuit is the way the locals treat the shows! You see, on other planets, ballet is a way of life! But here? It’s almost... hidden. They have these “parties” with music and dancing in public spaces. I know these could be ballet parties, but something just seems off... They could make things so much more fabulous! But oh well, such is Planet Earth... 🌎
Anyways, let's talk about me. And no, not my glamorous tutu ensemble, darling (although you know that’s my absolute favourite topic!). Today, we’re discussing the story of the ballerina’s tutu. A bit of history from Planet Earth’s ballet archives...
The tutu is quite an iconic item, isn't it? The simple fabric that creates the epitome of ballerina elegance and grace, a symbol of poise and strength. It's truly one of those items of fashion that crosses all cultural boundaries - even into the vast expanses of our galaxy!
The early ballet world (remember, it wasn't even real ballet for quite some time!), they dressed women in what you'd probably recognise as “fancy dresses”: a simple, soft undergarment and some floor-length skirts. Very Victorian. They did the first few steps in the Victorian period! Not the kind of fabric or form you think of when you say ‘tutu’!
But in 1832 - wow! A major event in the story of the tutu! In those days, dancers like Marie Taglioni (you know her? she's amazing!), they needed a more graceful look. This is when we started getting the shape we know today - a tiny little tutu to show the body’s every movement, with a super fluffy layer on the top. And bam! They were free, light and graceful! Imagine trying to dance in a floor-length frock - you’d never get off the ground! 😄
Later, with new ballerinas in the Victorian era, they really loved to use tulle as a new material. (This has been one of the longest-used ballet fabrics! No surprise to my fellow tulle-lovers!). It was light and silky... the real beginning of what we consider tutu history! The tutus just started to become shorter and shorter with each dancer who embraced it... The shorter they were, the more freedom in movement. (Just like the ballerinas in our Pink Tutu World, yes?).
However, tutus had a strange journey! It's so interesting - ballet changed drastically over the years - so ballet fashion changed to follow the movements, the themes, and the storylines of the different types of dances. So, you've got lots of designs - and this, my lovelies, is where the tutu’s evolution takes a fun turn! 💃
There are a ton of different styles and lots of these have appeared and reappeared over the decades:
1. The Romantic Tutu – Oh this one's very classical! (And probably the prettiest too!) This style has a long, airy bodice - almost like a corset - then it flows outwards to four or five fluffy layers of tulle, like a giant, feathered fairy's wings. And it must have a little fluffy skirt at the bottom!
2. The “Classic” Tutu – Think snow! Because the “classic” is a white, cone-shaped (like a big ballerina cone!) tutu with only two to three layers of tulle at the bottom. You know, just for the pure glamour! You won’t see too much of these at the theatre nowadays, though, they were a style from back in the early 20th century! But, I'm always happy to bring them back! 😉
3. The Other “Classic” Tutu – That one's a real winner! It’s very popular, with a bodice with straps, like the straps of a swimsuit. It just hugs the ballerina's body - oh so classy!
4. The Party Tutu – Well, they called it this because it does have a skirt that really flounces when you spin, like a big round ball! (Just like a real ballerina ball of twirls!) 💃 I love the fluffy tutus.
5. The Contemporary Tutu – No surprises here: this follows contemporary styles. So, imagine long skirts that go all the way down and lots of “free movement.” Not just the same tight skirts with only tulle. They also go beyond white - they come in all colours of the rainbow. You can actually use different materials and they’re not just about “lightness” like all the others. These ballerinas use the tutu to create their story, not just to twirl with it!
6. And for the Pink Tutu World fans, of course, we have... The Pink Tutu. Oh, and I've worn a *Tutu for *everything,* darling. 🩰 It’s always my number one, my go-to! 😉
However, it's more than just tutus, darlings. It’s about the dance itself! About the passion and expression of every move. Just like you can learn a whole lot from fashion history, the same is true for dance history! ✨
When I first set out on this incredible, pink tutu journey across the universe, my one big aim was to share this passion with every soul in the cosmos. Because what could be more beautiful, more expressive, more magical than dancing your heart out in a fabulously flamboyant pink tutu?! 💖
And as I sit here, just before the curtain goes up at the theatre in London, it hits me: there's still so much more to see, to experience, to learn. And that's what keeps me coming back, keeps my pink tutu whirling, keeps me excited about each new Pink Tutu World post.
The journey may be long, but oh, how delightful the journey is!
Oh! I hear the first notes of the orchestra and I need to go find a pink drink for this absolutely fabulous evening. 💖
Don’t forget to come back next week for a little galactic tidbit of my most recent travels! 💕
Sending tutu love across the cosmos,
Emma. ✨
