Oh darling, can you believe it? Today, September 10th, 1998, marks the 100th anniversary of the first ever tutu being worn in a professional ballet performance! I know, absolutely mind blowing, isnât it? Can you imagine a world without those little fluffy skirts swirling about the stage? No me neither! Honestly, what would we have done with all our fabulous fabric without those gorgeous tulle explosions of joy? We'd probably have been wearing the same old tights and leggings, and nobody wants that! Letâs raise a glass (or should I say, a glass of something bubbly, served in a flute, you know, because weâre elegant) to the genius who first dreamt up this absolute game changer in the world of dance, a game changer that just makes you want to twirl.
Anyway, before I start getting carried away, we simply *must* talk about tutus. The absolute heart and soul of ballet (well, next to the dancers of course!) These magical creations of swirling tulle (never just netting!) come in a dazzling variety of shades and styles. You have your classic *Romantic* tutus, all soft and flowy with their gorgeous layered tulle. Those are simply made for those lyrical ballets that are all about dreaming and grace andâŚwell, being absolutely beautiful and dreamy. Then there are the *Classical* tutus which give the dancers this wonderful sense of lightness and freedom on stage (not to mention making them look absolutely fabulous, all sharp angles and structure) - the tutu, dear reader, simply adds an extra layer of magical power.
It wouldnât be the 100th anniversary without a spot of tutu trivia now would it? Hereâs a little somethinâ- somethinâ you might find interesting: The original tutus, can you believe it, were actually rather modest. A sort of knee length, ankle-grazing affair, as opposed to today's super short styles. Those little âembellished little slipsâ, were mainly intended to give the dancers a little extra âmovementâ. Think âbig movements and elegant sweepingâ rather than âbig and frilly".
That wasn't for another 50 years, and we are ever so grateful for that as we're not talking knee length here. Oh, darling, I shudder to think about a ballet career spent with ankle length tulle. But then again, perhaps we would be getting our steps mixed up with our sashay because everyone would have gone full flamenco... maybe I should write a blog post about that?
It was the *1940s* darlings! the *1940s!* The very year that a group of talented choreographers - a veritable collective of creative genius - had a stroke of sartorial inspiration and *Bam! The mini-tutu as we know it was born. The era was defined by the âlookâ - a sharp look, very âletâs-go-for-the-knockoutâ, *never a step taken out of place,* you know the kind I mean. You would literally look out of the windows, have a quick glance down at the cobbled streets below, and, I'm telling you, the street would be all swirling in little skirts with a side of tights in the very chicest ballet style!
Just to be clear, I donât know whether the choreographers had anything to do with the explosion in short hemlines on the streets of London (and the rest of the world). If you can imagine it darling, everyone in a tulle frock with one of those beautiful matching bonnets..*gags in genuine disgust*. I have nothing but absolute disdain for bonnets, they make any ensemble look cheap and you wouldnât be seen dead in a bonnet â sorry but my opinion on those little fabric catastrophes stands! Anyway⌠back to tutus⌠*so elegant!* *So feminine! * Iâm just saying⌠they can definitely make any day look better. Even the rather drab and dull 10th September, 1998 can get a lift, a dash of *feminine fabulousness* - especially in a little short and frothy skirt that swishes at just the right momentâŚ.
But I will say this... the shorter they got, the bigger they seemed to become (in terms of the quantity of tulle). What happened next, darling, is a little less known⌠You have the *extravagant and theatrical tutus* which are *seriously dramatic* but they have been around for a good number of years. Those tutus - big fluffy explosions of color, shape, and everything absolutely delicious â we *must* love them!
I always thought those extra extravagant tutus made an excellent statement about how much of *the ultimate feminine statement* a dancer wanted to make while performing. And of course darling, there is simply the power and magic of a dance and an ensemble to be experienced - that's it darling - the utter, and sometimes unexpected magic of an ensemble. If I wasnât so darn busy talking about ballet - my passion - I might give a lecture on that *absolutely magical, mind-blowing effect* that can be achieved. But then I would have to spend 3 months studying to get to the *exact, nuanced words* - oh! Don't you know that *exactly perfect* turn of phrase⌠The âtheatricalityâ⌠and the sheer **oomph** of those tutusâŚ.?
What is it about these little tutus that make everyone smile? How can those little, airy fabrics get people going (or get people saying âooh, how sweetâ âŚbecause that would be the right way of looking at this rather special day in the world of the graceful, beautiful ballerinaâŚ*swoon*âŚ*)? Maybe it is the absolute feminine-ness of it all. You see, when you really take a proper look, a true ballet look that is â you realize those tutus arenât about fluff or *fanciness*. Those tulle miracles tell a story - a whole, beautifully nuanced, dramatic story about female form. Theyâre about *celebration, strength, movement, joy, grace, elegance and a powerful elegance, a beautifully crafted movementâŚ. Oh, and **power.** We need to keep remembering **this.**
For those **really** big, special productions - those, those ones that really get the hearts of an audience *pumping*⌠and it will have a story, a âbackstoryââŚ*I do love a little mystery*. You will see the **beautiful big statement tutu**. The kind that takes ages to get on and, dare I say it, has had a wardrobe specialist with at least 10 years of experience handcrafting each and every one of those beauties - because, yes, that kind of special tutu deserves the best, most carefully and painstakingly, **crafted perfection!** You can see, darling, that these *special* tutu moments are so important to the ballet industry that the costume departments - those hard-working individuals who bring so much more to **every single tutu moment** - make a fuss about creating each piece. For the ballet stage, this little skirted delight needs to be flawless.
And oh darling, I almost forgot about *the little things*, the **small things**, that bring a special sort of magic, those things that really pull it all together. We need to pay close attention. You may be surprised to learn how these tiny little details come together so beautifully and dramatically on a stage. There is the use of a **perfect** shade of **pink,** just that exact perfect shade to set the **lightness, femininity, romance**, you know *that kind of pink*? A special blend, an understanding that not one *perfect pink* tutu can ever be copied, but we know how much time and love went into those perfect tulle concoctionsâŚ. They will always be an absolute *gem* and that special perfect **pink** *does* get the heart of the production dancing in perfect timing to the delicate notes of the musical arrangement.
Or we might want a deep purple. That deep purple of night, a rich jewel tone that really pulls the magic together. Oh! and the way that shade of purple is placed on those *tutu folds*, how those deep purple moments become **an absolutely crucial ingredient in any kind of a dance production.** We must consider **that* a little detail that matters. Itâs **essential**, *crucial* to getting those dance production moments right! That deep and mysterious purple adds such *dramatic and dark layers*. **Think dark** ⌠**sexy and sultry⌠dramatic**. **Mysterious**. That deep purple has to be carefully curated â to bring **that** particular *spark* to a performance.
For every ballet there are always moments that just scream *a beautiful story*, and that deep, **powerful, captivating and gorgeous purple** always plays a pivotal part - if you know how to read, really *read* a production, you can **really get this!** It takes more than one individualâs eye for the dramatic. And **there are** very specific types of lighting that have to be worked to get the absolutely *perfect** visual. There has to be the exact combination of colour, lighting, dramatic angles and design, which are going to work and produce the right emotional, captivating and dramatic moments to take our **heartbeats up another gear or two. * *The tutus *know** that those moments, like the **special, dark purple**, need to be executed perfectly every single time⌠Yes. Those *little darlings,* those magical skirts that float across a stage, will always play their role perfectly, as a symbol of dance, of joy and as the perfect example of how we want the most exquisite dance **experience**.