Hello lovelies! It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu enthusiast, back with another instalment of your favourite Tuesday tradition: #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History! Grab your fanciest frocks, a spot of tea, and get ready for a trip down memory lane! 🕰️
This week, we're jetting back to the 20th of March, 1832! Imagine – a time of horse-drawn carriages, gaslights flickering in the streets, and a world about to be completely transformed by a tiny, delicate dance garment… the tutu!
This time travel is all thanks to a little help from the magical world of ballet. I’ve been earning my travel budget with some rather spectacular performances - last week I even twirled through a performance at the Paris Opera! I do love my little trip down the tracks on the train to a big city. But what is better than the theatre?! I always make sure to shop at all the best places - London, Paris and the grand city of New York are some of my favourite places for some fabulous frock hunting. 😉
This time though, our travels are not to a glitzy capital city, but to the wonderful world of La Sylphide, the ballet that caused a flurry of excitement in the ballet world!
La Sylphide, or the Dancing Whimsy!
For a little peek into 1832, picture this: you’re stepping into a Parisian theatre, anticipation tingling in the air, waiting for La Sylphide. It’s the hottest ticket in town, everyone is talking about it, and guess what? It features tutus!
Now, it might not look exactly like the fluffy, pouffy tutus we love today, but it's the first instance of a truly, completely new garment for ballet. Imagine the gasp in the theatre when the delicate, diaphanous layers of silk fluttered around a dancer, swirling and catching the stage lights – that’s the beauty of the ballet tutu in its earliest form.
Think flowing lines, wisps of silk, barely there fabric… the Sylphide herself was a ethereal creature, the spirit of the air, and the dress needed to embody that lightness and fragility. The dancers wearing these ethereal garments became the prima ballerinas – the first ladies of ballet! What a momentous occasion! I'd be glued to the front row in a heartbeat, admiring every twirl.
The original Sylphide tutu was about the opposite of what you would imagine – a few delicate, shimmering layers, quite practical and airy, and oh-so-stylish for its time. No heavy fabrics, just ethereal elegance to make the dancer fly across the stage like a dream! 💫
It’s a little known fact, but the ballet’s creation is full of interesting facts. Imagine, the music and the dance were actually created before the actual ballet – I find that utterly captivating! It’s a story full of imagination and ambition. It certainly is one of the moments that has shaped ballet, not only for its dances and music but for its stunning visual aspect, introducing the iconic tutus!
And for you fashionistas – the beautiful costume design was actually based on a previous, less glamorous fashion style - the Greek tunic. Now, can you imagine a more graceful and elegant look? Think long, billowing fabrics – the ideal look for capturing the beauty of motion and grace. I am simply obsessed with historical fashion – the fabrics, the styles, everything! They don't make them like they used to, they are truly beautiful.
Pink, Of Course!
Even in its very first days, I find tutus to be an embodiment of pure pink-ness! The airy silk used to make these tutus was often delicate and flowing – making a ballet look elegant and light - much like a feather dancing in the breeze, but with an added sprinkle of magical pink! ✨
You may not have realised, the history of tutus is tied so tightly to the history of fashion! It shows us that how we see ourselves and how we choose to dress are deeply connected to dance, drama, art – and everything that sparks the human imagination.
Don’t you love how the tutu is more than just a dress? It is the ultimate tool for conveying stories, emotions and beauty! Just one tiny, twirling piece of fabric and it's enough to give us an entirely new and imaginative view of dance and fashion.
I think it's safe to say the tutu revolution wasn’t an overnight success. Even in its first stages, the tutu was met with gasps of admiration, scrutiny, curiosity… and envy, of course, which is understandable when you are the most glamorous garment in the room. After all, who wouldn't be the least bit envious of a perfectly styled ballet tutu? 😉
*And for You! *
This #TutuTuesday has brought me to a revelation! Let's celebrate all things tutu-tiful - I'm talking about every style, from the simple sylphide style to the grand tutus you see in classic ballets - I want to see all of your tutu ideas!
What are your favourite tutu moments from your ballet shows, operas, and stage productions?
Share your TutuTales with me - you never know, you might just inspire my next time travel trip! And if you haven’t already, do head over to www.pink-tutu.com – it’s bursting with inspiration for tutus in every colour, shape and style.
And always remember, the world is your stage - be bold, be beautiful, and always be your pink-tutu self. 🌸
Until next week, darlings, twirl on! 🩰
