Hello, darlings! It's your favourite tutu-clad time traveller, Emma, here, back for another exciting #TutuTuesday! Buckle up your dancing shoes, grab a cup of tea (or a fancy Parisian coffee), and let's step back in time, right into the world of 1832! This is post number 47 in my ongoing quest to chart the fascinating history of the tutu - that heavenly wisp of fabric that embodies elegance and grace.
Now, let's get this ball rolling... we're in Paris, the capital of style, and I’m positively swooning. Imagine: the grand avenues, the cafes buzzing with artistic life, and, most importantly, the glittering world of the Opéra! Today's date, 1832-11-20, is actually a bit of a humdinger. Why? Well, on this very day, Marie Taglioni - the absolute icon of Romantic Ballet - dazzled Parisian audiences with a new ballet, "La Sylphide." And my dear, the costume - a wispy, ethereal, knee-length tulle skirt! That, my dears, is what revolutionized ballet and is one of the earliest recognized forms of the tutu we know and love today!
(For those of you who might be saying, "Emma, I've never even heard of Taglioni!" she was a complete star! In fact, she's like the Beyoncé of the Romantic Ballet era. Her technique was absolutely breathtaking, and she was worshipped by the entire French public - and not just for her dancing. Her looks were just as important, you see!)
Imagine the gasps from the audience as Marie, light as a feather, moved across the stage, almost touching the sky in her delicate tutu! She's got a bit of magic in her footsteps, that one! The original tutu, worn by the ultimate ballerina, wasn't quite as dramatic and knee-length as the later ones. Imagine something slightly fuller than a traditional long skirt.
Oh, the Fashion, the Glamour!
Before La Sylphide, ballerinas swirled about the stage in rather frumpy, heavily-layered garments, restricting movement and definitely not showing off those fancy footwork tricks. Imagine trying to do a fouetté in layers upon layers of petticoats and a corseted bodice. Honestly, they’d be lucky to make it past the curtain call! But Taglioni changed everything. *And yes, this is where we truly begin to see the genesis of that *amazing silhouette we all recognise, my dears - the quintessential tutu. * It was so shockingly *new at the time! Gone were the restrictive corsets and cumbersome skirts. It was a revolution in dance and in fashion! Think of what that must have felt like!
Can you imagine being there, watching history unfold before your very eyes? It was the start of an evolution, and let's just say, I'm eternally grateful to Marie for getting this whole tutu thing started. My inner-fashionista is bursting just thinking about it! It’s no wonder it was met with absolute wonder. Imagine a full-blown ballerina gown transformed into something so elegant and airy – it’s simply magical. It made such an impact on the world that even regular folk began wearing the tutu style outside of the theatre. We can truly say it sparked a cultural phenomenon!
Now, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the #PinkTutu trend. It wouldn't be a #TutuTuesday without it! Although the original Taglioni tutus were made of white fabric (a nod to the ballet's fairytale-like feel, perhaps!), the pink tutu was not far behind.
Think of the French, with their impeccable sense of style, embracing the graceful simplicity of the tutu and poofing it with soft, romantic pinks, reds, and oranges, which were big in the 1830s. You just know that if you went to an opera, the Parisian women would have swirled around with elegant elegance, their pink tutus almost blending with the blush of the sunset – such a pretty thought!
Just a few quick notes before we move on. Imagine - tutus had their own style evolutions too! I've written about the 1830s, but think about what’s going to happen later! I have some thoughts already, and I bet you’re itching to learn more as well! We are about to enter an exciting new era in tutu design, my darlings! It’s the start of a glorious journey to that super, perfectly shaped tutu we know and love! It's a fascinating journey – just like our #TutuTuesday journey itself.
This Tuesday’s date in 1832 is pretty huge for all the #TutuTuesday lovers! Marie Taglioni and her revolutionary La Sylphide put the whole dance world onto a new path with her graceful moves and revolutionary outfit! It started a wave that changed everything, so let's take our cue from La Sylphide and twirl through life, full of elegance, grace, and of course, pink tutus.
Stay tuned for next week, when I'm digging into another piece of ballet tutu history and my #PinkTutu travels! Be sure to pop on over to my website www.pink-tutu.com, and don't forget to show off your own love of tutus with the hashtag #TutuTuesday on social media!
Until next week, my dearest darlings! 💖
Your very own pink tutu time traveler,
Emma x
