#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1833-02-12

Bonjour mes chéries!

Emma here, back with another Tutu Tuesday, your weekly dose of all things tutu-licious! Today, we’re jetting back in time, but not to any old dusty period… no no, we're skipping back to February 12th, 1833! Buckle up darlings, it’s gonna be a pinktastic ride.

Now, let’s rewind to 19th century France... Imagine Paris, a city bursting with vibrant energy and captivating charm. We're in the golden age of Romantic Ballet, where grace, emotion, and whimsical stories take center stage. And in this magical setting, the humble tutu, or tutu as the French call it, is just starting to make its grand entrance onto the scene.

So, let’s talk history – history that’s just screaming for a pink tutu makeover! 1833? Think Marie Taglioni, the Prima Ballerina Assoluta – the queen bee of ballet, known for her light, airy, and oh-so-graceful style. Imagine her taking center stage, defying gravity with her ethereal leaps and fluttering jumps... and she’s sporting a rather unconventional garment for the time, a wispy, short skirt reaching just below the knee, freeing her legs and creating a flowing, elegant silhouette that had the audience gasping for breath! Can you imagine, a ballerina not trapped in a bulky, heavy, cumbersome skirt? **Revolutionary!

While Taglioni’s "skirt-of-dreams" might not be quite the tutus we know and love today, it marked a crucial moment in ballet history. That revolutionary skirt, light, airy, and embracing movement, sparked the beginning of the modern tutu era! It's a little like the first pink tutu in a line of ever more exquisite, sparkling, magical pink tutus to come, you know?

*Think about this, darlings: *The tutus we see today are a beautiful evolution – each change building on the one before. It’s like our own wardrobe – we adapt and update our looks, but our foundation – that desire for elegance and grace, the joy of twirling – never really changes, does it?

Back in 1833, this revolution in dance attire was met with controversy, of course! Some called it shocking, a scandalous move. Others saw it as revolutionary, a leap towards liberating expression through dance. Well, don't we just adore a good bit of controversy? That's the joy of being at the cutting edge of fashion, right?

This whole journey brings me to my #PinkTutuTuesday fashion mantra this week: Be bold! Be bright! Be beautiful, but most importantly... be you! Let your tutu speak to your heart, whether it's the sweetest, pinkest tutu possible, or something bold and sparkly. Embrace your inner ballerina!

I'm already dreaming of a grand, romantic 19th century ball… sigh… can’t you just picture it? A haute couture ballgown, shimmering in pearl grey with a tulle overlay, maybe a dainty corsage... and naturally, I’ll be sporting a breathtaking pink tulle tutu, paired with dainty ballet shoes, just in case I get the urge to pirouette, which is highly likely!

Speaking of events, there are so many magical things to experience in this time period! We could catch a theatre performance of “Faust”, a tragic love story that was all the rage in France, and was first published in 1832. How incredible is that!

For a real fashion treat, a shopping trip along the Rue de Rivoli would be on my must-do list! This avenue was bustling with shops, featuring the finest silk scarves, fabrics, hats, and other must-have Parisian items, perfect for putting a unique Parisian stamp on my tutu. I’m just a little bit obsessed with silk scarves and hats!

And of course, no Parisian excursion is complete without a relaxing afternoon by the Seine. Just imagine it: me, wearing my sweetest pink tutu and sipping tea at a Parisian cafe! Talk about a dreamy scene... Oh, how I would love to see this come to life!

But hold your horses! Before I start picturing my dreamy pink tutu escapade, let’s quickly jump back to the world of tutus! In 1833, the tutu was still evolving – no ballerina had ever truly mastered the technique of a true grand jeté! I've been in some crazy historical settings in my travels, and there's nothing quite as amazing as watching the origins of iconic moves take shape.

Well, my dearest readers, that's it for this week! Let me know in the comments what your favourite tutu memories are - any ballet moments that make your heart sing?

Until next Tuesday, keep those tutus twirling, and let your passion for dance inspire you to spread the pink-tutu love!

P.S: I am thinking of getting a real tutu made that captures the spirit of a 19th-century French tutu – a soft, romantic creation. It's going to be stunning! And yes, you will see it featured on my upcoming Pink-tutu.com Instagram posts... stay tuned!

Bisous!

Emma xx