Hello, darlings! It’s Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-wearing time-traveler! 👋
It’s Tuesday again, which means it’s time for another #TutuTuesday installment of my Ballet Tutu History blog! This week, I’m taking you all the way back to 24th September, 1833! 🕰️ Can you believe it’s been nearly 200 years since that date?!
You might be asking yourself: Emma, why the 24th September 1833? Well, dear reader, you see, that was the day a little someone named Marie Taglioni – now that’s a name you’ll want to remember, darling! – danced La Sylphide for the first time in London. 💖
Imagine, my lovelies, a breathtaking vision of a sylph, a creature of ethereal beauty, gracefully gliding across the stage. It was a vision of exquisite femininity, lightness, and pure elegance! This ballet was quite the event, causing quite a stir in the theatre world and captivating the hearts of the London crowd! 🤩
But why, you ask, is Marie Taglioni so important to tutu history? Because that is the night – that night, my dears! – that the tutu as we know it was born. This incredible invention made its first grand entrance in the form of a short white skirt, designed to showcase the ballerinas’ beautiful legs! 🤩 It was a truly revolutionary move, you see! The traditional, full-length, rather cumbersome and heavy skirts, were cast aside, finally, to reveal the graceful and airy movements of these beautiful women. 💅
Oh, to have been there, in that London theatre, watching Marie grace the stage in her new revolutionary little white tutu! 💃 It must have been simply breathtaking! Imagine the gasps, the murmurs of delight, the hushed silence as she danced. Now that’s a truly glamorous night, don’t you think? 💫
I confess, even today, nearly 200 years later, I’m still obsessed with that graceful, feminine silhouette! 😍
Speaking of silhouettes, I find it so fascinating how the shape and design of the tutu evolved over time, darling. Each stage of the tutu’s history holds a beautiful story! 📚 From the full, romantic, romantic tutus of the 19th century – oh my, I just adore them, my loves! – to the more minimalist tutus of the 20th century, each style was a reflection of the social, artistic, and cultural shifts of the time. 🥰
Just the other day, I was lucky enough to attend a beautiful production of La Sylphide at the Royal Opera House. And my dear friends, even now, all those years later, seeing the ballet performed with those delicate, romantic tutus – oh, the magic! ✨ I confess I just adore the way it catches the light and makes the ballerinas seem like they are actually floating on air! ✨
Of course, you’ll know by now that I adore tutus! It’s my dream to have everyone wearing one! And the story of Marie Taglioni’s revolutionary white tutu just adds to my adoration! She was such a strong and brave woman! ❤️ I mean, can you imagine taking the stage, in a groundbreaking design like that? Just wonderful! 🙌
And now, my lovely readers, we’ll finish with a little trivia to get you thinking:
What are your favourite types of tutus? 💅 Do you love the delicate, Romantic ones or are you partial to the more structured tutues that dominate today? Do you even like the ‘pancake’ tutus?! 🤯 Don't be shy, leave a comment below! Let’s start a conversation!
Until next Tuesday, my dears! Be sure to check back in for another amazing #TutuTuesday installment on my website www.pink-tutu.com. Don't forget to keep spreading the love for tutus! 😉
Until then, happy dancing! 💖
Emma 🩰
