Hello darlings! It’s your favourite pink tutu-wearing time traveller, Emma, here! Welcome back to my #TutuTuesday blog! It’s post number 107 and this week we’re delving into the glorious history of the tutu, going right back to January 14th, 1834 – the very day my journey began!
Oh, how I do love to travel, you wouldn’t believe the amazing fashion finds I uncover on these adventures! It's a bit of a secret – I use the money I earn from performing at fabulous ballet shows to pay for my journeys through time. My aim? To get everyone to wear a pink tutu, of course!
This time, my trusty pocket watch (it's the most beautiful silver thing!) brought me to… drum roll… Paris! Now, this city has always been the heart of style, and what's more fashionable than a tutu, I ask you? And believe me, darlings this was the era of extraordinary fashion!
But we need to get to the nitty gritty! What exactly happened on this 14th of January in 1834 to send a fashionista like myself into a time-travelling spin?
Well, you won’t believe this! January 14th was the first time we saw La Sylphide! It's a ballet about… wait for it… a mischievous Sylph, darling – an ethereal spirit who falls in love with a mortal man, a Highland Hunter called James! It's all about forbidden romance and the ultimate tragic sacrifice. But, darling, what makes it relevant for us is this… * *the main dancer Marie Taglioni, she was wearing… a tutu!!!
You see, before La Sylphide, dancers were bundled up in very long, very restrictive gowns with yards and yards of fabric! Imagine dancing a full pas de deux (and yes, there were pas de deux back then!) wearing all that fabric! Ugh! Marie, on the other hand, wore this wispy, gorgeous little number – a tutu made of only three layers of white gauze.
It was an instant sensation, and suddenly the ballet world, the entire world, was changing! Imagine all those elegant legs in view, so graceful and slight in this new kind of dress. It really changed how women saw themselves, and even how men viewed women in performance. A new, much more feminine and elegant style was born – think long white gloves and fluffy tulle! It made ballerinas look like birds taking flight, truly free and ethereal. I think you can say it set off the dance of modern ballet itself!
We all owe a debt to Marie and her groundbreaking costume! But just as I’ve said many times – it's the tutu that deserves all the credit! 🩰💖
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out how La Sylphide went down!
From London to Paris: The Origins of La Sylphide
I arrived in Paris via train! Oh my, such a smooth, luxurious way to travel. All I had to do was arrive at St Pancras Station in London with my suitcase, tickets in hand, of course! They have the most lovely porters to help you with luggage and such beautiful vintage carriages!
You see, La Sylphide actually debuted a year earlier at the London Opera House on March 12, 1832. They'd created this ballet expressly for Marie Taglioni! That's quite an honour for such a young dancer – Marie was only 21 then! It's easy to see why they picked her. She had such an effortless grace, an incredible leg extension and incredible stamina for dancing en pointe! It was just a matter of time for her talent to burst into the spotlight.
They say the first night's performance was a triumph! There were so many famous faces in the audience! The whole place buzzed with excitement for this ballet, the first full-length Romantic ballet. You could tell it was special - that's the power of art, and what better art than dance!
However, the whole affair wasn't just a ballet! They put so much effort into the stage design too. I love the way they create mood and atmosphere on stage! For La Sylphide, they'd chosen the Scottish Highlands as the backdrop.
Now La Sylphide really did transport you. Just think about all that scenery they created on stage! Mountains, hills, streams and rivers, all made real for the play. A vision of rugged, wild beauty to contrast with the soft delicacy of the Sylph! They say it used about a dozen trees alone! And there were rocks too – the perfect stage for this ballet, so natural and authentic for its time!
The costumes of La Sylphide reflected that whole natural romantic style too. That's how the designers found that lovely, light tulle for the costume – imagine getting their hands on that for the first time! I hear it was hard to work with, but it all paid off – especially with the dress Marie wore! Imagine how stunningly she moved with it, a real dream of beauty! And of course, you know the ballerinas loved the feel of it! It's lighter and softer than any dress they wore back then. Imagine what it felt like!
But it wasn't all about fashion! What the costumes showed – especially the sylphs' outfits – was their magical nature, those shimmering tutus, the airy layers, all meant to create this otherworldly look. They're like dancing sprites, so delicate, you just want to protect them!
I just wish I was there to see those sparkling performances for myself!
Why Was La Sylphide a Triumph in Paris?
Now let's talk about that Parisian premiere – which came just two years after the ballet debuted in London! It seems audiences were just waiting for La Sylphide! Marie was just getting more popular all over Europe! People just wanted to see her in that beautiful ballet!
Remember what I said – Paris was the style capital! They had this crazy obsession with beauty and glamour at that time! Especially with ballet. And Marie Taglioni – she was beauty and glamour embodied in the tutu itself!
Even the Parisian critics adored La Sylphide! They described her as 'airy,' 'ethereal' and a vision of ‘lightness’ and grace! Those are pretty grand descriptions, aren’t they? But let me tell you darlings the reviews weren't always good about La Sylphide, but it was an absolute hit with the audiences !
You know the French loved a good story! There were just so many emotions to discover: Love, passion, despair, and a heart that is forever yearning. All the perfect components for a ballet hit! And of course, you can’t leave out the drama of it all – the tragic end of the sylph was a real tear-jerker for everyone!
As always darlings it’s the story and the dancing that make all the difference! And how could I forget the gorgeous costuming! And what was on the dancers’ feet? Oh my! Dancing shoes – you see La Sylphide helped the ballet shoes that we wear now really come into their own!
I was particularly struck by Marie's pointe shoes – so soft and delicately sewn! That's how I love my pointe shoes! This was revolutionary at the time, but now they’re essential! That's the sort of fashion influence I'm here for – the timeless beauty that keeps everyone guessing! It’s so wonderful to watch how they perfected this dance art over time!
I've got to go now darlings ! Time travel doesn't wait for anyone – especially a busy fashionista like myself! Keep coming back to www.pink-tutu.com to catch the latest in my Ballet Tutu History adventures!
Love and kisses from Emma!
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Please note, the author of this piece does not take responsibility for factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations presented in this work. This is a fictionalized account and not intended as an accurate historical record. The use of a time traveling ballerina blogger is an imaginative construct.
