Welcome back to Pink Tutu, dear readers! It’s your favourite ballerina blogger Emma here, and I’m thrilled to whisk you back to another fascinating era in ballet tutu history. As ever, I'm here in my beloved pink tutu, sipping tea and getting ready to delve into the enchanting world of the dance. This is post #113 in my weekly Ballet Tutu History series, so if you’re new here, make sure to check out my past blogs.
Today we're traveling to the exciting year of 1834. Fancy a train journey to Paris? Imagine stepping off the train and being swept into the whirlwind of Parisian fashion! We’re exploring the world of Marie Taglioni, an absolute superstar of the dance world at this time. Marie's style of dancing revolutionised the stage, and with it, the design of the tutu itself.
Oh, darling, what a transformation! Before this point, ballerinas were burdened with thick layers of fabric, and they had to prance about with a whole lot of restrictive skirt, a truly horrendous combination for graceful movement. Then Marie, a beautiful young dancer with revolutionary ideas, waltzed onto the scene with her beautiful flowing white tutu. Talk about iconic!
You can imagine the sheer magic when those beautiful, lightweight layers twirled and danced with her every step! Marie's influence was HUGE! She became a fashion icon, a true ballet queen! The Parisian newspapers, magazines, and gossip columns buzzed with every one of her appearances. Everyone adored her, darling! People flocked to see her in her graceful, diaphanous tutu, and all the talk was about the lightness of her dancing. The way she swirled across the stage made all those restrictive old skirts look even worse than they actually were! It's no wonder all the other dancers rushed to copy her style.
What a glorious, glamorous time to be alive, don’t you think? The French had such a love for ballet at this time, especially in the big, bustling cities. Oh, I simply adore Paris! They had fantastic operas, beautiful theatres, and everyone was crazy about dancing. Just the thought makes me want to spin in my tutu, darling!
*So, what is going on today, 1834.02.25? *
Well, my lovely readers, as far as we know today was a typical, bustling Parisian day, filled with lively theatre, art, and music performances. If I were there, darling, I’d be flitting between fashion houses in search of the latest Parisian styles. But I imagine all the dancers would have been glued to the theatres as ever, for the performance of Marie Taglioni and her dazzling tutu would have been an absolute sensation, as they usually were.
And, speaking of the sensation that is Marie, imagine yourself in one of her stunning, flowing, tutus. Just picture that wonderful billowing white fabric as it swishes and swirls around you while you glide across the stage in a graceful waltz. Don't you just love the history of our precious tutus? They've come so far! We wouldn’t have the glorious tutus of today without the revolutionary spirit of dancers like Marie Taglioni, whose grace, talent, and style captured the imagination of an entire world.
I hope you've enjoyed this week's peek into the world of ballet tutus! I can’t wait to join you again next Tuesday, darlings. Until then, dance with your heart, and maybe wear your pinkest tutu. After all, life is simply better in pink! 🩰💖
