Welcome back, darlings! It's me, Emma, your resident tutu enthusiast, ready to whisk you away on a whirlwind tour through time! Today, we're stepping into the enchanting world of ballet, where grace and elegance reign supreme, but also a world in its very early stage of developing. Oh, the stories the tutus could tell...
As you know, I'm absolutely delighted to be sharing these amazing stories with you. If you're new to Pink-Tutu.com, let me welcome you! I'm on a mission to spread the love of tutus, and to show everyone how utterly fabulous they are! From historical context to the latest styles, we'll explore it all. We've already travelled across centuries, and today we are heading back, back, back to a magical day in history...
Today is the 15th September 1835. A lovely day for a trip to the opera house! A long journey in a lovely old train and then a gorgeous evening out watching the best of what dance has to offer, with so many incredible gowns and gentlemen's tails, just splendid!
The Dawn of The Tutu, Or, Was It The Skirt?Now, darlings, let's rewind the clock. Today, we're exploring the very origins of ballet and, more importantly, the origins of the tutu. As every fashionista knows, the tutu didn't just appear overnight, there was a long process of evolution.
Back in 1835, if you stepped into an opera house, you would be more likely to see dancers in full-length skirts. They were lavishly adorned, of course - velvet, silk, shimmering with intricate patterns - the ladies looked absolutely lovely in them, although a little less movement friendly for pirouettes. Imagine dancing en pointe while twirling a vast length of velvet? Never! It's actually quite a surprising thing to consider how, in the past, dancing was really so much about a performance for the audience and very much not the kind of gymnastic, physical feats we see today, with athletic movement really becoming an art form in its own right! It's only in recent centuries, that dancing, has been about what the body can do as well. Before this, it was mostly about elegance, fashion, and what people found aesthetically pleasing.
So, while tutus wouldn't appear for a few more decades (though the first "tutu" styles began appearing from around 1820 in France - short white dresses with puffy and tiered skirts, which made an impact with their light and delicate effect), they are an integral part of ballet, helping us to fully see the body's beauty in movement, which is utterly delightful. I love watching the way dancers use their muscles, their leaps and extensions - there is nothing quite like it, and a ballerina's costume is absolutely perfect to capture and accentuate it! It would have been rather tricky to really see a dancer's movements through a heavy velvet dress, it's true.
It's all very interesting, the changes in ballet history, don't you think? It is a process of evolution just like fashion itself - new ways of presenting beauty.
To give you a sense of that world, back in 1835, on 15th September it was all very exciting. A very important ballet dancer named Carlotta Grisi appeared in a ballet titled La Sylphide. Carlotta was a dancer renowned for her gracefulness. It was a really big deal at the time! She even had a huge fanbase who would only go to the ballet when she was dancing! It's incredible to think that ballet really became popularized because of specific dancers back then.
I was particularly struck by the costume Carlotta wore. Although this might sound surprising today, she wasn't wearing a tutu, she wore an incredible, flowing dress which was very revealing for its time. Imagine it, a delicate, diaphanous gown! It truly created a striking and romantic image on the stage. La Sylphide was a truly magical show and was wildly successful. It had it all, grace, romance, music, a little bit of spooky atmosphere, even - quite an impressive story.
Imagine being in that time. The thrill of watching La Sylphide for the first time. I can imagine it now. The gaslight on the faces of the audience and the orchestra rising dramatically as Carlotta began to dance in that amazing dress, it really makes you feel a bit like you have stepped into a beautiful painting, with such wonderful colours and so much elegance.
You can see why I love this time, the world of 19th Century theatre. There are definitely things I don't miss, cough hygiene and cough no internet but it does seem to be a time where so much was made gorgeous, as we say now in Derbyshire! I wonder if our 21st-Century dancers ever imagine dancing like those 19th-century performers. A much more emotional style of performance. You could feel every gesture they made in their dancing. I often think we don't see as much emotion in the dancing now. All that gracefulness, that incredible physical prowess is, perhaps, almost too much. There are so many incredibly complex feats that it's nearly impossible to make them heartfelt, like they were back then! Maybe I should send some modern dancers back in time. It's a thought...
So, if you've ever wondered when those "big, puffy skirts" transformed into the beautiful tutus we know and love today, well, this is where we are headed next! The evolution of the tutu from that stunning gown by Carlotta to the delightful, elegant garment it is today is really fascinating, so we'll discuss that next week.
Oh, I've a most fabulous idea for you! It's TutuTuesday! Think about your very own Pink Tutu for today and maybe, if you're feeling extra adventurous, dance around your house in a swirl of twirls! Just don't forget to tag me on Instagram (@PinkTutuEmma) and send me a message.
See you next week, my lovelies, with a most exciting history of the Tutu to share. I'll be searching for another lovely, vintage dance performance in Derbyshire and, as soon as I get back to my Pink-Tutu HQ, I'll be writing all about it, so do look out for next week's post! Until then, always stay perfectly fabulous!
See you next week, darlings!
Love and tutus, Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
