#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History - Post 199: A Glimpse of Tutu's Romantic Past!
Hello darlings! Emma here, back again with another #TutuTuesday post from the depths of time. Today, we're journeying to the 20th October 1835, right smack dab in the middle of the Romantic era! It's the kind of period that would make any fashion-loving ballerina swoon! Now, grab a cuppa and get ready to step into a world of silk and frills, where dancing, drama, and delicate tulle reigned supreme!
**(Disclaimer: I'm so thrilled to have the time machine working perfectly for this one. It was quite a stressful trip but so worth it to soak up all the historical loveliness! It took hours to make this train trip because the carriages werenât as quick as the modern ones. Thankfully I could slip my shoes off to walk around!)
Imagine waltzing under a shimmering crystal chandelier in a beautiful, billowing gown. In this period, ballgowns were everything. Ladies were swept away in layers of fabric, intricate lace, and shimmering silks, but one thing that definitely made the romantic era "romanticised" was the Tutu. This, darlings, is where it all begins.
It was around this time that dancers started embracing a revolutionary new silhouette â one that ditched the old restrictive skirts and embraced movement and flow! You could say that, back then, tutus were the equivalent of our modern day jeans: a wardrobe staple. They revolutionized the look of the dancer on stage, and their legacy is strong to this day. We wouldnât have our iconic ballerina costumes if it werenât for this early, revolutionary move!
It's fascinating to see how tutus transitioned over time. At the beginning of the era, tutus were more like "romantic" panniers â huge, soft, fluffy structures built on an internal frame, almost like a layered crinoline! These gowns allowed for more mobility on stage, creating an enchanting flow and lightness that just didn't exist before. (This reminds me, I need to dig up that 1800s era ballet costume fabric book I bought a while back!)
So, 1835 â What's Going On?
Firstly, a shout out to Derbyshire, my lovely home county. Thereâs no way this historical time travel can be possible without Derbyshire folk being up to no good, somewhere, I mean who else in this whole wide world invented the ballet style of spinning wheel?!?! We really have them to thank, as much as I do to Monsieur Cario and Madame Sylphides who first appeared in this amazing ballet at the Opera house! We were literally revolutionising stage dress at the same time, a truly beautiful era!
Then youâve got the lovely ladies in Paris taking center stage (like they usually do)! At the Parisian Opera House, we see the creation of the famous â Le Corsaireâ ballet by the great, French composer Adolphe Adam. Now it wasnât actually written in 1835 *it did get an encore, revival, re-design in *1835, which really marked it as a major moment for dance fans, and really cemented the "tutued" ballet look.
I remember attending this premiere - The stage shimmered under an array of crystal chandeliers. And guess what?
Tutus were everywhere, not in all the dainty pink and fluffy ways that they are today though. Oh, but darling â let me tell you about those colours! They were often constructed from the boldest, brightest colours, such as magenta, cobalt blue, even emerald green, all beautifully crafted from silks, satins, and a touch of tulle for good measure â it was like a vibrant explosion of dance fashion! We were very much in the world of romanticism, where bold was in and the softer, delicate romantic look, wasn't yet in the cards
The tutus of this era were often embellished with jewels, delicate pearls, sequins, and even ribbons.
It was the start of an absolutely delightful stage dance evolution. They looked fabulous. Imagine twirling under the chandeliers â it truly felt like the world of magic, swirling and shimmering. I had a dream that I had to take all the dancers home with me for a cup of tea in my new travel time capsule! It is like the biggest carriage and I get to take all my favourite performers home to Derbyshire with me! But sadly, no one can ever leave their era - It wouldn't be right. Itâs important that history remembers everything that happened and how the era was.
**(Disclaimer: Oh my god - I completely forgot, all the dresses had a corset underneath them so even though you could have some more freedom of movement with those big wide tutus. They would also be tightly corseted into tiny little waists!! A bit restrictive for me!)
*Looking Ahead⌠*
We are stepping closer to that "light and airy" tutu that youâre familiar with today. This iconic look â the light, airy, graceful form you see on todayâs ballerinas - it wasn't fully established back in this era.
But it's clear that those romantic 1835 dance queens started laying the foundations for the tutu evolution. As the romantic period faded, fashion embraced lighter fabrics, simpler silhouettes, and greater emphasis on the female form. This had a significant impact on how tutus were made. And this, my lovely little pink tutu lovers, is just a small taste of the story. Itâs truly a magical ride through time!
As I continue to dive into history for more #TutuTuesday explorations. Join me next week, where we will have another romantic rendezvous with tutu history!
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to visit the fabric stores here and look for more of these fabrics â maybe even buy some lace so I can do a small ballet routine â It's all so fascinating, and as we head to 1835 we are also heading closer to my era of â The Ballerinaâs Story!
See you all next Tuesday for more ballet history!
Donât forget to visit our shop, www.pink-tutu.com
Love Emma X