Hello darlings! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, where tutus reign supreme! It's Emma here, your Tutu Tuesday host, back with another trip into the whimsical world of ballet history. And this week, my dears, we're going right back to the source - 1836! Buckle up your slippers (or better yet, slip on your most fabulous pink tutu!), because we're going for a whirlwind tour of a time before tutus even existed in the way we know them!
As you all know, I'm a huge fan of ballet history. I've travelled to Paris, London, Rome - anywhere and everywhere ballet has taken root. I even discovered a magical antique shop in Moscow filled with forgotten ballet shoes, a treasure trove! But today's journey takes us back to a time before such glamorous footwear even existed - before the grand tutu as we know it, before the ballet costume as we recognize it today, and even before ballet as a fully formed art form!
Now, you might be thinking, "Emma, how can you possibly talk about tutus in 1836 when they hadn't been invented yet?!" Well, darlings, this is where things get deliciously exciting! You see, back in the early 1800s, ballerinas still danced in... wait for it... gowns!
Yes, my dears! Imagine the delightful sight of beautiful ballerinas gliding across the stage, swirling in their intricate gowns with layers and layers of delicate fabric. The outfits weren't exactly the flowing and graceful tutus we love today, but the early forms of ballet already captivated audiences!
On the 3rd of May 1836, London's Royal Opera House, then known as the King's Theatre, hosted a dazzling production. In the heart of Covent Garden, a star dancer called Marie Taglioni took to the stage. I picture her swirling in the most beautiful dress - a swirling cloud of white fabric. It wasn't quite a tutu, not in the sense we know, but the essence of it was there, hinting at the grandeur and airy beauty we associate with ballet.
Of course, back then, ballet was still young, still finding its legs, just like those dainty, beautiful feet. There wasn't even a specific name for this wonderful form of dance! They just called it "the ballet" – no need to differentiate it, as it was the only dance show in town.
So, how does it all connect to tutus? Well, my dears, those billowing gowns Marie and her fellow ballerinas wore, they started to get shorter, a little more free and less formal. Think of them like beautiful, flowing dresses, not so far from the elegant cocktail dress you might wear to a gala today! And slowly but surely, as dancers sought freedom and lightness in their movements, those layers began to morph, to change, to take on a new shape… until finally, boom!
In the 1830s and 1840s, those flowing gowns became what we know and love - the classic, romantic tutu! That glorious pouf of tulle, that perfect circle of elegance, was born from the vision of Marie Taglioni, the daring fashion sense of the time, and the enduring yearning for expression and movement!
Now, can you imagine Marie Taglioni travelling to the future, taking in all those different tutus? From the dramatic classical tutu, with its billowing layers and structured shape, to the breezy Romantic tutu, so light and flowing! And what about those modern tutus, darling? They're as daring and diverse as ballet itself, taking shape to express the individual choreographers’ vision and the ballerina’s grace!
If Marie Taglioni had taken a little trip to the future, to a ballet class or to a theatre in Covent Garden, imagine her surprise at all those variations of her vision! But one thing’s certain - she would have surely been enchanted!
Just as it captures the hearts of millions around the globe today, ballet, even in its early stages, captivated hearts centuries ago! I can only imagine those audiences, enthralled by Marie’s every move, those flowing gowns billowing around her like clouds.
We’ll continue our little tutu odyssey next Tuesday, my darlings. In the meantime, keep twirling, keep exploring and most importantly, remember - life's just a whole lot more fun in a pink tutu! Until next time, stay fabulous!
XOXO,
Emma
