Hello my darling dancers, and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! It's Emma here, your trusty tutu-clad time traveler, ready to whisk you away on another exciting journey through the glorious history of the ballet tutu. Today, my darlings, we're going back to 1836, a date that's close to my heart because, well, you'll just have to read on to find out why! 😉
As you all know, the humble tutu is a key piece of the ballet wardrobe, and a very popular piece at that. Every single week we seem to see it in the latest designer collections and popping up in various fashions throughout the globe! Now, back in 1836 it wasn't quite as ubiquitous as it is now, but the beginnings were being forged and a real style revolution was under way, starting with the graceful steps of the greatest dancers of the day! It all began in Paris, my favourite city - how lucky is it for you that this time travelling ballet girl has access to a multitude of historical locations. Can you even imagine?! dreams
This month of November brings the Paris Opera Ballet performance schedule in full swing! With it the Opera House’s majestic Ballet Stage, filled with the very best dancing and a very large repertoire! From the elegant waltz to the sweeping leaps and turns, this was the peak of the 19th century Ballet world and you could practically hear the swishing of the tutu’s every step of the way! The tutus weren't like what you see now, though! You would never see those gloriously huge romantic period-piece ball gowns and beautiful, large, frilly skirts! That will be for my post next week, though, we're delving into an era BEFORE those exquisite numbers were to be worn.
Let's hop back into the year of our TutuTuesday post. It's 22nd November, 1836 and just imagine a flurry of activity as all the best dancers take to the stage in all of their theatrical glory. One of the greatest dancers at this time was the talented and popular ballerina, Marie Taglioni, her fame for the dramatic style and artistry was sweeping across the whole continent.
I have it on good authority that the most talked-about new performance at the time is an intriguing work entitled La Sylphide. Now, I’ve had the opportunity to experience this for myself gasp! but that is a tale for another time and is best left for a #TutuTravelTales post - as my trip to Paris is a bit of a closely guarded secret! Just imagine - The Palais Garnier in all it's theatre and art deco glory - breathtaking!
I can tell you with a confidence bordering on bravado - that this is the show everyone is going to see and a show that forever altered the course of ballet history! With Marie Taglioni's performance it heralded a completely different look for ballet costumes and with this shift, ballet would never be the same! I hope this does not spoil my future #TutuTuesday blog posts - but oh my! it was truly revolutionary. The ballet tutu* in this period* - you know the one that *the dancers in this year would have been wearing would have looked very simple, almost like a very tight and beautifully soft cotton chemise, a sort of Grecian style or perhaps a little like a peasant blouse with an added underskirt.* And of course - it must be said the dancers wore shoes with no heels, only leather slippers so they could get a better range of movement in their feet, and - oh my! - the length was often right below the knees! Can you believe it?
It seems hard to believe, does it not?! Such an iconic look was born, yet not a very practical and flamboyant piece like the 19th century ball gown tutu of later days of la grande ballet era. Yet Marie and many others were taking this movement by storm! These new ballet moves were demanding, graceful, elegant and fluid, needing this free flowing fabric that wouldn’t impede them during their dramatic and swirling movements that would last a lifetime in history and grace the stage forever after.
Now I’ll be honest, I don't want to spoil everything for future blogs, but it will suffice to say that this was an era of transformation in the ballet world where women, specifically, could really embrace their inner elegance, beauty, and strength and this would bring on an avalanche of new fashion styles - so stay tuned. In a nutshell, think less fluff, more flexibility. Imagine - a graceful movement that is free from all constraint! This must have felt wonderfully liberating for all those ballet dancers! So, for me, that’s La Sylphide, for the tutu it’s about free movement - for *myself, it is the love for fashion in all its wonderful and creative expressions.
A trip to London for the theatre on a steam train is my perfect Tuesday, then, of course, on Wednesday I take in a show at Covent Garden always a classic! This, I admit is something I don’t do too often. I prefer going to smaller venues for a really good intimate ballet experience, because of course you are always in search of that ‘something special’ that grabs your attention and *takes your breath away!, or I’d rather watch the incredible ballet dancers and experience that glorious feeling in that perfect ballet dress! Ahhh! - my pink tutu, the pink ballet skirt I simply adore it - I don’t want it to look too busy I want something simple, beautiful, and light. You have to move freely, to spin gracefully, and to look fantastic.
If I could only bottle up that experience - the elegance, the *magic,* the freedom. And with Marie’s innovative ballet routines - it was only a matter of time until everyone followed her lead. What’s the phrase they say - ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ something like that. Well this revolutionary move in dance and theatre, was one of those occasions where all those ballet dancers took it by the horns, literally and figuratively. They could express their bodies to their full capacity* and take stage to a new dimension *and, what I truly believe, what sets them apart from anything else *in this world.
Oh, my darlings - what fun you are! The time has passed so quickly and I am off on another grand time travel adventure with my little, pink, travelling tutu in hand!
Stay safe, stay fabulous, and stay twirling,
Emma 💕
P.S. Don't forget to check out my #TutuTravelTales on the Pink Tutu blog. I’m posting another extra special one about my experience of the Opera Garnier in Paris coming soon. This really is my favorite time traveling blog.
P.P.S I also love my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History posts. I can't believe this is only post number 256! - I think there's a lot more to write! Have you got a ballet tutu you like? - I want to see them all, so I will have to create a page dedicated to *Tutu Love. - Oh my, that would be another wonderful project!
Stay tuned for next week's post and maybe, if you're lucky, *you’ll get a special post about Paris! This is what *TutuTuesday’s is all about!* #PinkTutu #TutuTuesday #BalletTutu #TimeTraveling #History #Fashion
