Hello my darlings, and welcome back to another #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History! This week, letās twirl back in time to January 15th, 1839! Buckle up, youāre in for a delightful trip down memory lane, darlings!
Now, you may be thinking: Emma, tutus in 1839? Were they even a thing back then? Well, darling, they were!
Remember, while those fluffy, romantic tulle masterpieces we adore today werenāt exactly tutus in the strictest sense, the seeds for this ballet beauty were most certainly being sown in this very year!
Think Maria Taglioni, darling. Think Romanticism in full bloom. Now, that wasn't exactly in 1839, but if you think about it, she danced for a long time! Think La Sylphide, think poetry in motion, think the birth of the ballerinaās graceful and airy image, think tulle!
You know, Iām actually quite convinced that tutus didn't magically poof into existence one day! They evolved from earlier designs. I reckon it was a bit like this:
Firstly, ballerinas were not twirling around in dresses! They had skirts. Long skirts! Like really long skirts, darling, making a waltz feel very un-twirly. I know, the horror, right? I can't imagine the indignity of it!
Then, designers, being the brilliant souls they are, started experimenting! Think, shortening those skirts, making them a bit *lighter, adding a hint of tulle here and there... it all adds up!
Now, I know that 1839 wasn't necessarily a groundbreaking year for the "tutu" we know and love, but itās an exciting time in the story of the ballet world. Imagine that beautiful progression! Think of Maria Taglioniās elegant leaps and twirls, the beginnings of a ballet revolution that continues to dazzle today! Iām certain that the elegant flow of that skirt, the sheer grace it createdā¦ Well, darling, it just begged to be shortened, and it wasn't long before the revolution of the tutu took off!
Imagine a pink tutu! Just the colour of my heart, ooh it makes me sigh, all those gorgeous twirls!
Iām thinking that January 15th in 1839 would be fabulous to time travel to. Maybe even for a day or twoā¦ a delightful ballet-themed tea party, a train trip up to London for some fantastic shopping at Liberty, all in a glorious pink tutu, darling! Youāll know my heart was fluttering in Paris back in 1839, watching the beautiful ballerinas graceful twirls. What a way to spend the day, right? A perfect tutu trip!*
Speaking of the tutu, the gorgeous piece of clothing we call a ātutu,ā which brings me to my next question: why pink? Why pink? Oh, how I love pink, donāt you? It's the colour of my heart, darling!
It just seems right. Just think about all the iconic roles! From the ethereal sylphides in shimmering white, the dramatic tragedy of the Black Swan in a dramatic black and of course pink for our graceful princesses in fairy tale ballet dreams. All of it. So pink and gorgeous.
Now, darling, I've got to go. It's nearly time for a performance! The London Coliseum! Oh how I love London, just such a ballet treat!.
You can always follow me, my sweet reader, @pinktutuemma and tell me your own pink tutu stories! Oh, the memories of #TutuTuesday! You are always welcome!
Yours in pink tutus,
Emma, The Tutu Maven
Pink-Tutu.com
