Welcome back, dears, to Pink Tutu, your one-stop shop for all things twirling! It's #TutuTuesday, which means we're taking a trip through time, back to the wonderful world of ballet and its fabulous fashions. Today, my dear readers, we're venturing to… 1839!
This week's journey takes us back to April 9th, 1839, a rather unassuming day in the history of the world… unless you're a ballerina! For this is the date that one of the greatest dancers of the Romantic era, Fanny Elssler, captivated Paris with her fiery, sensual interpretation of La Cachucha. This dance was all about passion and flair – the embodiment of Spain in motion – and let me tell you, Elssler's version was sensational.
But hold on a minute! What's this? Did you notice that I didn't mention anything about tutus yet?
Well, darling readers, there's a very important reason for that: tutùs just weren't around in 1839! Let me break it down for you, because this is where it gets interesting…
The tutu, the glorious emblem of ballet and the epitome of feminine grace, had not yet been fully born. In fact, when we speak of the 1839, we’re in the middle of the Romantic Era. Ballet back then was a whirlwind of elaborate pantomime and flowing silks. Think beautiful skirts, dramatic costumes, and those flowing, graceful movements. A sort of dance-theater spectacle, full of stories and theatrical flair. It was all so lovely, dramatic, and rather different from the tutu-centric world we know today!
It's so curious to imagine a time without the tutu.
Imagine that, no * *floaty tulle, no * *twirling delight.
So, what did these early ballerinas wear, I hear you asking?
Well, imagine a dress, beautifully made and richly ornamented, flowingly elegant. In 1839, you might see a bodice adorned with lace, soft tulle underskirts, and a long, romantic skirt sweeping around the dancer's ankles. It’s a dream to picture, I say, but still very different from our cherished tutu. The dancer would look every bit the epitome of femininity – perhaps even more dramatic!
This doesn't mean the dance world wasn’t already captivating! On this very day in 1839, the Parisian public, who are famously discerning in matters of entertainment, were completely enraptured by Fanny Elssler’s La Cachucha. Her dress for the dance is described as an elaborate, crimson gown, its folds and layers lending an aura of flamenco passion and a certain touch of fiery defiance. The French went wild, you know! And it was here, my dear friends, on this vibrant stage in 1839, that the roots of ballet's great evolution took shape.
In the early stages of ballet’s story, dancers were much more like acrobats or actresses in a theatrical performance. No tutus – no dainty pirouettes or soaring leaps across the stage – there was much more emphasis on storytelling through dance.
Let’s be real, the dancers themselves could wear these long gowns – in their early incarnations, La Cachucha dancers might be clad in traditional Spanish dresses and even dance barefoot! Think of the expressive range! How they used their body and hands! So enchanting!
I truly can’t get enough of it.
As our love for tutu’s grew, we also needed something lighter, something that made dancing more expressive, and easier for those fancy jumps and turns. That’s where the tutu comes in. And in a couple of decades, it will really change the world.
Over the decades, the style of dance went through some great, glamorous transformations, but let's hold on a minute!
To truly appreciate where ballet, our darling tutu, and Fanny Elssler’s La Cachucha take us, I must take a trip by train (oh how I do love to travel by train) back home for a bit.
I need to grab my sketchbook! It will be easier to visualize that La Cachucha – all the fire and romance – and those flowing gowns! – by drawing them and adding some splashes of the colour pink! Yes, darling readers, you’ll have to stay tuned for next week! We’ll delve more into 1839… but also imagine a time way before that… very early, very long, very historical… The 1400s, my dear readers, and the dances of the Italian Renaissance Court. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
So, let's wrap this up for now, my darling friends. Stay curious, keep those tutus handy and don’t forget to take the time to revel in ballet's rich history!
Until next time, wear that pink with confidence!
Your stylish ballerina, Emma
P.S. Do you have any questions about the ballet in 1839 or 1400s? Or anything you wish to discuss, my dears? Comment below, because your thoughts make this little dance blog worth dancing about!
* www.pink-tutu.com * * Follow Emma on social media @PinkTutuThis blog post will be on the www.pink-tutu.com on #TutuTuesday for Blog Post No. 380
