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#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1841-05-04

#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History: Post Number 488: 4th May 1841: A Peek into Parisian Ballet!

Bonjour, my lovelies! Welcome to another week of #TutuTuesday, your favourite weekly delve into the delightful world of the ballet tutu! I’m your time-travelling tututastic friend, Emma, whisking you back through the ages to explore the fabulous evolution of the iconic garment! Today we’re taking the Eurostar (train travel, my absolute favourite!) over to Paris for a peak into what they’re wearing at the Paris Opera Ballet, circa 1841!

This week's #TutuTuesday is especially exciting, darlings. Because May 4th 1841 saw the very first performance of "Giselle" by the incomparable Marie Taglioni. I simply had to pop over to witness this historic event, as this ballet introduced the revolutionary "Romantic Tutu" and changed the way we wear and view tutus forever!

The Romantic tutu was an evolution, you see. Gone was the earlier rigid, full-skirted tutu which was often a bulky, cumbersome affair. Imagine it! An elegant dancer unable to fully express the art of her graceful movements due to a cumbersome garment! How terrible! Taglioni's Romantic Tutu allowed the dancer complete freedom to move, a graceful lightness to the choreography! I'm so glad!

Instead of a full skirt, the "Romantic Tutu" embraced a short skirt with a simple, flowing tulle design, bare arms and a form-fitting bodice! It emphasized a sense of fluidity and delicate fragility. Imagine, it resembled an airy wisp of smoke! How captivating!

Now, while I can't wear this "Romantic Tutu" ( it wouldn't go with my vintage, feather boa scarf and silk-covered purse - and frankly darling, it wouldn't be half as flattering!) I can always get a sense of that sense of airy lightness in my very own modern, custom-designed, tulle skirt and it always sets my heart aflutter when I feel the wind through it!

* Paris Style*

Paris in the 1840s was a haven of fashion, style, and creativity. They adored their opera! You should’ve seen how grand it all was, my darlings! The women had exquisite costumes in vibrant, beautiful hues of pink, violet, emerald, and deep sapphire blue! We can see a lot of these colors echoing through contemporary fashion today, and it really inspires my own vintage collection! My love of colour stems back to my heritage in the Peak District! I’m from a small village just outside Derbyshire and we are renowned for our lovely rolling hills. I imagine our Derbyshire sheep are probably feeling inspired by those wonderful colours of the countryside. What lovely ladies!

Now, Paris in the 1840s was all about flowing gowns and light fabrics with bonnets to finish it off, so they did indeed follow the same fashion styles of the stage, at the time! A lot of my own Victorian vintage is inspired by these classic Parisian gowns and my own ballet training, and I even find some of these colours incorporated into the most gorgeous dancewear designs, even today!

A Touch of Fashion for You!

While our time travel wardrobe is probably slightly beyond reach for now, why don't you go out and find some fab, pink dancewear in honour of my very favourite color? Pink really is the best and you'll definitely find the most amazing sparkly tutus! There are hundreds of dance shops online who create magnificent, custom tutus and beautiful pieces you can have in your wardrobe as a fun way to celebrate this historical week! What do you think? Perhaps some of my dearest friends will share a few dance-wear finds with all you lovely folks this week! I know we’ve already seen some fabulous finds in those lovely shops just outside Covent Garden near the Royal Opera House!

Fashion and Ballet – a Timeless Bond

The connection between ballet and fashion has been one of great creative influence through the centuries. I like to imagine a world full of women in their pink tutus – now, wouldn’t that be delightful?

The beautiful dresses that dancers wear are not simply stage attire – they are expressions of artistry. They convey a tale, a movement, a feeling! We get the story just by watching a dance, a story that makes our hearts flutter with delight!

I do love seeing those graceful dancers glide across the stage, with that poise and fluidity! And it goes beyond ballet, too. Fashion and performance intertwine everywhere: a modern theatrical performance, a dazzling disco party or an event in the local town hall – and always there's the fashion – just like a ballet, but in different forms! You may be saying to yourselves, Emma, how is wearing a ballet tutu, for instance, going to help me understand all this fashion history? You’ve probably got me wrong here, darlings! It’s about being expressive. If you want to put on a tutu at home – whether it's for an evening dance in your sitting room or in your local ballet studio – it helps you explore your own personal expression.

The beauty of a tutu is in its freedom, its creativity – you can make a statement! I always try to do that!

Back to the Past!

That’s it for this week, my dears! I do hope you’ve enjoyed your journey back to the world of ballet history. I'll see you again next week for our next journey! And remember, don't be afraid to make a bold statement with your style – even if it means wearing a tutu in the streets!

Let's keep on dancing,

Emma!

#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1841-05-04