Hello my dearest tutu-lovers! It's Emma here, back with another whirlwind trip through ballet history! This week I've been whisked away to the bustling city of Paris - oh, the fashion! - on 14th June 1842. Today's #TutuTuesday is a real treat, a step into a world of romanticism, artistry, and of course, a new type of tutu! Buckle up, darlings, because we're going to waltz through the heart of ballet's romantic era!
Post 546! You might remember last week's post, dear reader, when I was in the 1780s at the Parisian Opera Ballet. We saw how the first tutus, then called 'tuniques' and 'robes a la grecque', were beginning to evolve, becoming more and more transparent and delicate. But trust me, things were about to change dramatically!
In the 1840s, there was a major shift in ballet. Ballet began moving away from the intricate and complex choreography of the late 1700s - those huge group ballets full of grand movements - and moved towards more elegant, ethereal, and focused dances. These ballerinas weren't just showing off their impressive footwork and technical skills; they were now the heart of the story. And naturally, their costumes were changing with this movement too.
The Romantic Era, my dears, is what you call this transformation. It was an era where ballerinas were not just performers but also mythical figures like sprites, nymphs, and fairies, delicate creatures floating around the stage, ethereal, whimsical, and impossibly beautiful. They were literally 'floating' too! This movement even influenced other styles of dance and inspired fashion for decades! Can you imagine how lovely and fascinating that was?!
So back to our tutus, they are transforming! Instead of the grand, layered, and weighty tutus we saw earlier, we see something new - the Romantic tutu, or the Bell tutu, as it was affectionately called. And wouldn't you know it, the first ever performance of a Romantic tutu was at the very theatre I’m in now!
It's here in the Theatre de l'Opéra de Paris that I watched a rehearsal of Giselle, which would premiere in just three short weeks. And what a fascinating dress rehearsal! This particular ballet tells the story of a peasant girl called Giselle who is driven to her death by betrayal, becoming a beautiful and ghostly Wili, a type of fairy who then punishes unfaithful men. I can't tell you all the spoilers of the ending but just know Giselle is stunning. She wore that magical tutu.
Just seeing Giselle wear this amazing costume... you couldn’t believe your eyes! It was airy and beautiful. I saw it all, darling: the long, sheer skirt flowing from her waist and gathering in a delicate 'bell' at her ankles, the perfect dress for a woodland fairy, perfectly showing off every pirouette and graceful movement. Just magnificent!
She didn’t need layers and layers of skirt material or yards and yards of layers for this one - the Romantic Tutu allowed her to move and float across the stage! The fabric was gossamer thin and it whispered around her body - this fabric felt like a breeze! It looked like she was truly floating, and even better, she could leap and spin freely - this must have felt like absolute freedom to the dancer! This new style of tutu changed how people saw ballet and the ballerinas!
What to expect in the coming decades?
More to come about the Romantic era soon, as this era is huge in our ballet world, and it continues to evolve - those tutus and styles are just the start! The first full-length romantic ballet is set to take the world by storm - think graceful arabesques and dazzling leaps - it is a symphony in motion. I just can't wait for it, and neither can the Parisian fashion elite! It was said that Parisian high society actually attended the rehearsals so that they could be the first to emulate these dramatic and delicate dresses!
My dear fashionista's - don’t you worry, we can explore that exciting style of Romantic fashion soon. I'm already on my way to a couture house near the Opera Garnier to look for the most amazing outfits! You bet that there’s a pink tulle in my shopping bag! I hope to have an outfit fit for a ballerina fairy myself in time for the premiere of *Giselle next month*!
Oh! And speaking of the 1840s, remember those wonderful stories we discussed last week about a certain English inventor, the father of the steam engine, James Watt, who also invented the ballet shoe!? They started being used around 1840, you know!
Imagine! What an incredible impact his work had on ballet. From 1840 onwards, ballerinas would never wear normal shoes on stage ever again, because, thanks to Watt, they had special, delicate and amazing footwear for their art! You might be thinking what an incredible journey this invention has taken, from James Watt’s Workshop in Birmingham in the 1700s, across the Channel and to the stage of the Opéra de Paris in the 1840s! What a magnificent leap across the ages!
Until next time, my lovely readers, enjoy your week, get out and see a performance, have a spin around your own living room, maybe find your own favorite pink tulle, or a stunning piece of Romantic Era clothing in your vintage wardrobe. You’ll be dancing like a dream!
Love and Tutu,
Emma
P.S. I promise next week, I’ll post more about how the Romantic era has evolved and tell you more about my hunt for the perfect *Giselle-inspired outfit.*
