Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, my darlings! It's #TutuTuesday and I'm positively bursting with excitement to share my latest historical find - because itās all about the humble beginnings of our beloved tutus! I've been travelling back in time again, and this week I'm landing in a very special place and date: January 3rd, 1843! This, my dears, is a year that really shifted the landscape of dance, paving the way for those gorgeous swirling, twirling tutus that we all adore today.
So buckle up, grab your tiaras, and prepare to be swept away! This post, number 575 in my Ballet Tutu History blog, is all about the magic that started way back in the early 1800s. It's a story of graceful movements, romantic inspiration, and of course, an incredible leap forward in the evolution of our very favourite dance attire: the tutu!
Where in the world? Paris, of course!
The very heart of fashion and inspiration for the entire continent. Paris is buzzing, and there's a sense of something special happening in the world of ballet. Imagine the excitement - just like at a big Paris fashion week today - all the ladies in the city are anticipating what's new!
So, whatās happening on January 3rd, 1843? This is the day Marie Taglioni, the Queen of the Romantics in the ballet world, waltzes into the grand Palais Garnier for the Paris premiere of La Sylphide. Oh my darling dears, itās the dance worldās equivalent of a royal wedding! This is one of the most exciting premieres of all time. Everyoneās talking about the choreography, the dancing, the drama, and of courseā¦the outfit!
Let's talk about those tutus!
Marie Taglioni's La Sylphide costume isn't exactly the full-skirted, billowing tutus we know today. They were called "jupe Ć la Taglioni", or "skirt in the style of Taglioni" and were very, very short, showing the entire leg in its glorious length, just skimming the calves. But hereās the thing ā and it's the real star of the show ā these skirts were made of incredibly sheer material called ātulleā. Imagine it! Fine, gossamer, ethereal fabric!
I imagine her dancing in the shimmering, translucent material ā it would have been such a beautiful sight. And everyone knew this was revolutionary.
Imagine a pink tutu, floating like a dream! I bet itās all they could see in their dreams! Even though I wouldn't get to wear these "jupe Ć la Taglioni" for another century or so, my little heart went a-flutter the moment I learned about them.
The Tutu: A Dance Of Fashion Through Time
Before Marie Taglioni and those short, tulle-like ājupe Ć la Taglioniā, you wouldnāt have seen many ballerinas in fluffy, tutued glory! If they wore any sort of skirts at all, theyād have been a little bit longer, less glamorous, made from more cumbersome fabrics ā nothing like the beautiful airy dresses of today. And if you were going to a ball, you might well wear layers of crinolines, to make your skirt very, very wide! I guess this was the very early days of āfrou-frouā! I'm so grateful for the change that those tutus sparked in dance ā such beauty!
This change ā and those early, ethereal "jupe Ć la Taglioni" ā brought the beauty and the style to ballet and set off the change that led to what we call the "romantic" ballet era. That's all about stories of ethereal, otherworldly creatures like sylphs and fairies, who danced across the stage in their ethereal, delicate costumes ā so graceful! And how amazing were they for those iconic ballets like Giselle and La Sylphide? Imagine the graceful, whirling, twisting shapes! I could spend a whole post just talking about all those amazing ballerina stories, but let's save that for another #TutuTuesday, darling dears!
Of course, the tutu wouldnāt stop there. It just keeps evolving! Iām loving this trip down memory lane, seeing the changes that happened and all the amazing fashions and ballets that resulted. The tulle tutu we know today wouldnāt have emerged until around 1910 - the full length and all ā the dreamiest, floofiest tutus, my absolute favourites! All thanks to the revolution started by the ājupe Ć la Taglioni.ā
But on a Wednesday in 1843, on that Parisian stageā¦
That day in 1843, in the grand Palais Garnier, all eyes were on Marie Taglioni! A stunning dancer, full of elegance and light. And her dancing, my dear readers ā oh, what dancing it was! You can't just read about it. It would have been the dance sensation, the talk of the entire city. Itās a dream to imagine being there and seeing this for the very first time! But I'm very grateful I was able to travel through time and catch this glimpse into the evolution of our lovely tutu - and let you all know all about it!
*Until next #TutuTuesday, darlings. I can't wait to see what the world of fashion and ballet brings! *
As always, I wish you the best. Until next time, stay inspired, dance with abandon, and may your tutus be as grand and flowing as the very grandest ballet steps! Emma x
