Hey there, darlings! It’s your favourite pink tutu-wearing ballerina blogger, Emma, back again for another #TutuTuesday! This week we’re taking a time machine, chugging straight through the history books, all the way back to 1847. Yes, that’s right – the year the very first ballet tutu as we know it took to the stage! Hold on to your feather boas, we’re going for a ride!
For this blog, I thought I'd journey back to Paris. Paris! What's a ballet-loving lady to do when you arrive in Paris, except be at the Opéra Garnier of course! Now I know it's 1847 so the Opera Garnier hasn't even been built yet, and it wouldn't be built for nearly another 40 years. I’m always trying to work in that magical realism to my blog, darling. You never know where you might turn up! Now there's no mistaking it – we're in France. I hear you: “The country of haute couture!” Indeed! The air buzzes with creativity – artists, fashionistas, and, yes, even dancers, they’re all breathing a creative vibe in this dazzling city. It's certainly not as bustling as it would be later, when it will host the iconic Opéra Garnier. But there's something about that quiet intensity before a storm… the avant-garde in the air is simply magical.
Today, I've made a little trip to see the Palais Garnier where, eventually, the tutu would become famous, and we’re actually getting quite close to that magical day when Marie Taglioni took to the stage in her famous creation. She was truly ahead of her time and such an important ballerina in the development of the tutu as we know it.
Today I'm on my quest to find out how that special tutu moment came about. I love researching all the amazing things ballet history throws at me. How do tutus happen? How does fashion become a trend, darling? We have to look back. This is a #TutuTuesday for the history books, just like our ballerina legend, Marie!
My train pulled into Paris, and it was straight to the "theatre Italien" to experience it first-hand. Oh, what a magical journey for the senses, it was! A dazzling dance performance and costumes... oh, the costumes! That is when I knew. This 1847 moment - well, it felt very special!
Today is my special trip, my history hunt! 1847 is my Year of the Tutu... let’s take a step back to understand where the tutu story came from.
Dancing Through History: From Tight to Flight
Okay, we need to get down to basics here, dear readers! Ballet, just like fashion, goes through some incredible transformations over the years. Take, for instance, those glorious long skirts worn back in the day. Can you imagine twirling in those? They certainly would get caught, and even I have to admit – my dance class with those on would be an epic disaster. They're more suited for elegant poses and slow walks on stage. We don’t want a clumsy performance, do we?! We want the drama and elegance of balletic artistry.
Well, back in the 1600s, women were actually dancing in corsets with super long skirts, almost like elaborate ballgowns. They even used padding and hoops – very “rococo” as you might call it! Can you imagine trying to pirouette in that? I doubt it! Even trying to take a decent stroll would be difficult, don't you think? So the question is – How do we create a design that allows for freedom, grace, and movement while still embodying the magical mystique of the stage?
It's all about the lightness * - so the fashion world, through the genius of the dancer *Marie Taglioni, started experimenting. You have to hand it to them – what a revolutionary change for the time, creating this graceful lightness. Now, the ballet tutu wasn't born full blown – it actually evolved in stages – From 1600s skirts – * to shorter skirts with tights – to *layered tutus, that just glided across the stage. This was just what was needed to see a ballerina fly!
* Marie's Masterpiece: A Star is Born*
Now, 1847 was the year our star Marie Taglioni danced in what became a trend for the world: a single-layered tutu called “the Romantic Tutu, as it became known.” It became so incredibly popular – a symbol of ballerina grace. It was shorter than any costume that had been seen before, and became the *icon, which all others would copy! A classic style, simple, but perfect!
Can you imagine how magical it was to see a ballerina in such a short skirt, so full and voluminous? It was the first real expression of * *lightness and movement. Imagine watching someone dance and twirl and be mesmerised by the magic they create with each jump and leap. And imagine that the audience could now **really see the ballerinas’ steps - not just get a glimpse. What a game-changer that must have been! This era was such an era of transformation. Marie took us all into that lightness, just like we all do today. Isn’t she a goddess? I love it!
This type of skirt helped ballet and costume design grow, changing the whole visual of ballet, creating new ways for movement and dancing, for all the ballets to come. That is such a power for an outfit – It was just perfect for ballet! The romantic tutu gave dancers this amazing power – movement.
That's my passion. It is all about freedom of expression through movement. So imagine yourself wearing your very own tutu! You would become more than a woman - you'd be an *artist making a powerful expression through your movements – just like Marie.
The history of ballet fashion, for me, is one that I love! What I find most important is the ability to express the story of the ballet through your clothes. Do you agree? This isn't just clothes, darling, it's a whole different language.
The Tutu, Then & Now
We can certainly thank Marie and other visionaries, for bringing us so much, For my blog readers, You can easily imagine the excitement in 1847 as dancers took on this "lightness and grace" as a way to tell the story of ballet! That sense of freedom that has captured our imaginations, even centuries later. It just keeps coming back time and time again. And don’t even get me started on all the variations we see today. There are tutus in all colours and styles. I’m simply amazed by the creativity out there.
As the years have flown by, the tutu has gone from revolutionary to evolutionary as well. There’s modern ballet with those glorious *knee-length* tutus and more minimalist options that are both flattering and empowering to watch. But I know this: No matter how fashion evolves – a real tutu will always bring that special *sparkle to every performance. There is something undeniably beautiful, captivating about those tutus. There is magic!
*Let’s Talk * Fashion
There’s this magic in a tutu – don’t you think? So tell me - are you as excited as I am about ballet fashion and tutu history?
That’s all for now, my dears, until next Tuesday when we go on another #TutuTuesday Adventure. I hope you enjoyed our journey into the Tutu’s exciting story. Be sure to leave your thoughts about your favourite tutus!
Lots of love, Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
P.S. Let's face it, I couldn’t be Emma without my pink tutu. The power of pink is one of the greatest of all things! My mission in life? It’s not so much about ballet. It’s more about my love of pink… yes, to inspire the world to wear pink tutus. It may sound silly, but who knows? Maybe one day we’ll be celebrating #TutuTuesday everywhere! It’s worth a dream, right?
And who knows where my adventures will lead? We all love to dream, don’t we?! And to dream is to to take action, * to see new and magical things. The stage, travel, ballet, and fashion! My world *is filled with possibilities!
