Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, darling! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast and time-travelling ballerina extraordinaire! It's a blustery Tuesday here in London town, and my trusty pink tutu is definitely keeping me feeling warm and cheerful. As always, I'm absolutely thrilled to be back with you all, and oh my, are we in for a treat today!
This week's #TutuTuesday takes us back, back, back in time to February 22nd, 1848. A most auspicious day indeed, as this was the day that the very first official tutus, as we know them today, strutted onto the world stage! Can you believe it? Nearly two centuries ago, those glorious wisps of tulle took their bow, and we, my dears, have been entranced ever since.
A Bit of Backstory, Lovelies: You know I love to tell a good story, so grab your teacups, put on your favourite tunes (something a little bit waltzy, perhaps?), and get comfy - we're about to delve into a little ballet history! Before tutus graced the stages, ballet dancers wore fairly practical costumes - think flowing dresses, corsets, and all sorts of fussy trimmings. This made dancing graceful movements incredibly challenging! And don't even get me started on the amount of fabric those ballerinas must have tripped over!
However, times, they were a-changin'! The 19th century was a whirlwind of artistic and social change, and ballet wasn't immune to the evolution. The iconic romantic ballerina, Marie Taglioni, became known for her astonishing jumps and graceful movements, which made a lot of dancers in her day jealous! To give you an idea, Taglioni could reach the dizzying height of about two feet into the air! The height! (It’s certainly not a big feat for contemporary dancers these days!) To make her artistry more dramatic, and to give her the freedom to move, ballet's fashionistas came up with an inspired idea: why not shed those layers and create something light, airy, and oh-so-dramatic? Enter the tutu, a true fashion game-changer and the defining garment of the romantic era!
This wasn't some overnight phenomenon though! It took time, inspiration and a great deal of bravery on behalf of those beautiful ballerinas to create a revolution in costume and dance style! In fact, when the tutu debuted in a ballet called La Sylphide in Paris on this very date, many people were outraged! The idea of ballerinas wearing only one, floaty layer of tulle instead of the usual 1000 yards of velvet and lace? Simply shocking! Can you imagine? Well, let's just say a little bit of shocking and scandalous sometimes makes a big difference.
But oh, darling, don't worry. I'm not about to give away my big, juicy secret of what this show was really like - you'll just have to wait until my trip to Paris for that one! I hear their croissants are exquisite, and the French are definitely known for their je ne sais quoi. (My love of Paris may be even bigger than my love of tutus, just sayin’!)
Fast-Forward to Today, Lovelies: You can be certain that I've got my time-travelling sights set on witnessing that Paris performance first-hand. But until then, I shall revel in the glory of all the amazing variations of the tutu that we see today. From the short, voluminous tutus of classical ballet to the long, flowing tutus of Giselle to those delightful contemporary tutu interpretations that are just...well...completely wild!
But what I love about this specific moment in tutu history is how daring and inspiring it was. It was a sign of creative courage, of challenging norms, of simply refusing to be bound by tradition and expectations. And that, my dearest readers, is something we can all learn from, whether it's in the studio, the classroom, or the office. Don't let those nay-sayers hold you back. There's nothing quite like the confidence of rocking a bold statement and making a tutu-good impression! Swoon * giggle * ( I really can’t resist a good pun.)
I love tutus so much I even wear a little one myself while time travelling. Isn't it chic? (I actually can’t resist a tutu for almost any event. I find there is always a perfect occasion, although some might not agree, for a tutu. After all I once danced a jig wearing a pink tutu to a rather staid formal engagement!)
Now, tell me all about your favourite tutu memories! What performances have you seen that made your heart sing? Have you ever had the courage to embrace a little bit of tutusness in your own life? And have you been shopping lately? If you're looking for a little fashion inspiration, you'll definitely want to visit my new collection of fabulous tutus I found in Notting Hill. Just search on www.pink-tutu.com for my online shop for every sort of tutu imaginable. Let me know what your top favourites are – I can’t wait to read your responses.
#PinkTutuForEveryBody #TutuTimeTravelling #LoveTutus
This week’s little extra fun bit:
Here’s a fascinating factoid: You’ll never guess how many ballet shoes ballerinas like myself wear in a single season! Prepare to be amazed…. 200. It's an incredible number and they’re a real treat for a ballerinas toes to experience so you’re definitely seeing your dancing shoes’ feet more often than any other time in your life when you’re wearing ballet shoes. * giggle *
As always, my dear friends, thank you so much for joining me today. I hope your week is filled with happy tutus, fabulous fashion, and the most splendid pirouettes! Don’t forget to wear your pink tutu for next week's TutuTuesday, a date with fate as we delve deeper into tutu history with my next post.
See you soon!
Until next time, love, Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
P.S. The fabulous date of 22nd of February, 1848 also marked a day that some people would claim to be more significant - they believe this was the date on which a particularly clever gentleman by the name of Karl Marx (not known for his dance moves! - sigh) announced to the world his 'Communist Manifesto'! It really makes me wonder how ballet dancers and the Communist party ever found time to meet and compare their outfits. What a day, that 22nd February 1848! And to think it only took me just one day to travel back from London, Derbyshire to France and back again. It takes my train journey in England from London to Derbyshire every Friday to watch my niece’s ballet performance almost a whole week to complete - well when you want to see your niece’s dance routine in person, there’s only one answer - train it! The joys of family… wink But enough with the travel!
I really can't help but daydream of the time I’ll be able to experience that most extraordinary Parisian performance that will help my time-travelling ballerina lifestyle continue to bloom - I must confess my favourite thing about going back in time is, you've guessed it…. Shopping! My closet, filled with exquisite vintage pieces is, well, almost out of room for new additions - sob - I'm determined to make space for all my lovely ballet accessories – my mind is racing now, the possibilities of travelling to an era before these accessories were sold on Etsy - how exciting to discover such wondrous trinkets just for me. I love you internet shopping, thank you for being so chic.
So remember my darlings, if you have time to pop down to the theatre or your local studio and enjoy a good ballet, I say go for it! You never know when the universe will decide that the timing’s right and send you on a tutu time-travelling journey just like mine - until then just be sure to remember your pink tutu for your next fabulous event and you just might catch me there too.
See you on Tutu Tuesday!
