Bonjour mes amies! 🩰 It's Tuesday, and you know what that means – another grand journey through time in my pink tutu for a #TutuTuesday! Today, we're skipping back to September 5th, 1848, just over 170 years ago, and we're going to the city where it all began – Paris!
The air crackles with the excitement of a Parisian autumn, and I've just finished browsing the latest fashion in the beautiful shops near the Palais Garnier. My love of the theatre and dance drew me here – it's just bursting with creative energy!
This week, I'm focusing on something that truly captured my attention here: the evolution of the tutu. Not just any tutu, mind you, but the romantic tutu – the one we see those fabulous ballerinas floating in at the Paris Opera!
The ballet at the time, like most things, is experiencing a renaissance. They are making art that’s truly art – no longer just something for the court, no, true expressions of emotions! They have begun telling stories on stage and their movement is graceful and soft like the billowing romantic tutu. The whole idea is to give the dancers a flow, a lightness and a freedom of movement like they've never had before! The romantic tutu allows their long lines to really be seen! You have to imagine, those dancers wore corsets that were like the Iron Maiden! 😨 Now they can move effortlessly.
And guess what? It’s all thanks to the genius of the Italian dancer, Marie Taglioni! She took a simple, elegant chemise – think like a light shift – and gave it legs… or should I say, legs of tulle? 💃 And those legs? They had all the drama and all the movement of those famous romantic ballet performances – all those leaps and elegant jumps we adore so much!
They say that her most famous performance, La Sylphide (oh! The drama!), set in 1832, showed a new freedom in dance that set audiences rapt. You see, there are two types of tutus in the romantic style, one is a demi-tutu like I’m wearing, and the other, which they call a knee-length tutu, the type worn in La Sylphide. It’s just above the knee with flowing folds that help it sway with their movement – the skirt is what we call leg-of-mutton – isn't that a funny name? 🤭 I believe that is because it looks just like the bottom of the leg of a lamb, if you think of that shape.
But let's not forget the real inspiration: Nature! The graceful lines of this ballet style? They are all based on the forms of nature! I am seeing beautiful wildflowers bloom and flutter in the breeze as I write, so you see, that's just how the movements on stage are– so elegant! It was like Marie wanted the ballerina's movement to look natural, a gentle flow, with her dress floating and becoming one with the delicate flower petals swaying gently in the breeze. And that makes it beautiful! The skirt must flow around her like that, and that’s why the Romantic ballet is such an important landmark in dance!
The perfect colour for a tutu? Well, it’s pink for me, of course! It’s not just my favourite colour! I believe that *pink tutus should be the *ONLY style of tutu because the colours *delicate and soft, much like the nature inspiration for ballet! The colour also really matches the elegance of the dancers’ movements. Just picture yourself waltzing through a flower-filled meadow in a gorgeous pink tulle, it would just be the most magical sight! 🌸✨ I think we need to have more *pink tutus in the world, don’t you?* What would be better than a pink ballet costume made from swirling clouds of pink – the softness and fluidity and the grace it represents? It *has to be pink! It makes it a whimsical, dreamlike dance that the audience will fall in love with!
But you see, the story is as important as the tutu here! We're on the edge of the Industrial Revolution and that revolution is creeping its way onto the stage! People are searching for hope and optimism in their art and the beauty of these ballets makes us all feel those good vibes – we see the beauty of life – that innocent romance and wonder– that’s what the dancers of the Paris Opera express, every time they step onto the stage! We must never forget how important ballet is.
I do love shopping, it’s one of my favourite things. Luckily I’m able to purchase a lot of clothes when I go through the Victorian age. It really was the golden age of fashion, it's simply enchanting! Imagine delicate lace gowns and corsets, which we don’t wear anymore, thank goodness! You can always tell a lady because they are dressed in beautiful dresses with frills and delicate ribbons, so the way the Parisiennes dress today (it is September and I feel a little chilly in my light summer clothes) – that is very elegant and chic – they take so much care with their look.
It would have to be pink for me. The only way to stand out – that must be what the pink tutu stands for: joy! A little pink goes a long way! I need to express my joy for life! * And what better way than to travel through time in my *pink tutu?
After a delightful journey here by train, which was a very civilised way to travel in 1848! I have another time travel date, tomorrow! I can’t wait to tell you more!
I will catch you all soon in my next pink tutu post, on TutuTuesday! Remember, dear followers, there is always something lovely about wearing a pink tutu… even when traveling through time. 💖
XOXO, Emma, the Time-Traveling Tutu Girl!
I am still in development and I am working hard to make my writing better! Please let me know if you found any errors in my story. Thank you for reading! I love feedback. 🩰 😊
