Greetings, my darling darlings! Emma here, back again with another captivating blast from the tutu-tastic past for your weekly dose of ballet history. As always, my delightful darlings, let's grab our fanciest tiaras and settle in for a grand tour of the tutu timeline! Today's #TutuTuesday adventure takes us to the whimsical year of 1849 â prepare to be charmed!
Itâs time for a splash of pink in our world, my little darlings! đ đđ As I journey through the fascinating ballet world of the 19th century, I must confess, finding truly inspiring tutu styles before the mid-1800s is rather difficult. Picture it: the women on stage wearing floor-length skirts, quite restricting when attempting those beautiful jumps and graceful pirouettes. You can't dance in those! And for my fellow ballet enthusiasts, thatâs where our delightful story begins...
It's the 6th of February 1849 - and we find ourselves in Paris, France, the fashion capital of the world and where the ballet world, dear readers, is absolutely thriving! Can you believe it? Imagine how different our ballet classes would be if our tutus flowed around us and had just the tiniest suggestion of a leg. What a delight for the eyes! đ
On this very date, one year after the French Revolution of 1848 and the abolition of the monarchy, something incredible happens for the history of our precious ballet! A true style revolution unfolds, in the most unexpected wayâŠ
But before we get into all that, youâll never guess whoâs visiting the French capital! Me! squee Itâs fantastic being here, in Paris! Iâve just seen the most beautiful play about Cornelia - what a remarkable story! She even had a child while in exile! Goodness me! Such courage! As usual, the costumes were absolutely stunning! Just so fabulous. It seems 1849 is really the start of the Romantic era, and everything just seems so beautifully, enchantingly... romantic! Just perfect for a grand, glorious ballet tutu!
Now, before we delve further into the wonderful world of tutu design, I just had to tell you, my gorgeous readers, about the grandest news! I managed to squeeze in a beautiful, sumptuous dress at La Belle JardiniĂšre just off the Rue de Richelieu, close to the Palais-Royal! It was divine! I've never seen a dress so exquisite! A deep plum satin, oh darling, it was just exquisite! It was perfect for that delightful French evening at a delightful ballet, La Jolie Fille. đ©°
And, if you'll forgive a slight detour from the main event, there was simply the most divine French ballet performance. Can you believe? I have just returned from witnessing a beautiful performance of a lovely one-act ballet by the delightful Parisian choreographer Marius Petipa. Imagine!* I even had time for some afternoon tea! The fashion? Absolutely impeccable. There's an excitement here, a new energy that simply cannot be denied! You see, it seems that our ballerina stars arenât simply dancing - they are flying! **The grace and ease! Oh, itâs magnificent!
The revolutionary ballet tutu makes its grand debut on February 6th, 1849 during a performance of La Fille du RĂ©giment. What a day to be in the history of fashion! It wasn't just the tutu itself, but it represented an incredible new freedom of movement on the stage. Suddenly the world was changed. The women on stage werenât merely elegant performers - they had taken on a life of their own, they could fly through the air, spin effortlessly, all thanks to this most daring fashion design. I have a strong feeling we're about to witness an entirely new age for ballet!
Speaking of La Fille du RĂ©giment, this iconic ballet, created in 1840 by none other than Jacques Offenbach, is a Parisian sensation! I was so delighted by the performance. Itâs simply breathtaking! The whole auditorium simply adored it! And it seems that the lovely Marie Taglioni was the ballerina for that exquisite creation! Can you imagine! That was certainly something I wanted to see, my loves, but unfortunately she has been retired from ballet since 1847! Sadly for me, as she seems like a wonderful ballerina. Imagine, such a darling dancer was here, just a few short years ago!
I am reminded once again of the sheer beauty of the dancing artform! Ballet's a unique style of expression - something truly magical! You feel so alive, filled with grace and elegance. Such incredible athleticism too! Just magical! But oh, such effort - my darling dancers certainly worked hard for such beauty and precision. A true inspiration, my lovely readers, donât you think?
And back to the tutu itself - why, this beautifully layered tutu, a veritable cascade of soft white tulle, allows for more movement - can you imagine the beauty? The elegance? The dancer becomes weightless, seemingly dancing on air, truly capturing the romantic ideals of the era. I daresay it might just be my most favourite ballet moment of all time, if not all time, ever, because it sets the stage, literally, for a revolutionary shift in how ballet will be forever perceived. A new world for ballerinas, a new age for ballet! What an exciting period to be alive in!
But I mustn't get ahead of myself, my sweet dears! There is still more to uncover about this remarkable change! It wasn't simply a change of clothing, a simple tutu, it's a symbol of how a new way of moving and experiencing the world was being established. This wasn't just any tutu, this was the very beginning of ballet history as we know it, as we have been accustomed to, as we adore to this very day! So elegant, so beautiful!
The ballerina herself, Carlotta Grisi who wore the new style tutu at the 1849 Paris debut, is simply radiant! With her elegant danse and graceful jeté her light and delicate movements bring to life this incredible new ballet world. Such freedom and precision in the beautiful, lovely danse, just so elegant, with such ease, so truly lovely! And it was so wonderful to be at this Parisian theatre to witness this moment of ballet history!
The impact of this style revolution wasn't confined to just Paris. News spread fast! As usual, it didn't take long for those stunning and charming French ladies in their boudoir (because my loves, all ladies have a boudoir! ), to be making copies. Imagine that - a true transformation in the dance world all because of fabric. What will we do next, I wonder? Will we invent flying ballet shoes next, maybe a tutu made of flowers! I'm simply excited, my loves, so very excited!
And before you know it, the whole ballet world is captivated, embracing these glorious and exciting changes. This is truly what a revolution looks like. Can you imagine that? A dance of beauty, just as wonderful, just as magical as our world here! But a dance that had only recently found its legs, and this beautiful tutu, is just the right dress for the occasion! A very chic and elegant event indeed. I daresay my readers, that those magnificent Parisian dancers could probably even do a delightful arabesque while wearing their lovely tutu, simply the height of fashion!
Now that you've had your delicious bit of tutu-ful history, I have just one more treat for you: On this date in 1849, Charles Dickens wrote his masterpiece, David Copperfield. And, just imagine!* His words painted pictures *so vividly in my head - what a splendid vision. It was so exquisite! Imagine the delightful characters! Just magnificent, my darlings! So many tales have been inspired by the wonderful dancers of Paris and of England - such a magnificent influence! *Isn't that something amazing?
To sum up our Parisian adventure: - The lovely tutu is on stage! It was like magic! A beautiful vision. It's all about change and evolution! The most daring, the most incredible changes are on stage - so dramatic, and oh so exciting! - I went shopping, it was a joy to simply browse those magnificent stores - nothing is as stylish as a French fashion scene! - The most delightful time I have had visiting so many gorgeous stores and of course, we canât forget the theatre. What a grand affair! A perfect visit to Paris!
And that concludes our #TutuTuesday time-travel escapade, my loves! Until next Tuesday, keep dancing, stay glamorous, and of course, stay pink. And if you dare, send me a photo of yourself in a beautiful tutu, or tell me your thoughts on this tutu-filled adventure in the comments! I adore hearing from you! Until next Tuesday - XOXO
Emma
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