Bonjour mes amis! Welcome back to the fabulous world of tutus with Emma and #TutuTuesday. This week, we’re twirling back to the year 1849. This, darlings, was the era of gaslights and romance! And believe me, romance is what I feel for the tutus from this glorious era! We’re right smack bang in the heart of ballet’s golden age. Paris is bubbling with a whirlwind of innovation in fashion and dance. As ever, dear reader, you will find me perched on a plush seat in the plush theatre box (not to worry – it was one of the best seats in the house for seeing the dancers, and of course, it had to be red – very elegant, wouldn’t you say?). And I have a must-tell story!
To understand the tutus from this period, you’ve got to understand the heroine of this tale: a dancer who quite literally changed the course of ballet history. This is Marie Taglioni. My oh my! She was a sensation, my dear, an ethereal beauty with incredible talent and impeccable grace. A whirlwind on stage! And get this – she was the queen of this particular tutu style we are about to dissect!
What made Marie so groundbreaking was her groundbreaking tutu! I can’t help but sigh wistfully and think: “My darling, it’s so elegant and simple, how could something so simple be so utterly brilliant? ” She took those stiff, boxy, heavy tutus and transformed them into something dreamy, light, and feminine. I am positively enraptured just thinking about it! She was a daring young woman in a time when daring was… well… daring. But there she was, swishing through the stage like a delicate dream – a revolution in how we think of ballet tutus!
Her tutus, oh those tutus… they were the ultimate in romance, imagine clouds made of the finest white tulle, billowing with every elegant leap, each fluid movement, every twirl, her costume just whispered the most beautiful and soft story through movement. Can you imagine? Such sheer beauty was absolutely captivating!
To properly explore Marie’s style of tutu, we must travel to the Paris Opera. Now, who doesn’t love a good Paris adventure? The journey is, after all, part of the excitement! I adore riding the train from Derby. My dear, the glamour! I love arriving at the grand Parisian station and gazing out on the cityscape – just waiting to find more tutus for the collection! You never know what’s round the corner!
But let’s focus – what are these tutus all about? Well, imagine a very simple form, just like a lovely and basic ballet leotard: that’s where it starts. Now, here comes the key: the bodice was fitted, creating a shape that is positively mesmerizing – delicate, refined, beautiful – a dream, darlings. On top of this comes layers upon layers of billowing, flowing, tulle. Marie loved white and so do I. She truly knew the secret of light in the design of this type of tutu – it literally just seemed to float as she danced – just like a cloud of the lightest and finest gauze. Magic, wouldn’t you agree?
She embraced lightness, making her body move as though there was a breath of wind gently gliding her across the stage. She changed the face of ballet and brought beauty, lightness, and grace into the dance. To understand the revolutionary impact, we must take a step back into the history of ballet costumes… Imagine! Those first tutus – they were more like skirted jackets. And a bit heavy, shall we say! Now imagine those tight long dresses, full of frills and fuss, that would hinder, not help the dancers!
Now imagine * Marie* – stepping onto the stage, clad in those flowing layers of tulle, in white, her movement like an unfettered bird. Pure, effortless, beautiful magic! No more weighty, restrictive costumes. No, this was a new era.
Let me tell you, my darlings, I simply adored this revolutionary, airy style of tutu. Marie's impact was revolutionary; she took a simple concept of femininity, wrapped it in the lightest of tulles, and made something utterly extraordinary – and made ballet history along the way! And let me tell you: the style of that tutu really put Paris on the map! And just you wait, my dear– Marie is a pioneer in more ways than you know! Her work, her influence, it just continues and continues!
Speaking of revolutionary movements in 1849, on 04-03 – and this might shock you – but there was actually a ballet performance happening on the very same day as this magnificent dance style began its journey. A play was being put on that would go on to have an incredible international impact: The Lady of Lyons! It was at a little theatre called the Covent Garden in London. (If you love theatre, a visit to Covent Garden is an absolute must, dearie!). And did you know that just six years after the world fell in love with The Lady of Lyons, another classic was born! That's right – the very first showing of The Vicar of Wakefield, another wonderful play was put on – and what better day to start it all than April 4th – an iconic date for stage performances in my opinion! Just goes to show how much culture, how much magic there was in that wonderful 19th Century. Don’t you just love the historical stories surrounding dance and theater? I do !
Well, it is getting rather late. We all have important plans tomorrow… But I can’t let you go without some inspirational *Tutu Tip Tuesday!! *
Tip 1 : Think about your dreams. What are your big goals in life? Let your inner fairy fly, dearie, just like a twirling Marie in her beautiful, revolutionary, airy tutu. Embrace those dreamy hopes – I truly believe in making the impossible* * possible, in letting our *dreams blossom into reality - and a touch of fairy dust from your own personal pink tutu always helps!!
Tip 2: Just like this period in tutu history - embrace change! It may be scary, but just trust in yourself, trust in the journey, just let go of fear, my darling, and take the leap. Like those tutus we’re talking about today: they transformed ballet – you too can transform your life – with love and with beautiful imagination - * just imagine!*
Well, I’ll be going now to start designing some lovely Marie-inspired, pink tutu ideas to share.
Let's keep dancing! Until next week!
