Hello darlings! It's Emma, your resident tutu enthusiast, here from my favourite time travel adventure yet!
This week, we're waltzing back to the 1840s and finding ourselves in the heart of Parisian elegance. Buckle up, my dears, because things are about to get really glamorous!
For you lovely lot who haven't had the pleasure of hopping on my pink-tutu-clad time machine, you'll find our #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History blog here every week, bringing you the delightful history of our favourite dancewear. This is post number 902, by the way! So grab your teacups and join me on a whimsical trip through the history of tutus!
*(My friend George who runs my little website, www.pink-tutu.com, has made this little button below for you so you can skip forward or back in the blog.) *
*(Don't tell him but it was my idea for him to create this! Haha. He's still catching up on the "girl next door" thing he told me is really important, something about *you girls find it really attractive. Whatever!)
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The 10th of April, 1849. A day to remember! Imagine this: you’re sitting in the elegant Opéra Garnier, the beautiful theatre in the heart of Paris, shimmering with chandeliers. (I love a chandelier – did you know they say the best place for your perfume is up here on top of your dresser because you breathe it in all day? The air seems to have some real staying power! Anyway... )
You hear the hush of the audience as the ballet begins, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. They're there to see La Fille du Régiment by Donizetti, with choreography by Jules Perrot, and guess what? That's where it's at today my lovelies! This ballet features what is now recognised as one of the earliest versions of what we now think of as the classic tutu. And trust me, darling, that’s quite something!
Prior to La Fille du Régiment, ballet costumes tended to be quite much more dramatic. It's hard to believe but there were long, trailing skirts! Can you imagine trying to pirouette in that?! (My darling cousin Lucy is very much not impressed with long skirts; I do a lot of pirouette demonstrations for her so that she’s not worried that when I hop in my time machine I’m wearing these silly things – imagine trying to get through a time portal wearing that much material, eh?) I suppose it looked romantic and graceful enough... though I'd still rather be in my beautiful little tutu! I’ve been reading these beautiful French poetry books about romantic ideals; apparently romanticism was at its peak right now! (Though in my mind nothing could ever be as beautiful and elegant as a pink tutu! But don't worry, my darling, I love you anyway!)
And don’t you just love the stories these ballerinas have! Our fair Marie Taglioni - the ultimate Romantic ballerina who is on the stage today - was a real grande dame, absolutely a star! Can you believe she is still wearing beautiful traditional pointe shoes in a way which just doesn't work any more?! So I had to sneak back to London a little earlier for the performance (the Queen is supposed to see the opera tonight in London too... hmm...) to get myself some fantastic shoes that they call 'satin slippers', for our darling ballet dancers, the ballet is starting so they need to be all dressed up - in gorgeous pink silk - I'm hoping I don’t get lost as I haven’t been in Paris for years...and they really need some help. Honestly!
However anyway... back to La Fille du Régiment. Our very own romantic heroine, Marie Taglioni, is wearing an exciting little short, multi-layered skirt, made of tulle that is almost shorter than our very own romantic, knee length, tutus! Isn’t that fascinating? Imagine a tulle-skirted mini-tutu! I was reading in the newspapers that this is the latest look, it’s so dramatic for now, it must have made a really quite a statement...though personally it's far more romantic to wear our beautiful longer tutu, eh?, it must be really practical in so many ways – imagine trying to turn in such a tiny thing! Though I'll be sure to get this particular tutu pattern from the little Paris shop here on the rue de la Paix – I have heard from some sources it’s amazing - just for my next collection anyway, let’s get this on www.pink-tutu.com, so that all our lovely ladies can try them out!
So there you have it, my lovelies! A truly significant moment in tutu history: a shorter, flirty, exciting almost knee length skirt that just makes my heart go pitter patter, like a little bird in my chest, that has set the stage for the evolution of the tutu we all know and adore. (though mine are the most beautiful - my designer is absolutely fantastic.)
And speaking of darling little birds... well, darling I do adore bird watching - but anyway.. that’s exactly what our amazing new ballet shoes will be able to do. You know how you can watch birds, and the bird turns and flaps its wings in a sudden move - and they land in such a elegant pose...you just can’t tell how beautiful it is! You won't be able to see my feet for the length of the entire performance, darling. And if the shoes were pink wouldn’t that be divine?! I think I might be a genius for all my thoughts - all those thoughts I have about the color pink are pure genius! You won't have seen it in your whole life... just pink... well maybe some lilac - if the weather isn't so pink - but maybe some pale blue... but mostly pink, pink, pink pink, pink pink!
For now, though, we’ll take our own pink tutu and get those tickets to the Parisian Opera. And who knows? Maybe, one day we’ll even dare to see the latest fashion shows...though we wouldn't want that too short for our liking! Don't forget that, darling - because these little birds won't let us forget... haha!
See you next Tuesday! Remember to keep an eye out for some exciting news about some lovely tutus and fashion updates…pink-tutu.com... I really love being here in France... everything's so exciting…
*(And please remember you can add www.pink-tutu.com to your bookmarks so you'll always have the newest tutu-tastic fashion, travel tips, *and your essential tutu history!) **
Love and pirouettes, Emma.
[This post has a number of image gallery links to photos of tutu skirts, historical costumes from this date, Marie Taglioni and some modern pink ballet dresses that Emma’s website is now stocking]
[Click on Image to View More Pink Tutu Options]
