Bonjour, my lovelies! Welcome to my #TutuTuesday blog, your weekly dose of all things tutus and twirls. This week, we're taking a trip down memory lane to a particularly exciting moment in tutu history. Buckle up, because we're heading back to… drumroll please… June 3rd, 1851!
I just love time travel! As a professional ballerina, and even bigger tutu enthusiast, travelling back through history is the ultimate adventure. I've found that a dazzling performance or two is all it takes to earn some travel funds. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a bit of glamorous shopping in the era I'm visiting! The fabrics, the accessories, oh my!
So, why 3rd June 1851, you ask? Because this date is utterly bursting with ballet excitement!
We're talking the Grand Opening of the Crystal Palace in London! Now, I know what you're thinking: Crystal Palace? What on earth does that have to do with tutus? Well, let me tell you! This dazzling exhibition of industrial wonders also housed a beautiful stage designed for ballets!
Now, in 1851, the tutus we know and love were still evolving. Think light, airy skirts, but not yet the structured masterpieces that we see today. But even in their early form, those skirts had everyone in a frenzy! The ballet dancers were the absolute stars of the show, their every twirl and grand jeté leaving the audience in awe! It was pure magic!
Imagine a world where everyone's dressed in their finery - gorgeous gowns and top hats for the gents! The women were all the latest fashions - silks and satins and lace - it's such a lovely vision of the elegance of the era. You can practically hear the hushed whispers and see the excited smiles. And in the middle of this stunning spectacle, the ballerinas take center stage, their beautiful skirts fluttering in a whirlwind of movement and beauty. Can you picture it? It must have been glorious!
It's funny to think that, just 30 years earlier, the ballet world was completely different. Think of the revolutionary Marie Taglioni, "the goddess of the dance", who made ballet so popular. Before her, the dancers wore stiff and restrictive outfits. She was the first to embrace the flowing skirts, bringing the focus back to the dancer's movements, creating something that's as enchanting today as it was back then.
Now, the Crystal Palace was just a taste of things to come. Imagine all the magical moments, the incredible performances, the stories that these little dances spun! The Crystal Palace might not have been designed specifically for ballet, but it perfectly illustrated that tutus were a sensation that could take the world by storm!
Did you know that the Crystal Palace even hosted a “Masque of the Red Death”? It sounds totally magical. Think beautiful, dark reds, flowing silks, dancing shadows... pure dramatic poetry in motion. I would love to experience that - maybe in my next time travel adventure!
So, to conclude this #TutuTuesday, remember that those amazing tutus have a fascinating history, full of drama and intrigue. The journey they’ve taken, from restrictive costumes to the lightweight and dynamic designs we know and love today, is a fascinating one! Who knows what exciting adventures await the tutu in the future?
I can't wait to see where our tutu adventures will take us next!
Yours in Pink,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
(Blog Post 1014)
