Hello, my darlings!
It’s Emma here, back again for another glorious #TutuTuesday. Can you believe we’re already nearing the end of November? Time just seems to fly when you're hopping between centuries, wouldn't you agree?
Speaking of time, this week's #TutuTuesday takes us back to the 1850s - the dawn of the modern tutu! Yes, that's right, on 25th November 1851, something incredible happened: The Great Exhibition opened in London, England - and guess what was a major attraction? The ballet!
It's the year 1851. I've packed my most flamboyant, perfectly-pink tutu, my trusty straw boater, and I'm about to hop onto the most magnificent train I've ever seen. We're off to London, the centre of the fashion universe, where the Great Exhibition, or 'Crystal Palace,' is all the rage. Imagine a massive glass palace filled with marvels from all over the world!
As you know, dear readers, I have an insatiable love for all things ballet. And you know what? The ballet wasn't just present in this historic event - it was absolutely front and centre!
I've read through dusty, ancient theatre programmes, scoured forgotten archives, and travelled to forgotten corners of history (by train, naturally) to uncover the glorious truth. The Crystal Palace had an entire section devoted to dancing! The Parisian ballet legend Carlotta Grisi, a legendary ballerina, was one of the main attractions, dancing in the very first performance of The Corsair, a truly revolutionary ballet that showcased her incredible talent. This performance was unlike anything the public had seen before. And guess what? The skirts!
Remember that stunning "Tutu de Nuit", that soft and flowing skirt, like clouds swirling around her legs? It wasn't like that at all back in 1851. That magical and almost weightless "fairy-like" movement wasn't born for a few more decades. Instead, the Parisian dancers (and even a few English dancers) sported their usual ballet skirt, short but still with many layers. Imagine it – short, but not so short as to show anything at all, except maybe a hint of knee. They wore the traditional ballet costume, but there was a new element to it that sparked a fashion revolution - a daring peek at the leg. And everyone noticed it! Imagine the whispers of excitement, the “ohhh” and “ahhhs!”
Oh, I was positively agog at this fashion change, I just couldn’t contain myself, I swear, the energy of the crowd was positively electric! I simply had to get closer! But then… what is this? I suddenly had a feeling something was different. Not just different, special, spectacular! I glanced around and it hit me, suddenly - something felt familiar yet new, like the smell of rose water and jasmine at the same time!
Imagine rows of bright dresses - yellows, pinks, and oranges! Oh! And blue! So much blue - it made me feel a bit dizzy at first! The dancers, even the ones from London, even had their own distinctive colour palettes, some of them shocking shades that could only have been dreamt up by an impish pixie. What a spectacle! A riot of colours!
But the real fashion spectacle, the real gasp, was... the skirt! It seemed to take up most of the stage - but that's what made it so very, very elegant. The skirt of this revolutionary new dress – well, it’s difficult to describe, really, it’s beyond description - it was an orchestra of silk, layers and layers and layers of softest silk that danced as if it was alive, like a beautiful wave moving from side to side.
And then I remembered, this is no ordinary dress... It’s The Tulle Dress.
The tulle dress of the Crystal Palace! They’re a masterpiece! The real beginning of our amazing world of ballet fashion. Imagine my excitement – It was such a dramatic, sweeping, graceful, fashion statement!
That's when it struck me - we owe it all to those talented Parisian ballerinas! They, with their graceful elegance and boldness, revolutionized not just dance, but fashion itself.
*Why, they are even now remembered! The inspiration for tutus, a *tutu of all tutus! * And *that's something to celebrate.
This is just a small peek into the fascinating history of ballet! My lovelies, you can trust me when I say it’s always changing, always exciting! Join me again next Tuesday for another journey through time, for another incredible #TutuTuesday story! Don’t forget to wear your pink tutu – because the world’s a prettier place when everyone’s wearing one!
See you all then!
Love, Emma.
