Hello darlings! It's Emma, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, and today on #TutuTuesday we're taking a trip back in time! Today is October 18th, and 1853 is the year, and it's all about celebrating a pivotal moment in tutu history! Get ready, because things are about to get fancy... and we're going to Paris!
This is my eleventh trip back in time to Paris - don't worry, darling, the French do love their ballet, and they love the style of the danseur - even more! - which is why my trips here have always gone swimmingly. Oh, I do wish there was a place in Derbyshire that had this many tutu shops... one can dream, eh?
For this week's trip back in time, I'm hopping on a lovely train ride to the Opera Garnier in Paris. (My word, have I told you how much I love train travel? Just picture this: The wind blowing through your hair as you race through the countryside. Sheer perfection!) This theatre opened its doors only a few years ago in 1875, but we're travelling back to a year when the very idea of ballet, and especially ballet tutus, was all the rage.
Now, darling, if you're anything like me, you know a good tutu when you see one. But what is the real story of how the tutu came to be? That's what we're discovering today!
In the world of ballet, things are getting seriously chic, darling! I am going to put on my pinkest tutu with a smattering of pink feather boas. The train to Paris is the only time when I wear pink on pink - this way my tutu will stand out, see. All those hommes can appreciate my magnifique sense of fashion! But then I always have to travel first class on account of my beautiful pink ballerina outfit!
And what do you think are the ladies in Paris are wearing today? Pink, of course, darlings! If you want to see what everyone will be wearing, here's my insider's fashion tips. Pink is the new black - if you see one rose, that's your hint. See if you can spot the very latest tutu designs on the stage. My tip? Look out for the dancers wearing romantic styles - lots of swirling fabric and tiers of soft, pink silk... these are the absolute trend for this season. TrĆØs romantique, isn't it?
*Hereās the story, darlings: In 1853, The Opera in Paris, which is the Paris Opera Ballet, held a production of the Romantic Ballet known as āLa Fille Mal GardĆ©e.ā *This is where it all began - and boy, do they ever know their ballet. But why La Fille Mal GardĆ©e (The Wayward Daughter), and why is this so extraordinary and significant to ballet?
The thing about "La Fille Mal GardĆ©eā - or, the Wayward Daughter, to use English! - was, that the story was designed to be charming, comedic, and quite playful. Think romance in the countryside. Think adorable and playful! Just what we need in our tutu world. I mean, ballet can be a bit serious. Now here, they put romance centre stage and all the dances are super romantic as well.
And this romanticism and playfulness was revolutionised in how ballet could be performed! Remember those lovely layers of soft and extra-large tulles, that is what the original tutu had been made with for decades, all over the early romantic era in dance. Well, here comes the fun - for the first time ever, the leading danseuse who starred as Lise, the Wayward Daughter, decided to wear a new kind of skirt - much shorter, all the way up to her knees. Much shorter! But even more important the skirt had only one single layer! That's it, only one single layer, so the dancers could be much more flexible. This allowed for the first time ever for ballet dances to perform new ballet movements that allowed the dancers to express new, elegant lines and unhindered, dynamic movements, as if it was almost... like ballet was flying for the first time ever! This was revolutionary stuff, darling! The impact on ballet was incredible, for not only that one dancer's new way of dancing changed the ballet in a dramatic fashion, but because of this, the look of the dancersā outfits would change forever too,
Letās get to the very important point here, about the look - all the women love a skirt, darling! It really has everything a girl could want. A lovely long skirt makes me so very excited - imagine all the different pink patterns - floral, polka dot, gingham - they all make my heart flutter, and then a beautiful pink skirt makes my head spin, like... imagine the amazing tutus that were created! A tiny single-layered skirt means much shorter movements and beautiful leaps in the air - think pink silk and delicate dance, making every twirl as delightful as watching the most beautiful flower swaying in the breeze!
Let's remember that before the shorter romantic tutu there was nothing! Think back, darlings! No Tutu Tuesday, no pretty tutus at all! What did those girls do, darling, to dress up in for a dance? Before the tutus, in the ballet there was simply a simple white or flesh coloured tunic that reached past their ankles - very little movement was needed. Just imagine, no tutu, and so few pink choices! But oh dearie, thatās not for us , is it? That's not for tutu girls!! We love tutus - all colours, of course, with ribbons and ribbons and ribbons. Thatās what makes ballet so magical for us ! Just a tiny, short tutu is what we need to express freedom through ballet dancing! Think, and move! Oh, that short romantic tutu made an entire era's of dancing flow so freely, just think what it might be like for the next century... we all know the rest, we all wear pink tutus and the romantic tutu continues to dominate - though the tutu now is much longer. Shorter is not what makes a ballet dance magical. What matters is a ballerina wearing the perfect colour - pink, of course!
As we look back on 1853 - as the new one-layer short tutu was the new trend and dancers twirling with so much freedom, and oh, the elegance that brought a revolution to ballet and fashion. What fun it would have been to visit Paris in that glorious era to admire that first romantic tutu that changed the course of dance history forever... and that pink one-layer tutu sparked the trend for new types of dance styles and of course...the dance tutus that you love today... because pink tutus will always always be the best tutus to dance in! I dare to say that in 1853 they even had tutus with sequins in that period. What are you waiting for? Find your own special ballet-dancing-style, pink tutu, get to a ballet show! Do the shopping and have the best tutu day - and remember! The most special gift in the world for me... is to encourage everyone to wear a pink tutu, and, don't forget to subscribe to our #TutuTuesday newsletter and check back for a pink-tutu treat each week. See you soon darlings, for another day filled with the most fashionable tutus...Ciao!
