Bonjour mes amies!
Welcome back to Pink Tutu, your go-to source for all things tutus! It's another fabulous #TutuTuesday, and today I'm whisking you back in time to July 8th, 1856, a date that’s positively overflowing with ballet history!
Now, this week I've been particularly taken by the romanticism of the era, and it was while perusing my very own time-travelling wardrobe – the fabulous wardrobe a girl’s got to have when travelling the world! – that I landed upon a rather fabulous tulle confection. Honestly, it was a symphony of whispers of delicate silk and the merest hint of blush pink – just the sort of colour to have those around you swooning in appreciation!
This particular piece – *oh, it would have caused quite a stir if I’d stepped onto a Parisian street wearing it back in the day! - * was the closest thing they had to a proper tutu back in 1856. You see, our beloved tutu wasn’t exactly ‘born’ overnight – like a captivating ballet performance itself, the story unfolds in elegant, mesmerizing stages.
A Journey Through Time
Imagine, if you will, those grand ballets in the heart of 19th Century Paris! The likes of Marius Petipa and the famed Carlotta Grisi, a truly captivating dancer with exquisite grace and artistry! She’s a true legend and it’s my ambition to see her dance – imagine, I could ask her all my Tutu Tuesday questions! Now, while Carlotta certainly glided with grace across the stage, her dance attire was – dare I say – a little… constricting!
You see, during the reign of Romanticism in the mid 1800s, those who dreamt of ballet and performance danced within corsets and layers upon layers of skirts. While this undoubtedly emphasised the curves of the body, there wasn’t much freedom for the legs.
Now, my fellow fashionistas, the stage was ripe for change, and as we all know, necessity is the mother of invention. Enter Marie Taglioni! This dazzling dancer wasn’t simply concerned with mere style, she longed to move with elegance, grace, and absolute freedom of movement, just like a wisp of smoke catching the summer breeze.
This remarkable woman wanted to move without any constraints! So she took that dramatic, oh-so-stylish, Romanticism movement – a little heavy for her liking, truthfully! - and infused it with that light, airy and graceful elegance which truly reflected the power of her incredible talent.
Now, Marie didn’t invent the tutu directly. I've read in my trusty travel diaries about some incredible artists and designers in Paris – we have a wonderful trip to Paris coming up – can’t wait! - like Paul Lormier, who in the early 1830s was experimenting with tunics, and even that legendary man Jean-Baptiste de Gaspe, famed for his innovative costumes – who wouldn’t be impressed with the way his talent enhanced the skill of these remarkable ballet dancers?!
The Beginning of the Tutu Story
But this tutu story, ladies, isn’t about being a spectator to a ballet – it’s about becoming part of it. Just like how Marie envisioned it back in those early years.
And in that year 1836, The Sylphide, the tale of a young Scottish woman, had all those ladies in the audience fluttering like a gentle summer breeze. But imagine this - to achieve those stunning arabesques, that ethereal lightness, she needed something, well, new. * She needed the *tutu in all its glory. And then, just like magic… **it happened!
Enter the first real tutu!
It wasn’t quite what we think of now, my dear ballet aficionados. Think about the lightness, the grace, and most importantly, the freedom a tutu offers to those magical ballerina movements. Those iconic leaps, pirouettes and elegant jetés!
Imagine the excitement when it appeared on stage – an exquisite explosion of soft layers and tulle - the embodiment of artistry and lightness itself. And let me tell you, my friends, this changed EVERYTHING! It wasn’t just a revolution of dress, this revolutionized how a dancer expressed herself, how she moved with the most graceful power, on stage! A moment where history was literally made through the sheer power and beauty of a dance costume.
Time Travel Tips
In my 1856 tour diaries, The *Sylphide was a sensation. But to see a tutu, well that’s the big challenge. Now, *it was common for dancers to change their skirts into something less constricting on stage – just for the dances. It was really exciting seeing those moments of change, *the stagecraft itself was something special in the day! But seeing a complete, beautiful tutu on stage, well you had to be in the right place, at the right time! *
And it took years for this revolutionary piece of dance costume to be fully realised! That journey, my dear friends, is what we’re exploring this Tutu Tuesday! It wasn’t all at once, no! It took patience, dedication and sheer talent on the part of some incredibly gifted people, the kind of talent and commitment that gets me moving my legs and my whole heart! They pushed those boundaries, those constricting fabrics and traditional views, right to their limit. Just like I am doing with this little Pink Tutu blog! One Tutu at a Time!
But, like a delicious hot chocolate after a long and invigorating winter ballet class, there's something just so very satisfying about knowing we’re on that journey! * This ballet costume is one that is just about *moving, dancing and being free – the spirit of a tutu!
The first, true, ballet tutu was like a tiny bud, blossoming in all its glory during the end of the 19th Century, right into the 20th century. I can’t wait to reach that time. I'm hoping one of these years we’ll even be in the right time, place and country to get some new and absolutely fab tutus! I'll tell you all about them - you can be sure! What we know is that it wouldn't have happened without the artistry and passion of some *incredible dancers! I can only hope to bring that kind of passion to *Pink Tutu!*
It was also this time in history that my *favourite dance piece, La Sylphide, was created in Paris. It was during this period, just when the tutu was taking form and the world was falling in love with ballet, and we're on this magnificent dance of the history of the tutu together!* *What an extraordinary journey it has been!
Time to Think Pink
So today, friends, let's revel in the legacy of Marie Taglioni, of the romantic ballerinas, of the sheer genius and elegance that propelled us towards this wonderful dancewear masterpiece! It was in the romantic era – 1800 to 1850 *give or take! - where that artistic spirit of dance bloomed!
We will delve deeper into those history moments next week – you know it, Pink Tutu will never stop loving and discovering a good tutu! In the meantime, grab your tutus – pink or otherwise, darling! And lets dream of the magical tutu history unfolding around us, together!
Much love to you from your *Pink Tutu friend,
Emma
P.S.: What exciting adventures does our pink tutu blogger have lined up? Check back next week for another amazing Tutu Tuesday story!
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