Hello my dearest Tutu Tribe!
It’s me, Emma, back from another thrilling time-traveling adventure and I'm positively bursting to share today's #TutuTuesday history with you! As always, let's dive right in...
This week, I’ve travelled back to August 9th, 1859. It’s a sweltering London day - can you believe I've left my gorgeous pink tutu behind for a much more practical outfit?! (Yes, the weather here requires something with sleeves. I know, a tragedy!).
So, why did I choose today in particular? It's because of one of the most prominent names in ballet, someone we can truly credit with shaping what the ballerina looked like and what it meant to dance: Madame Carlotta Grisi.
This lady, my dear readers, is quite the trendsetter! A world-renowned ballerina from Italy who captivated audiences all over Europe (including my own fair Derbyshire!). Now, if we rewind back to her days, a typical ballerina in the 1800s would've danced in a short skirt, perhaps made of silk or tulle, but still more utilitarian.
Carlotta, however, brought the whimsy!* She revolutionised ballet with her beautiful *short-waisted costumes, incorporating delicate tulle and layering the material into multiple layers. Yes, she basically created the forerunner of the *tutu we know and love! Imagine – she wasn’t just dancing, she was dancing wearing pink tulle with intricate embellishments. It’s no surprise that she was known for her breathtaking leaps and turns; all of that je ne sais quoi was just designed to enhance her graceful movements!
As I write this, I'm in the heart of Covent Garden. You should just hear the buzz in the air as theatre-goers stroll along! London’s ballet scene is absolutely alive in 1859, it’s so refreshing to be back in the era where fashion and performance collided.
And speaking of colliding – just earlier today, I happened to see Carlotta herself, absolutely magnificent, take centre stage at the Theatre Royal! (Oh, darling, don't tell the time travel authorities but I might have squeezed my way into the upper circle for the performance - oh my, was it exquisite!). The audiences absolutely adored her. Every single movement was a triumph. You could almost hear their awe! I couldn’t help but feel a strong pang of my own artistic heart! Wouldn’t it be divine to wear something similar to her tutu, a real-life ballet fairy?
Speaking of fashion, it seems 1859 isn’t quite ready for a pink tutu, but there's an almost poetic contrast between her elegant stage costumes and the slightly more "serious" fashions worn in London itself. Of course, everyone adores a delicate white dress with layers of lace and ribbon, but just imagine the sheer drama if they knew about the wonders of *pink! * I can’t even imagine it, the excitement! I feel like the very *future of fashion is on the horizon, with all those vibrant hues just waiting to be embraced!
But hold onto your hats, tutu-loving friends! This isn't about just following trends! To me, Carlotta's contribution was far bigger than the pretty frills of a dance costume – it's about freedom. A freedom to move, to leap, to spin! And that freedom extends beyond the stage and into our own lives, too.
As a budding ballerina from Derbyshire, you know I'm all about finding the joy in every moment. Just imagine whirling about with an enchanting pink tulle tutu; there's something absolutely magical and liberating about a pink tutu - its power is truly enchanting!
Don't be afraid to try something new. Express yourself! Be the vibrant, fabulous you! And just you wait, the time will come for all of us to enjoy the pink tutu era – perhaps my next time travel escapade will bring me a few decades forward… wouldn’t that be something!
Now, off I go to find a spot in a cosy café here in Covent Garden. After all, my ballet performances do fund my time travelling, it’s rather exhausting hopping around the past! The theatre is simply wonderful though, so much so I must go shopping in a fashion shop - I simply have to see what clothes the fashion forward folk wear - don’t you just love that fashion is always exciting?
Until next Tuesday, my darlings, embrace the freedom!
Yours in tutu, and a dash of pink,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
