Welcome, lovelies, to another fabulous #TutuTuesday, a post all about ballet tutu history. You've tuned in to your favourite time-travelling tutu enthusiast, Emma, coming live fromā¦ wait for itā¦ Paris! The City of Lights, darlings! Can you believe it?! Yes, I managed to grab a train from London and poof! Bonjour! How exciting, isn't it?!
*Today, weāre turning the clock back to May 1st, 1860. *
Just imagine the sheer delight! Picture yourself swirling through Paris on this glorious May morning. Weāre practically neighbours to the exquisite Palais Garnier Opera House. How divine, just down the road, literally!
So, as always, letās travel back in time to discover how tutus have sashayed onto the dance floor ā today is all about the beginnings of that delightful layered ballerina dress!
Whatās the Big News? Why, Paris, Of Course!
Think balletā¦ think the elegant Paris Opera Balletā¦ think of the divine dancing costumes in the most glorious of pinks. You got it - we're stepping into the realm of ballerina history right now. It's the early stages of the "tutu," darling!
If I was in Paris today in 1860, Iād be so excited, rushing straight to the ballet to get the best seat! Just think, back in these early days of dance costumes, those dancers would have been the stars of Paris ā and the city was absolutely buzzing for their incredible art! I wonder who was performing tonightā¦ I must pop by the local bookstore, maybe Iāll find a playbill! I just love an antique playbill.
The First Steps to Tutu Glory:
1860ā¦ the time weāre talking about todayā¦ you just couldnāt imagine what dance wear would look like just a few years down the line! Those ballerinas in this timeā¦ well, you wouldāve barely been able to spot them against the set scenery, my dears! Thereād be lots of layers - those beautiful tutus of our times, these weren't quite ready yet, no siree!
Those dancers back then would have been dressed in rather a cumbersome way - lots of flounces and layers of cotton and satin! In those days, the whole concept of ballet dress wasnāt quite as established - it was evolving in style as the dancers explored different movement, just as dancers always do. So exciting!
The "Dress de Danse"
Did you know the word "tutu" itself wouldn't have been around back in the 1860s? Not a whisper!
That early style, oh darling, the "dress de danse," would have been long! Yes! Reaching just below the ankles. Can you imagine having to work in those kinds of costumes? Now, just think how thatās changed over time. And wouldnāt they be too heavy?!
Imagine trying to do your chassƩ or a beautiful jetƩ in those skirts. I mean, just getting them off after the performance would have been an exhausting endeavor, let alone during a demanding performance!
And Why So Long?!
Why would they want to create "dresses" that were so long?! It was really more about social decency! Thatās how society was back thenā¦ all these big Victorian sleeves and skirts with a good inch or two above the ankle! It all came down to how much you could show of your legs - so scandalous! But, as with everything else in fashion, thankfully the times are changing.
The Shape of the Tutu To Be:
You know how weāve been seeing the ballerina style tutus get gradually shorterā¦ ever so slowly.. now look at what our "Dress de Danse" looked like around this period in ballet history. We know there were lots of lovely "romantic" ballets taking shape and weāve seen that some skirts have shorter, tighter bodices with flounces at the topā¦ Oh how those dancers moved in those clothesā¦ I must give them the most heartfelt of applause! Imagine performing in what we would consider today as quite uncomfortable attire - they are amazing dancers.
A Quick Word on the Most Wonderful Fabric: Tulle!
Do you know what material the ballet dancers would be wearing under all their petticoats and cotton? And you guessed it - tulle! The original lightweight tutu material of a thousand flounces, layers and billows - the ātulleā fabric! Can you picture those beautiful billowing layers - how wonderful the skirts would look dancing!
The Early Days: All About Layers
Remember, before the tutu, in those days, what theyād really use, oh yes to build up all the fullness were big stiff "panniers" to give their "dresses" that gorgeous skirt shapeā¦ And can you imagine having to waltz around all those hoops and panniers!
- Imagine all those amazing shapes and layers and fabricsā¦ how interesting it is to compare those *early dancing dress fashions of ballet in the past, and how theyāve changed over time to be what we recognize as a "tutu" today! Exciting times indeed! I canāt wait to see what those ādress de danse"s will be looking like in the years to comeā¦ so much potential!
My Time-Travelling tutu Observations of the Early Days:
Today, let's appreciate those wonderful ballerinas and ballet fashion designers of the past. Iād be so excited to be out there wearing a pink tutu in 1860s Parisā¦ although I think, dearie, that "Dress de Danse," oh darling, would have had to change slightly! That would just have been too much material and a lot of bulky layers - that skirt would have just have got in my way. Whatās a ballerina to do, my dearies, without a fabulous tutu? I'm thinking we could create a smaller version for the 1860s ballet, maybe just two or three layersā¦ it must be fabulous! Thatās what fashionās all about! Always looking ahead!
I think that's all from me for this #TutuTuesday. Do join me for #TutuTuesday on my amazing website, www.pink-tutu.com. Until next time my dears. Au revoir! And please donāt forget - thereās nothing more wonderful in the whole wide world than a fabulous pink tutuā¦ except for wearing a pink tutu!
