Hello darlings, and welcome back to another #TutuTuesday! It's your favourite pink tutu-clad blogger, Emma, here, ready to take you on a whirlwind tour through the history of the most magnificent garment ever invented: the tutu.
As always, we're flitting through the timeline on our magical time-traveling adventure! Today we find ourselves in the year 1861. This is just 1518 years since we started this fascinating journey together!
And, guess what?!
We're right in the heart of the most enchanting time in history for ballet. Yes, darling, this is the period that witnessed the emergence of those frilly, swirling, gravity-defying tutus we all adore. Oh, the romanticism! The grace! The elegance! I can almost feel the hush that would fall over the audience as a ballerina swirled onto the stage in her voluminous tulle skirt. Simply heavenly!
Let's step back a few decades though, as there's much ground to cover to reach this exciting peak.
Before our beloved tutu took its grand leap onto the scene, ballerinas wore rather unenchanting tights, a single underskirt, and perhaps a flimsy bodice. Oh, dear! This wasn't quite the poetry in motion that we crave, wouldn't you agree?
But the 18th century was all about revolution and change. France, that most romantic nation, was undergoing a dramatic upheaval and ballet was taking a thrilling turn, too. The French Revolution swept across Europe and its powerful energy was reflected in the ballet studios. The old, starchy costumes, with their restricting corseted waists, were finally* ditched, in favour of looser, more fluid designs. A fresh wave of *femininity began to appear on the stage, and this enchanted all who watched.
It was the Italian choreographer, Carlo Blasis, who set the tone in the 1820s. Imagine him, standing centre stage, gesturing with passion as he exclaimed, "This is how a ballerina should move! Light and graceful!" His revolutionary choreography demanded movement, flow, and freedom.
A decade later, the great Parisian dancer Marie Taglioni burst onto the scene. The whispers turned to roars, the audiences gasped in admiration. Marie wore the ultimate statement of female emancipation: a simple, flowing white muslin skirt – a vision of ethereal elegance that brought gasps of admiration and a new direction to ballet costumes.
And, my dears, that's when things truly took off!
By the 1830s, the "Romantic Tutu" emerged. Imagine those multiple layers of gauzy tulle, clinging delicately to the dancer's silhouette, with a waist so impossibly tiny it almost defied reality. They whispered of freedom, of ethereal movement, and, of course, of romance!
In our special time traveling day of 29th January 1861 ballet was in its golden era. Audiences danced with excitement for ballet's latest fashion craze: a short, conical skirt called a *"Tutu à la Régence".* It would revolutionize the ballet world and the stages were alight with the frills and frocks of ballerinas dressed for glory. The excitement!
In Derbyshire, it would be easy to enjoy a local ballet performance - a real privilege! Ballet performances and dance halls were springing up all over England and were the place to be seen! A young lady couldn't dream of a better afternoon!
This "Tutu à la Régence" is a vision of the ballerina's ideal physique - slender and graceful, like a willow swaying in the wind! It allows ballerinas the freedom to show off their athleticism and grace, revealing the beautiful shapes of their perfectly toned legs as they jump and spin.
Oh, darling, can you imagine anything more beautiful?! It's poetry in motion.
And you know me – I just have to have a matching ensemble, so, you can imagine my excitement as I hit the stores in 1861. This trip has taken quite a bit of planning and rehearsal, my little pocket ballet troupe, consisting of 3, 7 year olds has certainly learned a few fancy moves to keep my trip afloat! We have been wowing the crowds and they have certainly given me enough to pay for our time travelling adventure to visit our historical dress maker today in this delightful place!
After the whirlwind performance in our provincial ballet company in Derbyshire, it’s off to the local milliner to purchase my replica "Tutu à la Régence" , and let me tell you, darlings, it was simply divine! Layers upon layers of pale pink tulle swirling in my wake! I felt like I was floating on a cloud!
Shopping for the outfit in 1861 was a complete adventure. It’s amazing what you can get at the market in Derbyshire! The dresses they create for ballet were made of silk and tulle and were so dazzling with lace trim and exquisite ribbons!
Then, off to the theatre! The theatre was full, darling, so full of people just as eager to catch the ballet as me. The performances were magnificent – the dancers a whirlwind of colour and movement – with tutus fluttering around them. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!
Today’s ballet performance featured one of the great female ballet icons who took the 19th century world by storm, Fanny Elssler.
And that's all for this #TutuTuesday, darlings! I'm off to design my own Tutu à la Régence (in pink of course!). Be sure to visit www.pink-tutu.com and share your favorite tutu moments! Don't forget to spread the pink tutu love – let's make the world a more twirly, magical place!
Until next time, darlings! 💖🩰
