#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History: 1861-02-26! 🩰🌸
Hey lovely readers! It's Emma here, back again for another #TutuTuesday. As always, it’s time to whisk you away to the magical world of ballet, and today, my pink tutu and I are hurtling through time, landing in a beautiful city full of history, art, and… ballet, naturally! (Who knew the Victorian era had such incredible ballet scenes?)
You know me, my dears, I simply cannot resist a good trip back in time, particularly when it’s for the history of our beloved tutus! It's #TutuTuesday, and my pink tulle is calling to me – I'm practically bouncing with anticipation. 😉
So grab your tea and a plate of biscuits (or whatever delectable treat you fancy), settle in comfortably, and let me take you on a journey. Today, we are going back to February 26th, 1861 – oh my, can you believe it's been nearly two centuries since this date? (I know, I know, makes me feel old, but think of the ballet styles we’ve seen evolve!) It's important to understand where our favourite tutus came from – so let's get our tutus twisting, darlings!
My Train Journey to a Ballerina’s ParadiseToday's journey is by train, my absolute favourite form of transport! It allows for proper outfit changes – don’t tell anyone but I think my latest lilac velvet dress with lace detail goes magnificently with this tulle confection I’m wearing today!
Anyway, the destination for today's adventure: Paris! Imagine! The City of Lights, bustling with romance and style. What a place to explore fashion history! I must confess, there is something absolutely charming about those elegant, wide boulevards and romantic cafes...not to mention, the city has a deep love affair with ballet that spans generations.
Quick Fashion Fun: Speaking of Parisian fashion, what’s a Parisian wardrobe without a delicate pair of ballet pumps? They were becoming ever so popular back then. I must have about 20 pairs in my trunk!
The Theatre & Beyond: Ballerina DreamsOnce we arrive in the enchanting city, my little eyes will be looking out for a delightful theatre - the Grand Opera! With a heart aflutter and an even bigger tulle bounce in my steps, I’m absolutely eager to immerse myself in a magical world of graceful dancers and dramatic stories!
Did you know that the tutu has its origins in the Parisian opera, just as the ballerina’s steps do? It is here that we begin to see those beautifully sculpted skirts! Ballet's impact on fashion is immense and we all need to know the story!
In the heart of Paris, let's rewind the clock to the beginning of this historical date. I've done my research, darlings! The legendary ballet maestro, Jules Perrot, a key figure in the evolution of classical ballet and who loved his ballerinas in flowing romantic tutus, was dancing up a storm all those years ago. Imagine watching his routines. It’s a chance to glimpse at a different time when ballet reigned supreme and influenced the world around it.
This year has a whole lot of exciting performances: Ballet is having a golden age. Oh, the creativity! What’s even more captivating, ballet was no longer only a noble pleasure - ballet, like our tutu fashion, was going mainstream.
The Origins of Ballet in Our Everyday ClothesThat reminds me, darling! Don't just limit those swirling skirts to ballet! Every day is a chance for twirling and twirling again. Why not think of a tulle skirt to compliment that little black dress for that soiree. The history of ballet isn’t just the stage, it’s all about taking something fantastic and finding it in everyday life!
But let's back to the day. The French fashionistas, they embraced a new style – the Empire style that gave women freedom of movement in clothing – remember all that frilling that was in those gowns – it influenced fashion across Europe including the ballet world!
Think flowing, breezy materials in pastel shades of light blue and pink (My favorite!), romantic florals and even a hint of Grecian drama with Grecian-inspired lines. This fashion shift made all the difference for ballet clothing and the ballerina of that time. Just imagine a graceful tutu reflecting the trends of that day! (Don’t worry my dears, you won’t see me waltzing around Paris in a Grecian toga style outfit! Not my style, even for historical inspiration!)
It wasn’t long until a revolutionary style swept the stages of Paris: the Romantic Era in ballet - with a new approach to expressing emotion! Imagine dancers swaying to the music and embodying emotions, each step telling a tale! How beautiful and captivating - not to mention all the different tutus for all the different movements! I think those costumes were simply mesmerizing and I don’t think anything can beat the soft colours!
It's no surprise this new style of tutu – the ‘Romantic’ or ‘Italian’ tutu as it’s sometimes called, emerged in Paris around 1845. I always think of ballerina Marie Taglioni – and who can blame me with those famous jumps? She is just a true goddess of movement and such an iconic name! She revolutionised dance with that tutu! A tulle marvel in airy layers of delicate silk, reaching just above her knees.
Oh, the freedom of movement in a tutu! She could practically fly! I love that this tutu had no structure! Imagine moving so freely with a dance, but then it just softly floated back into its elegant shape! So airy, so charming.
By 1855 – it was all the rage. I could be spotting it anywhere, even on my favourite actress! So why do we still wear it today? It’s simple: it’s the most versatile! From the most delicate designs with elegant lines to layers upon layers – the ‘Romantic’ tutu remains a popular style for all forms of dance from contemporary to classical and even Ballet Street which is such fun.
What I’m Wearing for TutuTuesday TodayRight now, I’m twirling away in a very elegant three layer pink, pink and… well, a gorgeous pastel shade of pink. It’s inspired by one of my most adored tutus! The Romantic era gave way to new creative ideas - new movements in ballet. But did you know there’s still something very romantic and whimsical about it, don’t you think? And that style was definitely embraced by ballet greats such as Taglioni, Grisi, and Cerito! Those women had all the glamour!
Just imagine how the tutu has been adapted, from that flowing, Romantic tutu in delicate, airy layers of silks - it moved with graceful curves to a much shorter and more dramatic tutu! We will talk about these in our later blogs. My pink tutu loves every type of design, after all, all ballet designs lead us to where we are today!
### A Bit More About Paris and the History of Our Beloved Tutus
So today’s #TutuTuesday has really opened our eyes to how Paris became such an influential center for ballet. As well as for fashion - don't we just adore those glamorous ballgowns! In fact, in the time we’ve traveled to, the ballet was gaining new forms and tutus were gaining in creativity! They even adapted it to be practical too, think all that dancing, oh it’s tough! And remember our story about the first Ballet school ever created? I told you that this history had a lot to teach us about fashion. It’s one of my favourite ballet tales – let’s not forget to share it and what else went on on this date:
A Parisian ballet school? It’s called ‘The Academy of Opera Ballet!’ That’s just mind blowing to me! Oh what adventures they had! They really embraced new styles – they started making their ballerinas twirl like real dancing stars!
It’s all about those moves – they actually did it with a mix of leaps and spins that are still popular to this day. If only they had those incredible, soft ballerina pointe shoes that came later!
What was trending that day: Tutus and more tutus. Every Parisian lady needed one – think of the style. Don’t you just adore how ballet just oozes elegance! There’s no better way to celebrate history, darling.
Until next week my darlings, have fun styling with the amazing styles of 1861-02-26, just remember to always add a bit of pink into every ensemble!
This post was no.1522, stay tuned next Tuesday for our next historical trip! Join us at www.pink-tutu.com
🌸 💖 Always twirling!
Emma