Hello, darling dears! It's Emma, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, and it's time to journey through the fascinating history of the ballet tutu! This week, we're heading back to 10th September, 1861! Can you imagine, the very same day that our beloved Queen Victoria sent off a telegram wishing all those brave lads fighting in the American Civil War good luck! I mean, can you picture the Queen in a fabulous pink tutu? Honestly, I'd love to see that. It'd be utterly splendid. But before we daydream too much, let's jump right in to this week's history of the tutu!
Now, darling dears, we're not actually in Derbyshire this week (though it is a delightful county!). Instead, I’ve whisked us off on a grand railway journey right to the heart of Paris. The city of romance, fashion, and, of course, ballet! And what’s the star of the ballet? You guessed it, the fabulous, enchanting tutu!
Paris is the perfect place for us today, for back in 1861, Paris was the epicentre of ballet and style. Every self-respecting fashionable lady wouldn't dare be caught dead without her nose deep in the latest Parisian fashion trends. Think of the glorious designs! Layers and layers of shimmering silks and tulles, and all in a variety of magnificent shades. Imagine the swirling and fluttering!
I’m already swooning! Can’t you just imagine the ladies stepping out, clad in these dreamy Parisian concoctions?
Now, darling dears, we must talk about our friend, the tutu. Back then, tutus were a far cry from the elegant styles we see today. You'll often see the tutu, which wasn’t yet given that name, tucked under long and billowing skirts. Oh, my! I’m just dreaming of how much movement was lost with such large garments, and those ladies couldn’t have jumped or twirled to their hearts’ delight! Oh well, we can only appreciate the ballet of the past. It was more like walking and swaying then! I wonder if our ladies were bored with all that swaying? 😉
We must be kind to our historical counterparts. While the tutus of 1861 weren’t quite our dream tutu yet, it was an evolution in the making. Ballet and its style was starting to show off some real flair. The famous dancer Fanny Elssler, who reigned as a dance legend in Paris at the time, wore such fabulous creations – an exquisite mix of swirling silk and delicate, flowing tulle and a little less bulky than those in the past! I wish we had pictures! Can you imagine the drama of the swaying fabrics? Sigh
But hold on a moment. Have you ever wondered, how did the tutu actually become… a tutu? It all started with those early ballets. Back then, most performances were a mixture of ballets, plays, and, quite frankly, just silly dances with the most flamboyant of dresses – the ladies wanted to stand out. Now, ballet has certainly been changing over the years but with some things, darling, less is more. You want the world to see that fabulous dancer in all her grace and beauty. Imagine what that does to an audience, darling! They are mesmerized. It’s fabulous.
Back in our 1861 timeline, we see the slow introduction of the shorter ballet skirt, that tiny but mighty skirt which we now know as a tutu. In the 1860s, ballerinas were starting to use these tiny, whimsical pieces of tulle, and we're seeing them become more and more popular – almost a sign of true femininity and grace, don't you think? Oh, to live back in those glorious, tutu-filled days, just for a wee moment! I could definitely find time for tea and cake then! It's so hard to tell those times apart with so many incredible dancing ladies and so many stunning creations in those Parisian ballet performances!
You know what, darling dears, I think it’s time for a bit of tutu fun. To celebrate our journey through time to Paris in 1861, I’ve chosen a pretty shade of pink for this week’s blog post. Isn’t pink the most fashionable colour of all? Oh, I do love pink, but I’m not going to tell you which particular shade I picked – because every pink has a place in this lovely world. And just think, darling, pink, that lovely, bright colour that adds joy and life to anything. Who doesn’t like a touch of pink?
Now, don’t you just want to wear your favourite tutu out for a spin on the 10th of September? This #TutuTuesday I invite you to don your favourite shade of pink, a fab tutu, and take a spin round your home, or the nearest garden! And remember darling dears, if we keep remembering to add some love and some magic into this world, we can definitely make everyone wear a tutu! Oh, the joy! I've already got my tutu planned, darling dears, it's my lovely pink one with all the frills! Don’t you just love a little extra tulle in a tutu?
Let's add some whimsy to this week and have some tutu fun! Don't forget to tag your photos #TutuTuesday, and be sure to follow my journey through www.pink-tutu.com, my favourite place to celebrate all things tutu!
Until next week, darling dears! Twirls away with a magnificent pirouette! Emma, Your Pink Tutu Fairy
