Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your very own tutu-wearing, train-loving time-traveler, back with another installment of my beloved Tutu Tuesday series! Today, we're stepping into a real historical treasure chest: 1862! Buckle your ribbons and let's dance our way through time!
(cue dainty waltz music)
This date is very, very special to us tutudonians - it's the year our most beloved garment truly took its first, graceful pirouette!
You see, my dears, tutus weren't just invented; they evolved! They blossomed from practical, even a bit heavy, "skirts" for ladies of the court into the graceful symbol of lightness and elegance we all know and adore today. Imagine a very long, swishy, silky "skirt" like the one Queen Victoria would wear – lovely, but maybe not the best for spinning en pointe!
So, our tutus didn't quite appear in full glory on 28th January, 1862. We're taking a tiny trip back in time - Paris, 1841. Now this city was a whirl of invention, new ideas, and a booming fashion scene - very much like London! But here, in this year, was born a revolutionary creation. M. Marius Petipa, the legendary ballet choreographer, working with Marie Taglioni, a stunning ballerina famed for her light, ethereal style (oh how we love a strong lady in ballet!), conceived an innovative dance costume: The Romantic Tutu!
It was short! A scandalous concept at the time! Gone was the dragging, voluminous skirt - instead, layers of tulle gave a light and delicate feel, floating, twirling, showcasing the grace and movement of the dancer. It became a sensation, bringing forth a new age in ballet.
(music swells dramatically)
This short, ethereal skirt became known as the tutu-à-la-romantique. It took this "à la romantique" style around 15 years to truly become "the" style of the tutu! That's about how long it takes to perfect a pirouette! The gradual process is delightful. The initial stage is about finding a new silhouette for a beloved style, like a silk dress going from maxi to midi! By 1858, the new tutu began to take off. This date is very important for a tutu-lover like me: in this year, ballet lovers like myself can wear short-length tutus to ballets in England, and even try them at dancing class! What fun!
It's a funny thing how much one little, simple change - making a skirt a bit shorter – could lead to such a dramatic shift in not only the art of ballet but in our very culture! Can you imagine the gasps of surprise, the whispers of delight at those early performances, as the graceful dance became even more captivating! It was a shift like those elegant dancers making a stunning grand jeté!
**(music turns to upbeat jazzy tune)
This is our #TutuTuesday, dear readers. And the magic, like a well-placed grand plié, just keeps on coming! So let's celebrate our dear 1862! It's the year of the tutu really took a leap onto the scene in the way we know and love it!
Remember, every time you step into a ballet or a dance studio and twirl, you are honoring the artistry and grace that brought us this little piece of fabric that has captivated the world! We can dance with joy!
And in honour of our Tutu's journey to glory! we must embrace what makes our world beautiful: ballet, music, fashion, travel! And of course... our dear, fabulous tutus!!
Emma's Style Picks For This Week:
Today I'm channeling the "à la romantique" era. Let's get inspired by the lightness of this romantic tutu!
Outfit Idea: Pale pink silky blouse, high waisted white skirt with ruffles, white shoes with a small pink bow. Very Parisian!
Ballet Shoe Choice: Capezio Leather Full Sole Pointe Shoes: These ballet shoes in light pink are perfect to capture that light and ethereal feeling, for all you ballet enthusiasts out there!
**(a picture of Emma standing on a train platform with the backdrop of a railway station)
Now, off I dash to my next exciting adventure. Don't forget, every week, here on Pink-Tutu.com, I'll be unraveling the fascinating history of tutus and showcasing our love of this truly magical garment. Join me, dear readers! Share your own tutu moments, your stories, your own ballet journey! Don't forget, we're always here to dance together.
See you next Tuesday, and happy twirling!
**(Emma walks into the railway station, a large bright pink tutu bouncing as she does so. We watch as the train pulls in with smoke puffing behind it)
Emma
