#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1862-07-29

Welcome, darlings, to another dazzling #TutuTuesday! I'm Emma, your very own tutu-clad time-travelling ballerina, and today we're taking a trip to the Parisian stage. Grab your pinkest teacups and your best dancing shoes because this week's story is utterly captivating!

This being #1596 for my Ballet Tutu History blog, you can imagine the treasure trove of tutus I've explored. From the elegant and flowing, to the short and sprightly, tutus are more than just clothes, they're whispers of a bygone era! And this Tuesday, we're tiptoeing through the enchanting year of 1862.

Now, I know you might think that 1862 wasn't a tutu explosion - and you'd be almost right. But like a shy ballerina waiting to take centre stage, the tutu was preparing for a revolution. The full-skirted romantic ballets of the 1840s were starting to fade. The dramatic and expressive work of Marius Petipa and the tutus for La Bayadère (1877), which had their own brand of grandeur, were on the horizon. It’s the sort of tutu you just know you have to dance in, isn’t it? Oh, but let's not forget the tutu of the Sleeping Beauty (1890). Such beauty, such elegance. Just imagining them spinning on the stage brings tears to my eyes!

Today's journey, though, brings us back to 1862, to a Paris bustling with energy. Imagine the Parisian streets, bustling with elegance, the carriages rolling down the cobbled roads. There’s an undeniable air of theatre. That feeling of excitement that crackles before the curtain rises. It was in Paris, nestled amongst the elegant promenades, that I discovered a hidden gem - the Grand Opera House.

I arrived in Paris feeling a little lost in translation. My French isn’t quite the tour de force it could be. So naturally, my French pink tutu was needed. The pink had an undeniably chic touch. And yes, I’ll admit to a little flutter of excitement when the street boys stopped to compliment the ribbons on the pink tutu as I walked into the Opera. Now, on 1862-07-29th, the Opera was a place of dazzling beauty. The intricate chandeliers twinkled, casting shimmering lights across the plush velvet seating. I'd already caught the Ballet performance at the Paris Opera House, it had been utterly magnificent! You should hear the applause and the chatter afterwards, quite a charming affair, indeed.

You see, in Paris, my love for the tutu had become a love affair. Even the theatre was designed to honour the tutus! Now, on this very date, imagine - I stood in that iconic opera house, dreaming of the upcoming premieres, waiting for those moments when the ballet tutu would transform a performance into an unforgettable spectacle. What stories the tutus were telling? You could just feel the magic in the air, it was magnetic - a delicious sense of the impossible about to come true!

Did I mention the dresses? Well, oh my. I adore fashion, so it wasn't just tutus that held my attention! The colours were inspired - deep blues and emerald greens - think a forest, but in fashion! So vibrant and lush it had a real "wow" factor in the fashion stakes. You should have seen me shopping in the boutiques! All that chic felt very “La Belle Epoque”. There was a whimsy that I adored.

You might be wondering, "What happened on this particular date in 1862, dear Emma?” Well, on this very day, dear friends, a wonderful thing occurred: a celebration of the Parisian artistry. In the heart of Paris, amidst the fashionable chatter and whispers of theatre, the elegant Paris was truly living. The energy here was contagious! There was an undeniably extra quality to every piece of clothing - and of course, every tutu.

But enough about fashion, though it does set the stage, for our journey into the origins of ballet tutus. Let’s dive back into ballet's history:

You might have wondered: when did the tutu become a ballet must-have? The true history of the tutu isn’t always told in just one word - it’s actually several and more about what developed with time in the theatre world and then in our modern world.

Imagine, dear readers, those original ballerinas, who danced in long, flowing dresses. Now, the ballerinas of this era - and think of Marie Taglioni - began dancing in shorter dresses which began to embrace a more practical approach. I mean, can you imagine doing a grand jeté in a floor-length dress? It would end in an unfortunate tangle with every graceful move. That change in costume allowed a ballerina freedom to move with grace. They had space to dance with passion, creating an experience enchanting for all. It’s not always about beauty, but about motion. Imagine spinning and swirling, in full glory as you become the tutu.

For our pink tutu fans, let’s dive a little deeper. For a time, we can even get technically precise! Let's explore a little vocabulary of the dance - let’s look at the tutu’s different shapes for that period. The romantic tutu, that’s the first to burst onto the dance stage. These are quite large, with multiple layers of soft tulle, like a romantic and very delicate cloud. Think of a story in motion!

The “tutu” is born in 1839, my lovelies. Isn't that something to celebrate? * As the centuries progress, tutus change - with that era. There were the waist-length skirts of the *Romantic ballet. Later, in the 1880s, they grew even longer and voluminous, resembling an almost cloud-like form. Think swirling and floating! You get lost in the movements of the tutu. Oh, how I adore these designs. It truly makes you understand that dancing requires a tutu. It’s an indispensable part of every dancer’s stage costume.

Then we step into the shorter Classical or traditional tutus. It was all about a more classical form. This, of course, means tighter, giving more of a sense of form to the dancer’s movements. The skirt here is typically shorter and more structured - they usually accentuate a dancer's leg length, showing how graceful they move. Oh, to think, these are the iconic tutus which are so familiar to all.

Think of Giselle in that flowing, long, and delicate romantic tutu. Now picture Swan Lake’s* Odette spinning in her structured, shorter *Classical tutu. A world of *movements can be captured within one single tutu. It's simply captivating!

Finally, for you lovely, and always trendy fans, look what happened - boom pop - the modern tutu arrived! There were tutus made out of materials other than just tulle, with fabric of varying lengths. Oh! How I do love a fabric that's just as pretty as it is durable. It means versatility in dance. Think modern ballet with its fast flowing movements and *modern ballet. They're a far cry from the *strict classical or romantic tutus of the past, my friends. Everything has a tutu in its world, you can just feel it, can't you? Don't you just love that, darlings?

So there you have it, darlings. I must leave you here with one last important bit of news - it seems I am off to London, you know the city where everything comes to be - and will always stay that way! - and there will be more fashion! So it goes - what could possibly be more fun, more lovely, more ... inspiring... then ballet! Be sure to join me next #TutuTuesday, as we journey back in time once more to unravel even more tutu secrets, and be sure to share your favourite tutu memories!

Don’t forget to subscribe to www.pink-tutu.com for updates on the ballet tutus from all over!

Keep spinning and keep shimmering, dear friends!

Lots of love,

Emma xx