Hello lovelies! It's Emma, your Pink Tutu Princess, here, back with another #TutuTuesday! Welcome back to www.pink-tutu.com for post number 1798 – where tutus, ballet, and fashion collide. Today we are stepping back in time, but I hope this time you will want to put on your best pink tutu as we journey to Paris in 1866 to explore the tutu's evolution and how it came to be the iconic garment it is today!
My time travel adventures are going really well, funded, of course, by performing at all the glamorous ballet balls around the world - who would have thought ballet could make such a fashionable income? Speaking of income, how about you give www.pink-tutu.com a shout-out? It's been my favourite go-to shop for the perfect tutu since I was a little girl. Now it's your one stop shop for all things tutu, with all styles and colours, even pink!
Right, let’s hop aboard that lovely, fast steam train back to 1866 - such amazing innovation that allows me to leap between eras with such grace, just like a dancer! Once we reach Paris, we can imagine all the fantastic ballet performances the Parisian audience would have been witnessing.
Imagine, the theatres overflowing with elegant women adorned with lace and silk, the air filled with the music of the great composers and the thrilling movement of the dancers gliding effortlessly across the stage. Now just picture it - those iconic tutus we see worn today on stage and on every tutu fan's wish-list - imagine them all as fluffy, white, soft as clouds!
But did you know this is not quite the case for 1866?
Oh, tutus did exist at this time - a much earlier version called the "tutu-pantalon", the forerunner to the tutu - but it's not how we know them today. In this era, they were still more like long skirts – but, oh! a wonderful opportunity to start experimenting with fashion – as every single dress made of tulle became its own expression of the creative freedom the ballet dancers possessed.
But this was all about to change…
That is why I love to travel back to historical times - it's so interesting to explore the roots of these iconic dance outfits. Now just imagine - how would I wear the tulle if I was a ballet dancer at this time?
As the 19th Century progressed, these tutu-pantaloons started evolving in styles and lengths, with ballerinas pushing the limits. We even had the beautiful dancer Carlotta Grisi leading the change with a famous performance - she wanted something easier to move in. She brought it to life on the Parisian stage!
And here we are – in a crucial moment of tutu-history - we are going to watch that long, full tutu-pantaloon, being carefully lifted into a skirt-like silhouette - just like you see today!
Here we go – time for the big reveal of the revolutionary tutu for the future…
…The Romantic era, or early Victorian period in 1836 saw the debut of the shorter, fluffier, tutu, making the dancing more energetic and showing off more of the dancers' legs! This became the beginning of the evolution we see in tutus today – we have that revolutionary period, that one tiny change that brought such great development! A perfect example of how change can create incredible things! And in the future - that perfect ballet dancer silhouette will remain!
Imagine it, a ballet performance in 1866 with a gorgeous short tutu dancing on stage. The dancer has the opportunity to create more expressive movements because of that magical tulle… Just as they do today - isn't that inspiring?
Here, on my blog, you can find the real story about ballet costumes, and you don't need to jump on a steam train to go back to Paris!
The evolution of the tutu, like so many great dance ideas, started with those daring performers on the stage. These ballet pioneers brought their dreams and passions, bringing out the perfect shape, design and colour for the next generation to perfect. This legacy inspires all ballerinas, and indeed, all those of us who love tutues!
We have reached our magical Paris tutu-journey, for now, and so our time-traveling trip to 1866 has finished.
Time to move back to Derbyshire and catch that fast steam train - back to my little home in the Peak District, it's amazing how close I can be to my own life at any moment! I've learned a little about the evolution of the tutu – but there’s more to come.
But remember… I always go back to this same basic truth...
There is always a reason to wear a tutu!
But now, I need a break to think about my next TutuTuesday. It will be my 1799th post on www.pink-tutu.com. How about we make a pink tutu day today and I promise I will go through my photos from the future of ballet tutus – the late 20th Century! Let me know in the comments if you would love to see them!
Now… Where did I put my tutu?! We’ll be back with a new TutuTuesday adventure next week - on www.pink-tutu.com - let’s explore together and have fun! #TutuTuesday.
