#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1866-08-07

Bonjour mes amies!

It’s Emma here, back with another edition of your favourite weekly blog! Today's topic is the very beginnings of the tutu (get ready for a spin!) We're taking a train ride back to Paris, France, in 1866 for a peek into the world of ballet, fashion and history.

This is the 1806th blog post for www.pink-tutu.com, so I hope you’re feeling as excited as I am. Today we’re taking a trip to Paris where fashion was everything! You just had to be seen in the most beautiful dresses. The most stylish ladies all wore* flounces, frills and extravagant gowns* and the men wore elaborate suits, with elegant top hats, vests and walking sticks. Just imagining it, it's just dreamy, darling!

Of course, you already know my biggest passion (other than my favourite colour pink, naturally) is ballet! Ballet dancers also loved to dress in stunning creations. Even though we didn’t have those wonderful stretchy lycra tights we love now, you still needed some fabulous garments to perform in and to really show off your moves on stage! And speaking of stages...

This very day, August 7th 1866, one of Paris’ most popular ballet houses, The Théâtre de l'Opéra National de Paris, staged La Fille du Régiment, a popular opera by Donizetti. This lovely operatic masterpiece includes the ballet La polka, featuring the "diminutive, fascinating Emma Livry, the star dancer," whose “agile grace was praised by all who saw her performance. So, what were they wearing in those days? Think *knee length skirt, with delicate frills, frills, frills! You couldn’t possibly go wrong with too many frills. The skirts on these dancers are much, much longer than the shorter, tight tutus we are familiar with today. They still flowed gracefully while they danced though, as you can imagine.

Let's take a fashion rewind! Before the year 1830 there were no tutus! Can you imagine? But let's be honest, we are all lucky that the ballet dress changed as the styles of the day demanded it. I must say that while I love a long full skirt, if you've ever tried to do a full pirouette or jeté in a crinolined dress (and trust me I’ve tried, it doesn't end well!)… let’s just say you will end up in a tangle. Thankfully our designers, with their keen eye for form, decided it was time to give the traditional, long skirts a make-over.

The result of this beautiful, ballet-led transformation? The Romantic Ballet Dress, a marvel of fabric! The romantic ballet is thought of as the era that marked the birth of the tutu. Now dancers could float around the stage more gracefully, with all those fabulous steps, turns, and lifts, and the whole world was charmed by the elegant grace they projected onto the stage.

By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the tutu had developed further into the “classical ballet dress,” still recognizable today, and as everyone knows, my absolute favourite!

The tutus are still a little different to those we see today, although the basic principles remain the same! * As dancers became more flexible, the *dresses got tighter and shorter, eventually developing into the form of tutus that we are so familiar with today: the full tulle tutu, the Romantic tutu and the “packaway” or pancake tutu.

Let’s all be honest here – tutus are absolutely fabulous and eye catching. Imagine all that soft tulle gently fluttering in the wind as a ballerina pirouettes, twirling to perfection in an explosion of colour! They're simply enchanting. If I wasn’t a ballerina myself, I would still be utterly obsessed with tutus as fashion! Let’s all face it, the tutu is *a fantastic, timeless creation. A truly beautiful garment which enhances and *highlights the ballerina's talent! *And yes, I still think that all ladies should wear pink tutus at least once a week, (even if it's just in private)!*

After seeing a fantastic show at the Royal Opera House in London, (London’s ballet and opera theatre,* just opposite Covent Garden, with the most stunning exterior you’ve ever seen), I decided to visit *Paris. And what's better than the train when it comes to long distance travel! I just love sitting in a carriage with beautiful, old fashioned leather upholstery, reading a book on my lap and watching the countryside whiz past my window... such a lovely experience.

But it isn't just the experience of the train I love. There's something so magical about stepping onto a train station platform, and as your train chugs out of the station towards a city filled with wondrous surprises and exquisite fashion! *I’m just so excited by what this new adventure will offer me – new ballet shows, *elegant shops, fabulous restaurants, and a city bursting with colour!

So next week, for #TutuTuesday, we’re going to delve into the world of opera, in 19th-century France! How many stunning dresses can you possibly find on the beautiful female opera singers of the time? I know my closet is looking a little bare compared to these lavish garments, so *I might be tempted to try to create a couple of pieces inspired by the amazing fashions of the past! *

Let me know your fashion choices and the tutu styles you've spotted while browsing. Let's get this fabulous #TutuTuesday going! I hope that we’re both well on our way to creating *a whole world where *everyone wears pink tutus! **

Stay beautiful my dears! **

*Emma, your friendly neighbourhood Tutu Loving Ballerina. *