Welcome back to my #TutuTuesday blog, dearies! Today marks blog post number 1835 (can you believe it?!) and I'm feeling utterly delighted to share my latest delve into the wonderful history of the ballet tutu. Today, we're whisking back in time to 26th February 1867, a date that's bursting with delightful theatrical happenings.
A Derbyshire lass, I am, born and bred. So naturally, I love the romance of trains! The whistle, the rhythmic clatter on the tracks, the journey across the land - all so magical. And oh, the grand ballrooms and elegant theaters of London! This week's #TutuTuesday adventure takes us to London's very own Covent Garden, that grand temple of the performing arts. Now, the history of the tutu, you see, is closely entwined with the history of the ballet itself. And let me tell you, there's nothing quite as grand as watching ballet at Covent Garden. The very walls seem to thrum with history, and the costumes... oh, the costumes!
What happened on the 26th of February, 1867, you ask? A performance to remember, I'm telling you. At Her Majesty's Theatre, one of London's finest theatres, the famed Italian opera singer, Adelina Patti, dazzled audiences in a production of "La Sonnambula." Now, a good soprano with a beautiful voice can steal the show in any performance, but it was the ballet within this opera that had me, and indeed all of London, talking.
Imagine this: the setting is romantic, the costumes breathtaking. It's a scene of moonlit nights, ethereal ballerinas with airy steps, and of course... tutus. The tutus! But not your ordinary, "ordinary" tutu. Imagine flowing white tulle, barely brushing the knees, so delicate and graceful. This wasn't the heavy, floor-length tutu we see in Victorian ballerinas today. This, this was a vision, my dears, an elegant whisper of a tutu. A precursor, perhaps, to the tutus we know and love today. Imagine being in the audience, mesmerized by this ballet in all its glory! I'd be swept off my feet!
Back to the past I went, leaping across the timeline (metaphorically, of course, as time travel's still a bit of a mystery, isn't it?) to soak up the beauty of 1867 London. Imagine being in the capital in this era, amidst a kaleidoscope of carriages and bustle, bustling theatres, and fashionably dressed ladies (did I mention the pink hats? My love for hats is just as strong as my love for pink tutus, but that's a blog post for another day, my dears.)
From this history we learn a few lessons, my dear Tutu-Lovers: that the tutu is more than a garment - it's a symbol of creativity, evolution, and artistic beauty. And the story doesn't stop here, oh no! There are still many more exciting tutu moments to uncover. Keep your eyes peeled, darlings, because our #TutuTuesday adventure is just getting started! Don't forget to hop over to www.pink-tutu.com and join in the conversation. Share your own thoughts, pictures, and tell me: what’s your favorite ballet tutu memory? Let's keep the magic of tutus alive, shall we?
Until next time, may your days be filled with twirls and a touch of pink!
Yours truly,
Emma xx
P.S. Keep your eyes on your local theatre programs! It wouldn't hurt to add a show or two to your schedule, especially when the pink tutus are out. Nothing brings a smile to my face like the whirl of a ballerina's tutu!
