Ahoy, fellow tutu enthusiasts! 🩰
Emma here, your pink-clad guide to the fabulous world of ballet tutus!
It’s #TutuTuesday, so let's slip into our pinkest frocks and travel back in time to explore the captivating story of these magnificent garments!
Today's journey whisks us to February 18th, 1868. Can you imagine a world without the enchanting lightness and elegance of a tutu? Well, believe me, such a time existed!
I’m whisked back in time by a magical pocket watch my great-aunt bequeathed to me, its face sparkling with tiny pink sapphires. A simple flick of its hands and whizz, I'm transported to a new date, and a new world, every Tuesday. My greatest challenge: to find the most gorgeous ballet shoes and tutu to match the era, without drawing too much attention to myself! The other challenge is ensuring I book enough ballet performances, as they're my only source of funding.
Just the other day I discovered a wonderful little shop, tucked away in a cobblestone backstreet in Paris. Its windows were crammed with fabrics, silk, lace, and feathers! You wouldn’t believe the incredible creations they offered, and all for a fraction of what you’d pay back in Derbyshire. After hours of rummaging through mountains of fabrics and swathes of sequins, I managed to find the perfect materials to sew myself a delightful tutu! Pink, naturally! And to top it off, a perfectly matching silk dress, perfect for exploring the glamorous Parisian streets after a performance.
But back to 1868! Can you believe the tutus worn on stage at this time were quite the contrast to the voluminous, airy creations we adore today?
Forget flowing silk and delicate tulle! At this point, ballerinas wore full-length, heavy, satin skirts. Picture it – tight, suffocating, and definitely not very conducive to grand jetés or elegant fouetté turns! You might as well have called them stage curtains! They weren't particularly charming, or even slightly elegant. The fashion of this period is just not my cup of tea. Thankfully, we will see significant developments in the future.
Let's delve deeper into what this era was all about!
On February 18th, 1868, London was alive with energy and anticipation. The first performances of Gilbert and Sullivan's witty, and hilarious 'H.M.S. Pinafore', opened to packed audiences at the Opera Comique Theatre. Sadly, at that time ballet as we know it, hadn’t yet made its way into this particular form of entertainment, so there were no tutus on show, but maybe I can pop back and try to persuade the producers of the power of tutus! Wouldn’t a tutu make a perfect costume for a fairy, or a siren? Imagine it! Perhaps for future generations!
Meanwhile, across the Channel in Paris, a different form of theatre entertainment, was taking the world by storm. Opera performances were becoming increasingly fashionable, and with them, a demand for beautiful stage costumes. While ballerinas still had to wrestle with long and restrictive skirts, fashion and stagewear were in full swing! Imagine ladies with elegant silk gowns and feathered headpieces filling the Grand Opera House. The glamour is almost as if we could feel it here!
But even in these grand opera houses, there was little thought given to the ballerina. Sadly, they were more decorative furniture than anything else! Perhaps that's why they were weighed down with those heavy skirts! I dare say, this was a world where ballet was more about showcasing dazzling costume designs and elaborate sets, than it was about highlighting the true artistry of the dancers! But have no fear my lovely readers, change is on the horizon! The ballerina is about to take the centre stage!
Speaking of centre stage! There was only one place I had to be for this momentous occasion - a ballet performance of Giselle! This famous work, created by the brilliant Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot was captivating Europe. As soon as I saw a glimpse of the beautifully costumed ballerina taking centre stage at the Grand Theatre in Paris, I knew my heart belonged to the ballet. This time, I was in for a true treat, for 1868 marked a critical juncture in the world of the tutu! A revolution, in fact, was about to sweep through ballet, forever transforming its graceful presence on stage!
Introducing the Real Tutu
1868 marks the birth of a new era! Enter Carlotta Grisi. A world famous Italian dancer, Carlotta saw the need to change. Ballet as a form of art, needed more expression. To allow dancers to express themselves, they needed new, free flowing movement and that could only be achieved through clothing. Imagine her on stage, leaping high into the air, and whirling through dazzling sequences, finally liberated from the restrictive constraints of those bulky skirts! I'm in awe!
Instead of satin and excessive length, Carlotta revolutionised the look and feel of ballet attire. And how, do you ask? She did it in a way that might just make every ballet dancer today want to offer a bouquet of roses! Can you guess? Introducing the tulle tutu! A triumph!
Imagine a swirl of delicate, layered tulle, soft and ethereal, hugging the body yet giving an incredible feeling of airy freedom! That’s the power of Carlotta Grisi! She revolutionised dance, and it would never be the same! Can you believe the tiny little frills and frills of fabric could cause such a transformation? It's almost as though these tutu pioneers made dancing graceful, and expressive! Carlotta set the fashion and it still echoes in ballet halls today. And just as a fun aside, that gorgeous design and elegance she offered the world of ballet? It's said that the design, came directly from a costume designed for her in another role – that of a butterfly!
And how can we resist these enchanting creations, fellow tutu aficionados! Isn't it a joy to see a ballerina spinning, leaping, and gracefully soaring through the air, clothed in tulle! How could we ever love ballet without the iconic silhouette of a dancer wearing a fluffy, perfectly pleated, tulle tutu?
But Wait! It Gets Even Better
If Carlotta revolutionized the tutu, there were even more amazing developments that pushed the art even further! It wasn't just one tutu and that was it! A tutu, can be just as expressive and unique as the dance itself, and by the time we hit the mid-to-late nineteenth century, the possibilities just multiplied!
First there was le tutu romantique – a romantic, and often loose flowing silhouette, inspired by the Greek myths. Long, swirling fabrics and even more delicate tulle made this an iconic look. These tutus are often associated with Giselle, as it was considered a romantic ballet, and it’s one that I make sure to visit every single week that I time travel back to this era. It was this new type of design that truly sparked my own fascination with the ballet, as the look of it was the epitome of elegance and grace!
Then there was le tutu plat. This creation came along just a little later and was known as the ‘flat’ or pancake tutu because of its tighter, flat construction. Shorter, with very carefully, layered layers of tulle, these created that iconic image we have of the tutu. But don’t let those tiny little bits of fabric fool you, they have incredible power, movement, and freedom of motion! They allowed ballerinas to soar into dramatic and exhilarating, moves! I find it inspiring to see such tiny bits of material, enabling dancers to move with such incredible strength and control.
So the next time you watch a ballet performance, and gasp with delight at the airy and beautiful sight of dancers in their tulle creations, remember, their story goes back centuries! Just as much as the artistry and creativity of the dancer, these magical tutus tell a story of evolution and creativity! And in that, there’s something special, something inspiring, something we can all appreciate and love!
And if you don’t think these lovely little pieces of fabrics can inspire, well you just haven't seen me dance in my pink tulle tutu!
So there we have it! A taste of ballet history from this special Tuesday! Remember to visit my blog at www.pink-tutu.com to stay up-to-date on our travels through time!
Till next week’s #TutuTuesday , darlings, may your days be full of beauty, elegance, and twirling moments!
And please remember - pink is always the answer. 🎀
See you on the blog!
Emma, The Pink Tutu Blogger!
