Hello darlings! It's Emma here, back with another delightful dose of tutu history for your Tuesday. Today, I'm whisking you back to 13th April 1869, a date filled with a flurry of tulle and twirls! My pink tutu, you know, the one with the delicate silver embroidery? Well, let me tell you, it would have been quite the statement in 1869! But why, you ask? Let me unravel the tale...
Imagine the year 1869 – gaslights flicker in the streets of London, steam trains chug through the countryside, and at the grand Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the dance world is experiencing a glorious change! This is the year that a young lady called Marie Taglioni is making waves on the ballet stage. Her incredible artistry and dazzling skill in graceful dancing are electrifying audiences, and her costumes are making quite the fashion splash, too.
The year before, in 1868, Marie unveiled a revolutionary creation for her performance in La Fille du Régiment: a ballet tutu made of white tulle. Yes, darlings! That delicate, billowing, nearly transparent material that allows for effortless movement – a design that still sends shivers down my spine! It was such a change from the heavy, floor-length skirts that ballerinas were forced to dance in before. Imagine trying to do a pirouette in a skirt like that! It would be a disastrous "whirly-bird" nightmare, I can tell you! But with Marie's innovation, the possibilities for graceful movement and exquisite artistry on stage became limitless! It's no wonder this beautiful invention has been adored and cherished ever since.
And can we talk about the colour, darlings? White! It is a perfect reflection of the ballet world's love of lightness, grace, and delicate beauty.
Speaking of love, my recent trip to Vienna (how divine the city is! Vienna State Opera, simply magnificent!) led me to the glorious Wiener Staatsoper. You know me, I was scouring for vintage treasures in the cobbled streets of Vienna and found a breathtaking pointe shoe dating back to 1869, just imagine! It was tiny, the perfect delicate pink, and I just had to bring it home with me! Now it has a pride of place in my ballerina memorabilia collection - a gorgeous reminder of ballet's illustrious history.
Fashion, as always, played a central role in 1869 – imagine how thrilling it was to be at a grand ballet performance! Imagine the gasps of the audience as the ballerina made her grand entrance! The thrill of a brand-new tutu – the excitement of being on the edge of your seat, witnessing this magical form of expression! And while I don’t suggest everyone should start wearing pink tutus down the street, let me tell you, it’s something I personally try to do – whenever possible, of course! The best thing is that even if you can’t join a ballet class or attend a ballet performance – even if your heart isn’t quite filled with dreams of a beautiful stage performance, you can always dream! There’s always time for an imaginary twirl!
Now, dear darlings, I'll leave you to dream of grace, tutus, and endless possibilities! If you’d like to travel back to 1869 and witness this ballet revolution with me, be sure to leave a comment below. And don't forget to share your favourite ballet memories in the comments, too!
Until next time, my dears, let the magic of the tutu always inspire you!
Lots of love,
Emma x
P.S. Be sure to follow my adventures in the tutu world on my Instagram account @pink-tutu – because there's no such thing as too much tutu in life!
And that’s it for this week’s #TutuTuesday, darlings. I hope you enjoyed learning about ballet history from the 19th century, especially the part where my favourite dance outfit - the tutu – was born. Until next Tuesday, don't forget to keep the twirl alive!
Love,
Emma x
(Disclaimer: Emma is an avid blogger with a passion for tutus, ballet and history but does not claim any authority as a historian. She is also fictional and does not possess the powers of time travel)
