Hello my gorgeous tutu lovers! It's your favourite pink-clad time travelling ballerina, Emma, back with another #TutuTuesday blog post from the fascinating world of ballet history. Today, we're taking a trip back to the 1870s, a time when romance, extravagance, and, of course, glorious tutus reigned supreme!
Imagine this: It's a crisp April morning in 1870, and I've just arrived in Paris, the centre of the dance world. Stepping off the train, I feel the thrill of excitement. Paris is bursting with elegance and creativity, and everyone's sporting the latest fashions! Today, I'm going to the Palais Garnier to catch a ballet performance, and you wouldn't believe the incredible designs that the ladies are rocking ā I'm practically bouncing with excitement.
But let's rewind the clock a little. Did you know that in 1870, tutus were still quite young? Imagine! The first ever tutus, those whimsical creations with their frothy layers of tulle, didn't burst onto the stage until around the 1840s. Can you believe it?! The early tutus were designed to create an airy and graceful illusion for dancers, which was so different to the corseted and heavy garments worn by women in previous decades.
Just as tutus were taking off in the ballet world, so were the romantic ballets themselves. Think Tchaikovsky's beautiful Swan Lake or Giselle with its magical storytelling and swooning romances - truly a time for ethereal beauty and intricate dances. Itās no surprise then that tutus evolved with their dramatic length, becoming the fluffy, full-length creations we often think of today. They truly represent the feminine ideal and became symbols of pure, beautiful movement.
The most common style of tutus you might see on April 5th 1870 would be the āRomanticā tutu. Imagine those floaty layers that would create a flowing silhouette for the dancers while they swirled across the stage. These tutus often had a short, bell-shaped skirt with layers of tulle flowing down from a waistband ā almost like an ethereal, fluffy cloud around a dancer. Think of all the pretty ballet steps, like those graceful fouettĆ©s and impressive jetĆ©s, those beautiful leaps across the stage that made the whole thing look effortless and absolutely breathtaking.
The sheer volume and romantic aesthetic of the āRomanticā tutus certainly helped inspire the iconic ballerina figures we all admire today. Their graceful movements were a visual masterpiece ā almost as if the ballerinas were soaring across the stage like ethereal fairies, bringing dreams to life.
However, remember this was a time before the tight-fitting tutus you see worn by the ballerinas in ballets today! So even though theyāre still super beautiful, it is exciting to imagine that these tutus could only become even more spectacular and iconic as they continued to evolve through the 1800s.
Imagine the sheer creativity of fashion designers and ballet dancers as they pushed the boundaries of dance and clothing. After all, you can never have too much pink tulle. We even saw those incredible designs starting to use fabrics like lace, ribbon and embroidered silk in some stunning colours, giving these āRomanticā tutus even more captivating depth and texture. It must have been amazing for everyone in the audience.
You know me - my obsession with ballet fashion knows no bounds, especially all those gorgeous colours they incorporated into those romantic tutus. Those lovely blues, gentle yellows, and deep purples really caught the light and stood out in the opulent dance halls of that era! It's no wonder those early ballet dancers were absolutely stunning.
For those of us in the 21st century, seeing a modern ballerina pirouette in a flowing pink tulle āRomanticā tutu is just magical, it truly captures that sense of freedom and wonder. Imagine that - a ballerina as if a whisper of wind just lifted them from the ground - pure and enchanting - just the right combination for that perfect Romantic era ballet.
But hold your horses my lovely tutu lovers! You thought weād just forget the gorgeous costumes, huh? Of course, no ballerina outfit is complete without their matching headdress, jewels, and beautiful accessories ā they just complete the magic of their whole look, from hair to toe.
Think delicate hair combs with jewels, perhaps flowers woven into their braids - how stylish are those tiny jewels! Just look at the beauty! We mustnāt forget the glamorous makeup ā oh yes! Remember ladies, no time traveller leaves home without her compact! And those little black dots to accentuate the eyes! I bet it all looked dazzling on stage with the spotlights!
And the men - don't think weāve forgotten about them! They had their own kind of charm too - Imagine all the elegant costumes, like velvet jackets, billowing shirts with puffed sleeves, and gorgeous breeches, all complete with boots.
Their gentlemanly style just perfectly complemented the beauty of the ballerinasā graceful movements on the stage. It was just the right amount of contrast to create the perfect romantic harmony in each performance.
As a modern ballet-lover with a big passion for all things tutu, Iāve got to say, it makes my heart happy to know that our modern ballet performances still owe a great deal of their stunning design and graceful movements to the pioneering ballets of the āRomantic Era.ā
It was the spark that lit a fire that helped create all the captivating tutus and styles we love to see in ballet shows today.
So the next time youāre at a ballet performance, donāt just look at the dancersā skills - try to imagine the whole Romantic ballet era. Take a moment to appreciate all those delicate details in their costumes and remember those pioneers that dared to wear a little less, to push the boundaries and create an art form that is both enchanting and enduring.
And hey, if youāre ever thinking of attending a ballet show, you just HAVE TO look at the gorgeous tutus - they really are just mesmerising and it really takes you to a magical world, one full of grace and passion - just as the Romantics intended!
So there you have it, my lovely tutu lovers! Another amazing journey through time with our #TutuTuesday blog - Iāve had such fun reliving this iconic period in the world of ballet!
But now Iāve got to run - Iāve got another amazing train journey to take ā to London for some shopping, and then straight back to the Palais Garnier! But for the love of all things tutus - please come back next week for another tutu-tastic history blog!
See you all next Tuesday, and remember: keep dancing! #TutuTuesday #ballet #history #vintage #fashion #timetravel #romanticera
Emma xx
