Hello my lovely tutu-loving darlings! Emma here, your resident pink-tutu clad time traveler, and I'm just bubbling over with excitement to share with you a glimpse into the fabulous world of ballet in the 1870s.
Remember, dear friends, time travel is not without its challenges, especially when you're attempting to bring the 19th century up to date on the art of the pink tutu! But my dedication to all things tulle and my sheer determination to convert the world to my way of thinking keep me going. Besides, how can you resist a ballet performance to pay for your trips through time?! Oh, to have that kind of schedule! It's enough to make any girl giddy, particularly if you're fortunate enough to get the odd performance with an international ballerina like Carlotta Grisi! Those moves... well, words simply can't describe!
Anyway, enough about my adventures. Let's talk tutus!
Today's Date - The 31st October 1871On this date, the world of ballet wasn't quite what it is today! Now we can hop on the tube or train, waltz into a theatre, and be greeted by the enchanting beauty of the ballet stage. Well, dear friends, it wasn't quite like that. You could certainly attend a performance but it wasn’t all sequins and smiles back then. Oh, there was definitely drama, my darlings, but most certainly no sparkly tutus!
Instead of the grand tutus of our modern era, 19th-century dancers would wear what we’d probably call "fancy frilled dress" back in my home of Derbyshire, England! Think flowing layers of silk, muslin and yes - even gauze - for that lovely billowing effect. Imagine skirts, not tutus, but still long enough to catch a lovely light, adding an ethereal quality to their dancing. In some ways, it's as if they were still caught in the shadows of the 17th Century (those corseted bodices aren’t going to give you freedom of movement in a tutu, my love!)
But don't be fooled, the ballet in the 1870s was truly dazzling! While there might not have been pink-tutus in the way we know them today, these ballet dancers weren’t just swirling their arms, and swirling in layers! Imagine moves we now know as 'tendu,' and 'plié' ... yes, they had these back then. Think beautiful fluidity of the limbs, an artistic elegance to their posture, the sheer talent that these women embodied in a time when **'dancing girl' wasn't seen as such a professional role.
What is truly incredible is that it wasn’t all about the beautiful look of a dance! Instead, movement, form and flow were the very foundation of the art.
A World Without Pink TutusWhat a time, my dears! And how fortunate we are that the ballet we see now is so utterly captivating! Imagine, however, what could have been if the fashion of 1871 had caught up with the fashion of the ballerina! Can you see all the gorgeous pink-tutu variations we'd have had in a more ‘up-to-date’ era 150 years ago? Can you imagine the sparkly pink fabric used in our current tutus? Those billowing skirts could have made even more impact, all that swishy gorgeous fabric, if it was worn by ballet dancers of this era!
Well, my darlings, that's all for today's #TutuTuesday. Remember to come back next week, when I'll be delving further into the history of the tutu and its glorious evolution, and yes, we will be taking another hop through time in this crazy timeline of ours!
Until then, keep that twinkle in your eye, always remember pink-tutu confidence and most definitely make time for your own little waltz. After all, what’s life without a little twirl?!
Keep those lovely legs moving!
Emma
xox
