Hello darlings! Emma here, your favourite pink-tutu-clad time traveller and aficionado of all things ballet, back with another #TutuTuesday adventure. Today, my lovelies, we’re waltzing back to the year 1872! It's a very special day indeed, because it's the birthday of... wait for it... the tutu! 🎉
Yes, my fellow twirlers, you heard me right! On the 23rd of January, 1872, the tutu we know and love was born in the most dazzling fashion imaginable – on stage! I was there, my darlings! Honestly, the anticipation was electric. Imagine, Paris, 1872, the world premiere of “La Source”, an opera in three acts featuring ballet music by Léo Delibes, the most esteemed ballet composer of the time! He was so respected that when this show debuted in the grand Palais Garnier, the whole theatre vibrated with excitement.
You’re probably wondering, what on earth had "La Source" got to do with a tutu? Well, dear friends, the whole performance is all about the history of ballet - ballet! 🩰 Think “Swan Lake,” "Giselle," the lot! Imagine, an ancient story brought to life with captivating dancing and, drumroll, the most breathtaking costumes ever seen. This included a stunning dance scene, a dramatic spectacle called "Le Lac des Cygnes,” which meant The Lake of Swans in French, which you might know by its modern ballet version as "Swan Lake!" Can you picture it, my loves? Swans!
The Choreography and the tutu! The choreography was simply enchanting – delicate movements, captivating postures, graceful dips, and thrilling leaps all coming together to embody the grace and beauty of swans. To match the movement and embody the swans' elegant flight, the lead female dancers wore a new revolutionary dress — the very first tutu! This magnificent outfit, created by none other than M. Worth the genius couturier who literally invented the couture business and had even created a whole style just a few years earlier known as The Worth Dress for a duchess, literally invented the tutu, my loves!
It's like wearing a big, pretty feather 🪶 — an effortless yet dazzling piece of attire that moves as beautifully as a ballerina does! But this new tutu was not just any tutu; it had layers of white tulle, forming a very full skirt. That, ladies and gents, is what changed the world of ballet forever. Gone were the heavy, restrictive floor-length skirts of the past. The tutu liberated ballet dancing by enabling freedom of movement and allowing those breathtaking movements to really shine.
I remember the shockwaves it sent through the audience that night – the gasped, "Ohs," the awestruck glances, the whispers —“the costume is exquisite,” “it flows so perfectly as she moves” “She’s flying!” I still get goosebumps thinking about it! It's what sparked this whole pink tutu craze, you know! 😍 I can tell you now, ladies and gents, this show is still revered for its captivating “ leaps, grand jetés,* ” — and of course, that breathtaking tutu.
Imagine the impact, ladies and gentlemen. One little outfit sparking a movement of elegant costumes for all ballerinas – a dance to new heights! The entire show was an evolution — and for the entire dance scene featuring the lake of swans, each female dancer wore the now-iconic white tutu 🦢, with only subtle variations of decoration between them, giving a perfect uniformity.
So, there you have it, my dear friends. That is the history of the tutu! A story that began in a Paris theatre and is now synonymous with elegance and beauty, not only on the stage but on dance floors and, of course, all those wonderful pink tutus we wear for everything from ballet practice to… well, let’s just say I wear them everywhere I go! Who knows where the tutu's journey will take us next? 💕 Maybe to a royal court in a medieval castle, or a modern fashion show in New York. The possibilities, my loves, are simply boundless!
But, for now, my darlings, let's revel in the brilliance of "La Source,” a musical triumph that made history not just because of the performance but because of a certain magnificent tutu! It's time to wear those tutus proud, darlings! Get on those pointe shoes and practice your moves — and for all of you lovely people, wherever you are, I’d love to see your photos of your tutus! Do share your dance moments with me using the hashtag #TutuTuesday!
Until next week, my darling twirlers,
With love, Emma
P.S. If you happen to be in London, do pop by the Victoria and Albert Museum! They’ve got some of the most magnificent tutus from La Source, worth a peek, don’t you think?
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I hope you enjoyed this TutuTuesday post! Do join me next week as I travel through time to explore more ballet tutu history, my loves!
See you on Tuesday!
