#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1873-02-11

Welcome back to Pink Tutu, my dears! It's your favourite Tutu Tuesday, and this week we're taking a trip back in time! This week's #TutuTuesday journey is taking me all the way to the grand year of 1873, and, my dears, I am positively positively thrilled to be exploring this historical era with you!

(Before I start, I wanted to share that I'm so glad that we've passed 1,000,000 views on our blog, my dears, just wonderful! You’re so wonderful - we really are a Tutu Sisterhood and you've made this all possible! 🥂 Thank you so much to each and every one of you for all of your love, support, and endless, wonderful tutus! 😘 You keep this blogger, tickled pink! 💖 This week's post is #2146. ✨ )

Now then, 11th February, 1873! Well, where better to start than in Paris, of course! (Just remember - it's all about The Paris* Opera in the 1800's, don't you know). Paris was abuzz with all things elegant! There are so many delicious and lovely vintage shops - I wish you all could be here, really! This week, Paris was enjoying the wonderful ballet La Source! This beautiful production, premiered only four years earlier in 1869 by the incredible ballet choreographer Arthur Saint-Léon, * featuring beautiful costumes by the French fashion master *Charles Frederick Worth! (One of my favourite costume designers, darling! You know how I adore fashion! 🥰)

The exquisite music? Why that would be by the wonderfully talented, Léo Delibes! Léo is an excellent composer - if only he’d use my favourite pink more often! But, we can't expect perfection! 💖

And you’ll not believe, my loves, it seems that the Paris Opera is getting ready for something very special this week as well! The first official public performance by the Ballet Russe!! Just the thought of the beautiful, captivating and exciting choreography coming straight from Russia is so thrilling! They’ve promised some breathtaking ballets! And it is already a big event! How exciting - the Paris Opera has been having some trouble with ticket sales. A real lack of enthusiasm. I know my dear Paris - all you want to see are the amazing ballets, that's all! ✨

(Speaking of theatre and shows I have been enjoying some truly fabulous ones recently and the shops, my darlings - splendid! * * My favourite pink lace was simply divine! * And I do adore a pretty *velvet in pink, * don't you! * But really, the ballet! That's what really makes *my heart flutter! ** 😍)

The trip to 1873 was truly sensational. The steam engine of the train that carried me here was almost like it’s on one of my favorite ballerinas. The whole carriage was almost like a ballet, so much beautiful movement. The lovely plush fabric covering the seats - and did it ever smell wonderful, and a lovely selection of sandwiches at the station and some tasty coffee - that was a lovely pink cup, darling - not to mention the wonderful view! Paris! Always lovely. I'm not going to lie, sometimes it feels hard to leave my little flat in Derby but with this Tutu Time Travel blog, I'm sharing some *fabulous moments and making some truly fantastic memories! 💖

## Tutues on Pointe - What About those Tutus, my dears?

Right then! What’s to say about Tutus this week! It feels to me like things are becoming more interesting. I adore the big tutus of 1873, though in many ways it’s already starting to become more interesting as some ballet productions begin to move away from the big, fluffy romantic tutus and start to incorporate some smaller tutus into the designs for more character roles in ballets! You see it's* so amazing, my dears, tutues* have always been an important part of ballet and have always been a favourite of * mine! I absolutely *love how they twirl, I'm still discovering more styles every time I step* *back in time - and I do believe tutus make you feel *fabulous! 🤩

### The Paris Ballet and its Tutues!

But my darlings, I just cannot go anywhere near the Paris Opera Ballet, and no* one can stop me from discussing ballet tutus! - they are my absolute **passion, darling!

If anyone was thinking the Parisian Ballet might just be moving towards a more ‘modern’ ballet style and leaving big tutus behind? Think again, darling! You will never * ever* * catch a Paris Opera ballet dancer without at least a lovely classic tutu! * - even in their smallest roles! 💖 I *have heard a rumour that in a couple of months, there may be a big, spectacular new show by *Luigi Manzotti. He is one of the *leading Italian ballet choreographers! * But don’t tell anyone, my dears, this is all *Top Secret Information!🤫

But, * back* to 1873! Let’s have a look at what I discovered.

11th February 1873: The ballet ‘La Source’* has one beautiful *classic tutu, with six layers of tulle, *perfectly flowing and twirling around each dancer and with some lovely trim to finish off that look! I love the details, my dear. * I really *love a bit of a good extra embellishment, but my real focus has got to be *how those tutu layers swirl! It's just wonderful how they move with the music and how you can always see a beautiful shape to each layer when it’s moving through the air, I've seen so many wonderful performances from here! Paris just seems to understand ballet, that’s all - don't you know!✨

(Don’t tell anyone - but it’s the tulles, my dear, not the dancers!* 😂 You might have seen my recent video on my ballet journey, my dears - it’s the ballet tulles, really that are making it all possible, so it was my pleasure to show how beautiful they all are! That is a key for me with a Tutu, isn't it? It has to be twirly! 😍)

But the Paris Opera is also taking some exciting steps into a new era, my darlings. It seems that the ballerinas in the Opera will soon be wearing a shorter, more simple but beautiful style of tutu! * (I'm sure the dancers won't mind either - shorter skirts do often mean *more dancing! - just as I always tell my little ballet dancers. The Parisian ballet girls seem to like a few layers! There’s always something to twirl! ** 🥰

Well my lovelies, that was a truly super week of ballet history, wouldn't you agree?! So, now that you have heard from my visit to 1873! Let's wrap up *Tutu Tuesday, darling. I *always love sharing my Tutu Tuesdays and some wonderful advice! This is what I’ve learned about ballet tutus this week:

Fashion: * The tutu *is never simply an outfit - it’s more than that - the tutu represents something more to the whole world - a statement that ballet is just fabulous! It’s not simply fashion - the *tutu is fashion, elegance and an iconic part of ballet. It's always about creating beauty, whether we're *twirling it on the stage, or whether you are looking out into the audience as we dance.

Don't forget, if you have any fantastic ballet stories or photos for us all to share, just pop them on my Facebook page. If you like what you have read, please do remember to leave me a like or a comment on this blog! It's great to know what you think.

Remember my dears! Always pink, always tutus, and never stop believing in the beautiful art of ballet. 🩰 💖

And, I can't wait to see you all next week - *same time, same place, *
on the wonderful pink-tutu.com website. 💕

Until next time, stay fabulous! 💖✨