Hello my dears! Welcome back to another Tuesday, and another delightful journey through the world of tutus! This week we're travelling to…wait for it…February 22nd, 1876! Hold onto your tiaras, lovelies, we’re about to take a trip back in time to discover the fascinating evolution of the ballet tutu!
As you know, this is my 2304th blog post for Pink-Tutu.com! Can you believe it? Time really does fly when you're prancing around in your favourite pink tutus. And, since I've had a bit of extra time to spare, thanks to some fabulously profitable ballet performances, I thought it was about time we journeyed back in time! Oh, did I tell you about my last show in Vienna? Just divine!
And speaking of time travel... You'll be tickled pink to know that my trip this week took me on the most darling steam train ride, across Europe, and I swear, everyone should travel by train. The plush compartments and the views…simply divine! Anyway, all this glamour got me thinking... Just how did our much-loved tutu evolve from those first, more, let’s just say…functional, forms to the stunningly intricate ones we have today?
Now, before we go on, remember my little saying?
“Tutus for everyone! Embrace the pink, my dears!”
So, with our lovely saying in mind, let’s go back in time!
1876: A Tutu TransformationRemember our good friend Marie Taglioni? The first to don a Romantic tutu (think ethereal tulle swirling to great heights), making a ballerina's leaps all the more impressive, way back in the early 1800s! Her design was all about lightness and grace. Imagine, my dears, the effect it had, when ballerinas were previously trapped in tight, floor-grazing skirts! Revolutionary! But then, like fashion always does, it evolved...
Come 1876, the era of the "Classical" tutu arrived. These beauties had slightly longer skirts compared to the Romantic tutus. They provided even more support for graceful movement while being more grounded, still with just the right touch of whimsy and wonder. This allowed ballerinas to explore even more incredible techniques and feats of grace, like the famous bourrée!
Imagine! It’s fascinating to think that 150 years ago, these elegant garments were beginning to take their very first pirouette on the stage! And let’s be honest, ladies, have they not graced the stage, flawlessly, for all this time?
A Celebration of the TutuNow, don’t forget this Tuesday’s event, for there’s no better way to honour a lovely bit of dance history than to get out there and enjoy a ballet show, darling! I just know a wonderful little theatre in the heart of Paris. And it’s just across the road from a simply darling little boutique selling the most divine array of tulle and feathers you ever did see…
Oh, you really should pop by, my dears, the saleswoman is the sweetest! But, please, promise me, do not let those pesky fabric salesmen tempt you with anything but the highest-quality, softest, most beautifully flowing tulle! And definitely only in the most delightful shade of pink. That's a tutu lover's mantra!
To the Ballet!Now, I'm just about to jump on another steam train to reach my Parisian boutique, but you mustn’t forget to wear your most gorgeous tutu out this evening, my dears. Why, just think of the attention you'll get on your journey! Oh, and please, let me know how your evening went in the comments below, because every lovely pink tutu moment is worth sharing. Remember, we’re on a journey to spread tutu-love all across the world!
Stay fabulous, lovelies! And let’s keep dancing.
Emma xoxo