Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink-tutu-wearing time traveller, Emma, back with another dose of ballet history for your Tuesday! Today, we're stepping back in time to 19th September, 1876. Buckle up, my lovelies, as we take a train ride straight to the heart of Parisian fashion, where the tutu was just starting its dazzling rise to fame!
As you all know, my heart belongs to the tutu - that swirling, graceful, endlessly glamorous garment that makes me feel like a princess, a fairy, a dancing dream come true. But the tutu wasn't always this ubiquitous symbol of ballet. Imagine my surprise when I first hopped into my time machine (yes, you read that right!) and found myself in a world where ballerinas were still waltzing in long, billowing skirts! The scandalous, shocking, breathtaking tutu hadn't arrived yet.
Oh, but what a change it was going to be! This 19th of September, 1876, wasn't a monumental date for tutus, but it marks a year in which something exciting was about to happen! The year of 1877, you see, was the year when the tutu became even more fabulous! Think shorter skirts, fuller layers, and a silhouette so divine, it could bring tears to a fashion-forward fairy’s eye. It’s like a whirlwind of twirls!
Imagine, my dears, the Paris Opera House, its elegant walls adorned with intricate paintings. And in the heart of that grandeur, ballerinas like Marie Taglioni, were enchanting audiences with their delicate grace and ethereal movements, wearing the precursor to our modern-day tutus. These were romantique tutus, with soft, flowing layers that showcased the ballerinas’ beauty and artistry, but they were still pretty long!
These are the tutus I live for - the ones with endless possibilities for embellishments! Do you know I bought the most incredible lace ribbon the other day at a lovely vintage shop near my flat in Derbyshire? It's going to look positively divine on the tutu I'm designing for my next show!
Let’s take a quick trip back to 1877 for a peek at what's waiting around the corner: The revolutionary* "tutu à la française”* emerges from the fashion maelstrom of Paris. We’re talking shorter, poofier tutus! The dancer's legs are more prominent. A real leap forward for ballet!
Of course, fashion, like life, moves in a beautiful, whimsical spiral, always evolving. It was this *French-style tutu that we know and love today. But imagine the revolution it caused back then!
What else can you be doing this #TutuTuesday?
Firstly, I highly recommend seeing a ballet show, or taking a ballet class. They are simply the best. I also enjoy attending the ballet at the Royal Opera House. I just love seeing my favourites on stage, like Natalia Osipova! It really makes me feel part of a huge, glamorous history!
Another thing you can do? Well, I encourage you all to take inspiration from history, and pick up some sewing materials! Perhaps experiment with some vintage fabrics.
Even if you aren't the crafting type, the world of tutus has plenty of treasures waiting to be discovered in shops and museums! There’s nothing quite like taking a vintage fashion shopping spree, it’s like stepping into the past, but with much better shoes. I even find myself daydreaming about traveling to museums across the globe, simply to see the beautiful costumes.
Now, why not find a tutu-shaped treat in your local bakery? Or, perhaps visit your favourite pastry shop and treat yourself to some of the prettiest, pinkest macarons they have. You’ve just been to the Parisian opera house in a time machine and witnessed history! I’m going to celebrate with a huge box of pink macarons!
As you continue on your fabulous week, remember the history of the tutu, and the exciting journey it's been on to get to its place in our hearts today.
Stay sparkly, darling!
Lots of love,
Emma x
P.S. Did you know that 19th September 1876 is exactly one week after the birth of the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova? The lady who revolutionised the dancing world! Perhaps that’s a good sign of the amazing things that are about to come to the world of ballet!
