Hello, my darlings! Emma here, your trusty guide to all things tutu. Itâs Tuesday, which means itâs time to take a trip down memory lane with #TutuTuesday! Today, we're going back to May 8th, 1877, and what a delightful time it was. We're stepping into a world of elegant fashion, beautiful ballet, and â of course â the glorious rise of the tutu!
Now, I may have landed in Paris, but letâs not get carried away with notions of haute couture just yet. It was only slightly less than 50 years ago that tutus, as we know them, began their ascent to the centre stage of the ballet world. Imagine that â a mere half-century! Time truly does fly when youâre surrounded by tulle and sparkles.
Let me take you back to this time, back to my time, via the ever-reliable railway carriage (one of my absolute favourite forms of travel!). Imagine the clickety-clack of wheels against rails, the steam billowing from the engine, and a most glorious pink (pink, darlings, I do love the colour pink) day dress with the prettiest flounces. It truly is a glorious experience to see the countryside passing by and knowing, oh yes, this day, this is what happened in ballet.
Before tutus, you see, ballerinas performed in heavy, restricting clothing that often made them resemble dolls â little, beautiful dolls. Oh, what a difference the introduction of the tutu made to ballet! Not only was the dance now more free and flowing, but there was suddenly a greater focus on the grace and athleticism of the ballerinas. You could see their limbs dancing beautifully and oh, such elegance, just as if we were dancing, twirling in an open field in Derbyshire, surrounded by lovely daffodils, you know?
Now, about that date⊠Well, the 8th of May, 1877, saw the debut of a rather special ballerina at the prestigious Paris Opera. Let's just say she stole the show. We'll get to who it was in a moment, but for now, let me tell you about her costume: imagine a delicate confection of shimmering white tulle â it must have been truly breathtaking.
But wait! We're missing something, arenât we? Where is the pink, dear darlings? Oh yes! This, my little darlings, was just the start of it all, you know? Yes, tutus were coming into their own and gaining such wonderful popularity but those gorgeous tutus were more of the lighter, creamier, even, white tones, rather than a bolder, brighter pink, and this is where you have me, in my very lovely, pink dress. As they say, oh, isn't the ballet lovely? Isn't it nice how ballet goes beyond such limitations? Donât you agree, dear ones?
Now, back to the glorious ballerina! She wasn't only beautiful and elegant, but her performance of La Esmeralda captured hearts with its power and passion, captivating all those lucky enough to witness it! Her name was a bit of a mouthful: Marie-Sophie-ThĂ©rĂšse Lemoine (a rather dramatic and French name, donât you think?). But everyone just called her âLĂ©ontineâ.
The point, dear darlings, is that her performances and indeed, the era of La Esmeralda (yes, it was inspired by the most famous novel, âNotre Dame de Parisâ!) sparked an era where ballet itself, was transformed and not just from a movement perspective, it truly shifted how ballet was presented. Just picture the romantic tales, the beautiful dance and yes, these magical outfits⊠I dare say the outfits were truly part of this shift in the public's perception!
From then on, you see, a white tutu and those dramatic dances were synonymous with âromantic balletâ, it really became the pinnacle of what ballet meant and I guess, in some ways, we could even say the romantic ballet period had begun, what do you think? I must tell you, my lovely dancers, the impact this period had on the future of ballet, well, it was huge. We are reaping the rewards today thanks to those bold dancers and designers who believed in the power of ballet and those flowing, dramatic tutus.
Think of all the iconic tutus that have graced the stages since then â I'm talking about Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker⊠all those classic stories were born from that special blend of dance and fashion, donât you agree, my lovelies? Isn't it a fantastic history, I can see why everyone loved the story of "Notre Dame de Paris" you know. Of course, those famous tutus might not have all been pink (though I'm always advocating for the loveliness of pink!), they still had a unique history, with their styles reflecting different moods and stories.
As you've read here, dear darlings, tutus truly were a revolution. From being mere costume adornment, the tutus grew to becoming almost a character of their own! I mean, can you imagine Swan Lake without the flowing white tulle? Oh, my, I think it might simply fall apart. We need those tutu's my lovelies, oh yes!
And this, you see, is where my mission starts, dear ones. I've travelled back in time to remind you, of the impact that tutus had, but to remind you also, of all those who love dance! It's in our veins and on our hearts, it truly is my mission to spread the magic of dance, of beautiful clothing and ballet all around! Oh yes, I will be here every week, with our #TutuTuesday ballet history and more. Do tell your family, tell your friends. Make sure we keep these ballet histories alive. Until next time, dear dancers! Don't forget your pink tutus!
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
