Hello, my darling dance devotees! It's Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-loving time-traveling ballerina, and welcome back to another week of #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com! I'm popping in from the most divine Parisian theatre, the Opéra Garnier, to share a little bit of ballet history with you all. It’s such a beautiful place. It’s even better because they serve a lovely tea with my favourite cake: macarons!
Oh my goodness, the dresses here! I feel like I'm walking through a couture catalogue – every woman is just effortlessly elegant. Such divine styles! They all wear such lovely fabrics in divine colors like turquoise and pink (naturally). You wouldn’t believe how much I love the color pink - every time I find myself travelling, I stock up on all the pink clothing and jewellery that I can. I really think pink looks great on everyone. I wish it wasn’t such an expensive colour - then everyone could wear it all the time!
So today, we're journeying back in time, right back to June the 18th, 1878, to a pivotal date for the ballet tutu, the darling of dance wear!
The date, my dear friends, marks the birth of one of the most renowned and admired dancers of all time – Anna Pavlova, an incredible artist who became a world-renowned ballerina! What a wonderful story to be told. Born in Russia in 1881, but arriving in Paris, she was an icon for her breathtaking performance as The Dying Swan! This is where our Parisian adventure comes in! This was actually one of the earliest appearances by the lovely Pavlova in her own original production, "Les Papillons", and it is quite the beautiful, enchanting performance! A tour de force – as they say! I must say, her dancing is completely captivating! Her movements are so effortless, so expressive. Every step, every turn is just perfection. I had a wonderful time seeing her. I'm actually writing to you right from a Parisian tea shop just after her show.
Oh! You must know what my outfit is like! Well, today is a very special day, so it has to be extra fabulous. So I’m sporting a magnificent hot pink tutu with sequins, and it’s a complete dream. I’ve never seen a more sparkly one in my life, but that’s just the start! I also have a hot pink off-the-shoulder, flowing chiffon blouse with sleeves with matching pink opera gloves! I look a real dancing goddess - that’s how the Parisian women described me when I stopped at a bakery to get a sweet macaron to go with my tea. How wonderfully exciting to be on this beautiful Tuesday in the beautiful capital of France.
Speaking of beautiful capitals, that reminds me… Oh! Today also happens to be another anniversary! 1878, my lovely friends, was a very big year! It marks the grand opening of the opulent, majestic Opera Garnier here in Paris – our beloved “Palais Garnier”. They don’t call it that for nothing! I mean the chandeliers are fabulous and are fit for royalty – just gorgeous – the whole building is incredibly breathtaking. Imagine that; one of the world’s most impressive theaters is 142 years old! Imagine all the performances, all the dancers, all the stories! They must be magical! But you know how much I love a trip back to 1878 - we’re still quite early in tutu evolution. I'll let you in on a little secret: The tutus weren't always the divine creations we know and adore today. The ‘Romantic Ballet’ era - and Pavlova's style of ballet, was a very important stage in ballet history. A big shift, but this means we have to imagine this: no layers upon layers of tulle. Now think about it. Just one, soft layer. No extravagant, sweeping lines – it was all about keeping it as graceful and elegant as possible! That means they still look utterly romantic, which means dreamy, with a soft airy appearance. You should see it!
I have a feeling the tutus had a long way to come, my darlings! Imagine - tutus then are simple! And of course they do have the essential layers underneath: the corset - very important to ensure a beautiful, sleek line - and cambric underwear to hold everything securely, ensuring the right form. We still need those even today, though now I also prefer the corsets from the 1920s – what a design era - they were just as comfortable to wear, which makes the tutus flow so beautifully and the way the waistlines were designed were exquisite - magnificent. A girl never goes without her camisole, and, my friends, even a ballet girl is never without her special little tutu accessories. Oh I've said too much. That will have to wait for next week’s blog. I want to keep a few secrets up my sleeve - I don’t want you all to spoil the next surprise before it even gets to be a surprise. You might also think that the ballerinas all wore flat shoes. Well, think again, darling! As the dance moved towards its present form, it did take a bit of a jump with shoes – I mean a ballet leap. Ballet pointe shoes did exist then, and in this era you’ll find that the shoes are actually still rather pointed - no big wide toe, just nice and snug around the foot! The shoe shape had more of a pointy V – very beautiful, really and just elegant.
But remember: These dancers aren’t standing on their tip toes, not at all, no – but in more graceful, relaxed movements. We still don’t quite see the grand jeté - the graceful long jumps. The steps are smaller. Oh but that doesn't make it any less beautiful!
I simply adore seeing these ladies in these dresses - so much so I always wear my own dreamy pink tutu and exquisite chiffon top and opera gloves when I'm enjoying their performances in a lovely Parisian tea room – after all – a ballerina can always add a touch of Parisian chic even to tea time.
Speaking of dreams, oh - I know the train from London is due in about a hour! The journey takes almost five hours, and that is not too long on a railway ride. Imagine getting out of the hustle and bustle of London and boarding this incredible mode of travel. You’re inside this divine carriage. Everything feels so new, everything is just… well… polished and clean, and you smell a hint of a delightful lemon scent from the soap they’ve used for their linen! The most relaxing way to travel! Imagine; that train from London will take me across the channel to see my favourite fashion house - my next trip is to find more fabulous outfits, but shh... this will all be revealed in due course. Very soon, my darling friends, very soon!
That's all for now, darling dancers, I must run – this tea has been too good – and, oh! The croissants! Divine! You’ll just have to tune in again next week when we head off on another thrilling trip through time. Make sure to join me for a beautiful journey through time - as a bonus you can find some interesting photos from my time travelling journey too. Until then, keep your tutus twirling, darling dancers, and may you all find magic in the simplest of twirls.
Sending you a big pink tutu hug!
Yours always, Emma 💖
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Please note, this blog post uses an early version of Tutu. The history and development of the tutu continue to be quite interesting, though in reality ballet performances of today often see variations in tutu style – that can include soft and flowy, hard, flat, bell-shaped and more – with each variety perfectly designed for a special kind of performance and dance routine, and a unique aesthetic to give the dance character, or specific personality. So be sure to share with me what styles you love and do have a special appreciation for. I really do love hearing what you think!
