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#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1881-07-26

#TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History - July 26th, 1881

Welcome back, darling tutu enthusiasts, to my little corner of the internet! Itā€™s your favourite time traveller, Emma, back with another captivating journey through the world of ballet tutus. Today, we're waltzing our way back to July 26th, 1881, and trust me, the ballet world was abuzz!

Now, picture this: London, the epicentre of everything fashionable and exciting. The air is thick with the scent of horse-drawn carriages, the rumble of trams, and the unmistakable whispers of high society gossiping about the latest performance at the Royal Opera House.

(Let's take a little train trip back in time! My goodness, the carriages were so grand! Though I did find myself yearning for a cup of tea with proper biscuits and not that lukewarm tea they called it! But, you know me, always a fan of the dramatic - the journey was truly a delight.)

Oh, the costumes back then, my darlings! So different from what we see today, but just as beautiful. Imagine yourself a blushing debutante, waltzing gracefully across the stage, your delicate movements enhanced by the soft billows of your layered tulle skirt. Now, I know what you're thinking: ā€œEmma, those sound heavy, donā€™t they?ā€ They were! The fabric was often starched, stiff, and, oh, darling, they would definitely leave you gasping for breath by the final curtain. It wasn't exactly "pointe" work but they sure put a bounce in your step.

Today, in 1881, there was a great deal of emphasis on graceful shapes. On July 26th, 1881, the celebrated ballerina, (A hush, a slight lean in.) Madame Anna Pavlova, herself, danced in a production of ā€œGiselleā€. Imagine, you've probably seen Giselle on stage, a hauntingly beautiful piece of choreography with romantic and haunting melodies. You wouldn't be wrong, this story about the love of a village maiden, who succumbs to despair after being fooled and heartbroken and ends up in a magical forest - she was a sensation, I hear - well, a few generations have watched her take her last steps and all for good reason - a ballet classic!

(Speaking of a sensation - oh, did I mention my recent vintage find - an incredible, oh-so-delicate lace tutu? I am smitten, it practically floats on air. It may even get a debut in the next Ballet on Broadway production - canā€™t reveal too much, I must stay cryptic.)

Back to the 1880sā€¦ Imagine my delight to see that the design of Madame Pavlova's "Giselle" tutu echoed the spirit of the era - a soft, flowing cascade of delicate tulle that mimicked a billowing cloud. It emphasized movement, that beautiful grace we all associate with ballet, and created a dramatic spectacle as she flitted across the stage. Oh, darling, this look was all about femininity, beauty, and, of course, romance! The colour palette leaned towards creamy whites, pale pinks and dreamy pastel hues, evoking that Victorian dream world. They did, however, occasionally bring in the darker colour palette in the 'ballet de corps' - think moody, mysterious blues, purples, and emerald greens to give the scene a haunting dimension! The fabric, as well as being a softer version of the 'cage crinoline', with much more tulle layering, was still quite stiff and required careful movement in order to make those grand, sweeping leaps. But you know me - if I saw it, you can bet I was going to try it! Thankfully it all worked out - even with a few scrapes on the legs from the stiff fabricā€¦

(Don't you ever worry - I always check the time travelling protocol. One can't simply swan in and waltz off! Well, almost always... it almost went wrong once, but lets just say the 1930s and their love of a jazz and swing music brought me back safely! But I'll tell you about that later...)

This is why we go through the "Tutu Tuesday" journey, to really get an understanding of how things change. We're not talking about 'fashion for fashion' sake - we're talking about the changes to costumes that really helped dance move forwards, and, most importantly, we learn from these eras!

Now, letā€™s get back to the real magic! That ā€˜Giselleā€™ performance on July 26th, 1881 - it was not just about ballet itself! That night, London's finest gathered to celebrate Madame Pavlovaā€™s triumph and the ballet in general! (Oh, the society gossip...and all the elegant talk of 'this is simply charming' and 'but isnā€™t she radiant in pink'... oh, such fun... I almost forgot to get myself a copy of the performance in my handbag!) * Theyā€™d talk about it all year - the fashion, the performance, *everything. There was a definite feeling of sophistication! *(Honestly, just imagine a world that appreciated that level of elegance! We *could get back to a gentler timeā€¦) Weā€™re not talking a casual ā€˜lets go see the balletā€™ evening, like we enjoy today, although in our hearts, I think, a little of that is always true...

But think about the impact! This is the history of the tutu - weā€™re looking at an evolution - a move to softer lines, with a touch of romanticism, even, yes, some Victorian decadence! ( I do, dare I say, see the trend come back in modern times in certain performances... don't you just love seeing those soft textures! - It is very ā€˜fashion now!ā€™ ) A ballerina like Madame Pavlova was part of a social movement and that in itself tells you how important those ā€˜ballet momentsā€™ were... oh, my dears - donā€™t you dare ever forget - a ballet performance can be much more than simply a dance, darling, but a glimpse into society itself. How very exciting, right!

Now, who knows what surprises our next #TutuTuesday trip might have in store for us! So stay tuned, and please do make sure you send in your own historical ballet tutu gems. We'll be delving deeper next Tuesday! Until then, wear your favourite tutu, smile brightly, and don't forget - every day is an opportunity to feel like a graceful ballerina!

*(But do please make sure youā€™re always, always in that beautiful pink tulle! That *really does make all the difference in life! - especially if it's for travel by train... ) **

Yours in Pink,

Emma xx

*Don't forget to subscribe to *www.pink-tutu.com *and join the Pink Tutu Community for more dazzling insights, news, and, of course, plenty of pink tutu fun! This is post # 2587 ! *

You can always check out what I'm wearing - if I'm wearing pink - then, I've just got to take photos in front of a famous place. What do you think? Should I make the " pink Tutu selfies" a thing? Just an idea... (Don't judge my choices - It really does help my wardrobe.)

I always love hearing what you guys are up to, what your tutu favorites are, and most importantly, I just love seeing how you are taking on the "pink tutu world"! I even have a special little space on www.pink-tutu.com to share your fashion and show experiences! Do share yours - it means so much to me to connect with fellow enthusiasts. We may be all about pink, but, oh darling - we are truly a beautiful community!

Enjoy the week, darlings - and remember - dance with grace, dress with style!

#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1881-07-26