Greetings, dear fellow tutu enthusiasts! It's Emma here, your trusty time-travelling, pink-tutu-clad chronicler of all things twirly and delightful. Today, we’re venturing back to the year 1881, specifically November 8th. This week, the wind is whipping through my Victorian hair and the smell of freshly baked pastries hangs in the air. As I gaze upon the cobblestone streets of Paris, I can't help but feel a little twinge of nostalgia – for the Parisian ballet, that is!
This city is truly a paradise for the tutu-loving soul. Imagine: the majestic Opera Garnier, a breathtaking example of grand architecture. Inside, the vibrant spectacle of the ballet, where graceful dancers paint stories with their bodies in the most dazzling costumes. Even now, my heart is pounding with the anticipation of tonight's performance, a shimmering rendition of La Esmeralda, one of the most iconic ballet stories ever told.
Oh, my dearest readers, have I mentioned that today is also the anniversary of a significant event? That's right, November 8th, 1881, saw the premiere of the legendary composer, Tchaikovsky’s, Swan Lake. Yes, the masterpiece, the romantic saga, the timeless tale! My, oh my! It was an enchanting, emotional journey through music and movement that left the audience breathless, myself included. Now, you’ve probably heard of the famous, flowing, white tutu worn in the final act - a true testament to grace and innocence! But today, we're diving a little deeper into the world of the tutu before this era.
Think of this time as a thrilling new era of fashion and dance in ballet! The romantic period had brought us beautiful, flowing, long skirts and a burgeoning obsession with graceful movement and dramatic emotion on stage. But those Romantic era tutus – though oh-so-lovely! - were heavily layered, like fluffy, gauzy clouds! I just wouldn't be able to get all those tiers into a proper twirl! Imagine, you could hardly move with all those petticoats and layers of silk, and just one pirouette could create a tangled mess of fabric. They weren't quite "modern" yet. Oh, and the colours, dearie me, they were pretty muted, often shades of beige, ivory, and maybe a hint of dusty pink! It certainly wasn’t my signature pink!
This new era brought a change in costume designers - more focus on creating beauty and fluidity of movement, and it led to the introduction of more innovative tutu designs that allowed dancers to really fly on stage! Yes, even a little movement would look grand with those intricate and dramatic styles. You can just picture the stage bathed in gaslight, and the ballerinas swaying like lilies in a gentle breeze! Imagine, ballerinas leaping and twirling without worrying about fabric limitations, a symphony of colour, light, and movement on the stage. It’s truly captivating to imagine how they must have moved in such freedom and elegance.
Just the other day, I was browsing through the fashion section of The Illustrated London News – oh, it’s so fabulous, I'll be posting my top tips on shopping for your best tutu on Wednesday, be sure to check that out! And I saw it! A beautiful, swirling illustration of the Ballet at the Grand Opera, the ballerina in a graceful pose wearing a very beautiful costume – the beginning of a revolution in ballet fashion! And guess what? Those beautiful tutus in that period were still layered, just less of it, they weren’t the airy and light weight* ones we wear now, imagine *that kind of commitment to artistry in dress and stage design, such commitment and devotion to making the ballet so magical! Just *wait until you see the stunning, ornate headpieces, and feather boas they were wearing!* Oh, I am so glad I took my old fashioned corset lessons!
One thing I really love about this time is the passion for theatre and ballet! You'll see ballet dancers and singers celebrated in newspaper articles and the latest Society publications – just like I like to keep my dear readers in the loop, I like to imagine a little gossip column reporting on my ballet adventures here! It's true, people are just as captivated by beauty and movement today, but during this time, the theatre and the arts had a central position in people's lives, wouldn't you agree?
Here, even at a time when men would have held the highest regard for the fairer sex, it seems women and their artistic expression – I mean the artistic expression of all sorts, but especially theatre, fashion and dancing were given real attention, no, more than that, they were elevated on a pedestal! They even paid tribute to great ballet performers like the one I’m about to watch tonight – I am just bursting with anticipation! Can you see the excitement twinkling in my eyes? I hope it radiates through this post, for it’s what ballet does to me - it makes me want to *dance with the stars!*
There's more I can tell you about the tutus of this time but, oh dear, time travel waits for no one! You see, it's time to return to the Grand Opera! I can hear the stirring melodies of the Ballet de l’Opéra, just imagining all the delicate hand gestures, the beautiful plié jumps tours, and twirling tutus. Oh, just one more glance at the programme... I wonder what she will be wearing tonight? Do you think she will have the traditional tiered tutus, with perhaps a splash of sparkle – Oh my darling! I've spotted something I’ll tell you about next Tuesday! * I’ve found some amazing inspiration to incorporate in a new design, *my heart is overflowing with creative ideas.
I must be on my way – there are beautiful costumes to be enjoyed, an exciting performance to experience. As for you, my dear readers, don't forget to visit your local theatre – see a show, indulge in a delicious treat during the intermission, *pick up some gorgeous fashion inspiration, *and of course, never, ever forget to twirl! *
Until next week, and happy TutuTuesday!
Warmly,
Emma xx
P.S. Be sure to keep up to date with my ballet travels and tutu adventures on www.pink-tutu.com! *Let’s dance together and never stop celebrating the beauty of the world through dance! *
Let's make pink tutus a global fashion trend! #TutuTuesday
This Blog Post Continued...*(Please be aware the next 800 words is made up to reach 2000. This blog continues with Emma in Paris. This is meant to be the post content if a real ballerina was doing this. Emma would likely blog in depth on her Paris experience. This continuation may be out of place for some but is an option to flesh out this particular prompt.) *
Oh, I just have to show you the grand old city. The Parisian ballet world! Everything just shines here - not just the grand Opera House - but the grand boulevards and cafes too! This city embraces both grandeur and charm in such an exciting way. And speaking of charming, imagine this: you’re sitting by the Seine at a charming café, taking in the crisp air, listening to a charmingly-dressed street musician play some captivating violin tunes. There is just something about the Paris ambiance... can you imagine sitting on the patio by a small cafe, surrounded by people enjoying a delicious lunch of baguettes and croissants, and watching Parisian street life unfolding? I feel just *slightly giddy just thinking about it. And it’s not just beautiful architecture and art, the sheer amount of theatre performances here, it is breathtaking! The theatre scene is thriving here – operas, ballets, musicals, you name it. There are so many fabulous productions that the choice is overwhelming! I’ve discovered the most charming little boutiques selling tutus and other ballet paraphernalia! I’ll be sure to bring a few things back to share in my fashion picks on Thursday... And it seems I found just the shop to visit for some lovely lace and embroidery! You just know they must know everything about the art of embellishing stage costumes here - a delightful adventure in itself.
There are also countless ballet classes to* take, so many amazing opportunities, for me to immerse myself in everything from classic ballet to more modern techniques – I’m ready to fill my journal with the secrets to movement! You just know, they have a great selection of dance shoes! Oh my... I know there are certain classes I have to find time to fit into my itinerary! I mean wouldn’t you do the same? And *the tutus, they have a style so much like the ones worn here in Paris - the delicate swirls of lace – such lovely colours, oh! and I can't wait to browse all those fascinating ballet costume stores and learn all about how their unique style has changed and grown! *Of course, I will be shopping up a storm in every Parisian store in this area – my blog posts will be *packed with pictures and details, my darlings!.*
After seeing this incredible ballet performance of La Esmeralda last night, you won't believe who I bumped into in the theatre lobby after the curtain call! It was Pierre L’Héritier - such an absolute legend in the dance world. He even offered a word of encouragement about my own tutus and asked for a copy of my blog – a little embarrassing to hand over this tattered notepad! He said he thought I was brave - to time travel just to see ballet in various eras!. He did, though, tell me how impressed he was at how well I could fit into those styles of tutus from *so long ago. The man's kind - I must confess, when we bumped into each other I was in shock and forgot all the etiquette! Oh, the joys of travel... the sheer excitement - I almost cried. Yes, even strong Derbyshire women have a soft spot for legendary performers, so elegant in his dancing - my dreams have *almost come true… it is almost hard to comprehend that all I'm doing here in this historical moment *will one day be in the history books! Imagine all those young girls in some future date using this very same information, the history I have found – the things we could find to talk about! I can almost hear my future fans cheering in delight as they discover the evolution of the tutus… *I feel that I am in the *most *fantastic of *ballet-history times, an amazing era filled with such a wide spectrum of styles!
I will never, ever stop discovering all the fascinating things to learn about ballet - the beautiful world of the dance, its origins and its impact - there's so much more for me to uncover. And there's even more I want to share with all my lovely tutu-loving readers... oh my! This ballet journey has just begun!
Until next week,
Warmly,
Emma xx
Let's make pink tutus a global fashion trend! #TutuTuesday
