#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1882-04-18

Hello darlings! It’s your favourite pink tutu-clad time traveller, Emma, here, bringing you the latest installment of my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History series! Welcome back to www.pink-tutu.com! This week’s post marks number 2625 - can you believe it? I can’t wait to share the wonders of tutu history with you all.

Now, let's take a magical trip back to April 18th, 1882. Imagine a world without iPhones and Uber - just horses and carriages, and those enchanting gas lamps illuminating cobbled streets. A truly romantic era! And where do we find ourselves today? The heart of the Parisian ballet world, of course! After a whirlwind trip on the Orient Express (just a delightful experience, the carriage was all velvet and plush!), I’m in Paris for a performance at the illustrious Opera Garnier.

Can you picture it? The dazzling chandeliers, the ornate balconies, the air alive with anticipation for the evening’s spectacle. Oh, it’s truly a place to dream of. Imagine being in this Parisian scene - you could smell the perfume, the air of excitement, the scent of the beautiful flowers everywhere, even just the very hint of delicious pastry!

Now, the ballet is what really makes the Parisian scene sparkle. Picture this: graceful dancers gliding across the stage, their tulle tutus swirling in ethereal elegance, a ballet unlike any other. Imagine the vibrant colours, the beautifully crafted sets, the poignant stories brought to life by the dancers. In this enchanting setting, it feels like you’re witnessing history unfold.

On this very day, 1882-04-18, we were treated to a particularly remarkable ballet performance, a real treat indeed, and for such an important event I must say, my choice of outfit had to be special. This week, I’ve selected a stunning silk pink tutu - such an explosion of femininity! It flowed beautifully as I skipped down the grand staircase at the opera, turning heads with its gorgeous blush shade. A delicate pink flower crown rested atop my curly auburn locks, matching perfectly the sombre shades of my silk dress. It just so happens this was the year that the first tulle fabric mill was established. Did you know, ladies and gentlemen, tulle has actually been used as a lightweight fabric since the late 18th century? The development of tulle was significant - it was the first time that lightweight, sheer netting could be mass-produced at a decent rate. A groundbreaking change to the tutu landscape indeed!

Speaking of the tutus themselves, you’d be surprised at how early on tutus evolved, dear readers. There have been many styles and innovations across the history of the tutu. While it was a ballet dancer who first sported the tulle "tutu" design around 1832 (a time of radical evolution for the dress form of dancers) they evolved into different shapes throughout the 19th century - think longer, Romantic styled tutus of the early and mid-1800s, with shorter variations emerging in the later years.

Tutu styles, even from those earlier centuries, can often reflect the historical fashion of their time. Look closely and you can even identify different eras of design styles! They can be traced all the way back to medieval times with the dance steps called tumbles, which influenced ballet's style and grace, even leading to some styles being known as "tumble dresses."

These days, however, the modern ballerina is more focused on comfort, functionality and expression within their choreography. While ballet performances themselves are increasingly popular today, some of these new dance designs, in many of the ballets we love, can have a touch of traditional dance designs woven into the contemporary moves too! The historical ballet techniques are still there! So the early ballet costumes are not without relevance, as they laid the groundwork for the spectacular designs we adore today.

Anyway, let me take a little trip back to 1882, because that early 19th century ballet fashion was quite an impressive era!

Back in my timeline for today, the ballet I saw tonight had been breathtaking. I love that ballet, particularly because of the dance form it utilizes - you just can't help but feel the joy of dance radiating outwards from the stage, making you want to skip around with delight too! The ballet used an eclectic array of dance techniques - elements from Italian dancing (ballet), French opera dance and some elements that you can even trace back to early medieval forms of dancing in both courtly circles and theatrical performances. In those days, they’d dance for hours, but the ballerinas in this modern day piece used a contemporary blend of choreography. The dancers were all dressed in exquisite tutus - it was like watching fairies take flight. They certainly were a far cry from the “tumble” style of dancing I’d studied from ancient manuscripts! So much more freedom in their style and expression of movement! A dance experience that is most certainly worthy of being added to my tutu travel scrapbook for this month, of course.

It’s a funny thing really. I must confess - the main reason I wanted to time travel was actually the tutus. Oh, my dear, those tutus! So much history and art poured into every single detail. The tutus we’ve come to see are really more than just pretty clothing. They represent so much artistry.

Now, if you've followed me for some time now, then you know I'm just obsessed with the joy and magic of ballet - and its extraordinary, beautiful tutus. When I can’t get my hands on an original 1882 era dress from those days of early ballerinas - let alone actually getting a chance to dance in it! - it is still such a delight for me to collect these amazing historical references in my notebooks! The world is brimming with stories to be told! From those early dancers on to today’s contemporary ballerinas. What an exciting journey to take! I can’t wait for all my tutu discoveries to come!

I hope you enjoyed this look into ballet tutu history with me, dear readers. Don’t forget to subscribe to the www.pink-tutu.com newsletter so you don't miss any of my latest blog posts! Let’s get ready for our #TutuTuesday adventure! Now I'm off to catch the Orient Express! Bon Voyage!