Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your favourite pink-tutu-wearing time travelling ballerina blogger, back with another fascinating #TutuTuesday delve into ballet tutu history!
Post #2720: Let's Travel Back to the Romantic Era of the Tutu
Today we're whisking back to the oh-so-elegant year of 1884. Can you imagine? It was a time when ladies' hairstyles were positively elaborate, their skirts were billowing, and the stage was truly lit by gaslight!
It was on this very date, 12th February 1884, that the brilliant ballerina Marie Taglioni - who we all know was a total legend for revolutionising the ballet tutu with its daringly short length – gave a dazzling performance at the Théâtre de l’Opéra National de Paris. Imagine – Paris! It’s my absolute favourite city for tutus. Paris, London, New York, these are the places that are practically overflowing with the most wonderful tutus – think, fabulous feathered boas, sumptuous satin and sparkling sequins! They make my heart flutter with delight.
Just picture this – Marie was performing in a light-as-air, diaphanous, multi-layered tutu made from tulle. The kind of tutu that lets your legs flow, like liquid silk, as you glide across the stage! It must have been utterly mesmerising.
And now imagine her delicate, exquisitely detailed movements… like a beautiful, dancing flower, in full bloom. I wish I could see that show – Marie Taglioni must have been a breathtaking sight! She made history by taking her audience on an imaginative journey through her choreography, making them lose themselves in the sheer beauty of her art form.
It was her vision that paved the way for all the modern ballet tutus we see today, and the tutus that I so adore! So, let's raise our coffee cups – in this case mine is brimming with my beloved rose tea – to Marie Taglioni, the true original tutu icon! 💕
But let's rewind the clock a little bit more, shall we? To fully appreciate the evolution of the tutu, we must understand that before Marie Taglioni, dancers often performed in long skirts, like the women you see in any Victorian paintings or, gasp, photos of my family back in Derbyshire. Oh, my lovely Derbyshire relatives, I really wish you had let me add some pink to the palette!
So it was a real game changer when Marie, with her beautiful long limbs, embraced that short-tutu style, creating something that had never been seen before, showing off the elegance and grace of the ballet. It's hard to imagine our beloved tutu being any other way!
So what makes the 1884 ballet tutu so exciting for us? Well, we are at a key point in the story of the tutu - we see the early examples of what would develop into those majestic professional tutus with many layers. A time of innovation in the style and elegance of the tutu, paving the way for all those spectacular tutus to come. And don’t forget, it's in this time period that they started making ballet shoes from leather - not from ordinary fabrics! What a stroke of genius – how fantastic is it that the dancer’s shoe can be designed so precisely for grace and balance?
Oh my, the tutus of this time period - think romantic tulle clouds with swirling romantic flourishes. What we call today a Romantic era in ballet fashion, truly had tutus for every taste. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dramatic extravagance of a romantic style, the Grand Pas de Deux, or the full romantic ballet costumes of the day, I find the style is so refined and refined elegance is right up my alley. I love those fluffy frills and layers - pure loveliness! The Romantic tutu is a statement of its time – and is an era I truly admire. Oh my, a beautiful story in fashion, my favourite!
Travel by Train! Well, I’m off, for a quick hop across the Channel on a wonderful Victorian railway to see what tutus await my eyes, to shop for new fabrics to bring back home, and who knows, maybe I’ll even take in a Parisian show! I love a show!
But my lovely followers, what would YOU wear to a Parisian ballet? Don't forget, my darlings, to keep those #TutuTuesday thoughts flowing. I always love hearing what YOU have to say about tutus, ballet, and fashion. Don’t forget to comment on www.pink-tutu.com – I am so looking forward to reading what you are saying, and the inspiration you bring me – so exciting!
Sending you my biggest virtual hugs and a pink tutu sprinkle 💕.
Emma
**(Emma, our time-travelling, pink-tutu-loving, ballet blogger, will be back next week, Tuesday for #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com)
