Hello lovelies! It's your favourite pink tutu-wearing time-travelling ballerina, Emma, here, ready to whisk you back to another time and another place in our weekly #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History blog! This week, we're stepping into the grand Parisian opera houses, where the ballet world was reaching a peak of exquisite style and elegance. I mean, I'm sure everyone agrees there is a certain elegance about any time period where tutus are involved, right?!
As always, I'm travelling on a budget, darling! Luckily, my ballet skills pay off on the journey. With some well-timed pirouettes and a lovely grande jeté, I can usually swing a free train ticket to any location I choose to visit, then earn my keep with a spot of dancing on the local stage. And boy, let me tell you, these French theatres are magnificent!
This Tuesday takes us to the 25th of August, 1885. That means today, today we can feel the echoes of one of ballet’s most iconic ballets – The Sleeping Beauty, written by none other than Tchaikovsky. You all know how much I adore ballet history, and if we're talking about the most fabulous tutu history - we just have to talk about Marius Petipa. Marius Petipa. He’s the guy responsible for choreographing the most beautiful ballet moments - ever. His vision shaped some of ballet's most classic works! You can just feel the delicate swirls and flowing movement. So we’re feeling super excited about being here on the 25th of August as that's the very date of the world premiere of this beautiful work. Can you even imagine?!
We might not have time machines to zoom into the theatre of that glorious premiere, but we can imagine it. A stage bathed in soft lighting, delicate dancers with impossibly high leaps and those incredible tutus! Can you just imagine all the glorious colour? My imagination’s been running wild with the vision of shimmering silk, glittering costumes, and those big, beautiful tutus, designed specifically for The Sleeping Beauty! Imagine them on the dancers, shimmering and swirling! So exquisite and utterly dreamy! The perfect expression of elegance in motion!
Of course, when we talk about Parisian ballet, we just have to mention fashion, and especially tutu design, darlings! You might think that back then the only thing considered fashionable was a full-on tutu, but guess what? Back in the 1880s, tutus were evolving from the much fuller, pouffer skirt-like tutus of the mid 1800s. Yes, it's true, you can go back in time and see ballet outfits were undergoing a change. Instead of huge layers, a slimmer silhouette was gaining popularity, and guess what? Even back then, shorter, more revealing tutus were starting to become more prevalent. Just look at the style of the original The Sleeping Beauty, with its focus on graceful lines and graceful curves, revealing more of the legs and feet. Even the design of the iconic tutu of Aurora, Princess of the Lilac Kingdom, reflected a move away from full pouffes towards graceful curves, allowing those wonderful long legs to stretch and lengthen those famous leaps!
Speaking of The Sleeping Beauty, one of the things I've loved discovering this week is that this famous ballet is considered by many to be the crowning jewel of Romantic ballet. Romantic ballet. The name says it all, doesn’t it? You know me - a real romantic at heart - so it’s no surprise I just adore this historical period of ballet. Imagine a ballet that emphasises grace, elegance, and a connection to the dreamlike! Pure romantic magic, I'm telling you! Imagine those wonderful dreamy themes - enchantment, fairies, the awakening from a long slumber. Even The Sleeping Beauty tells a captivating love story, a tale of passion, determination, and happy ever after. I mean, could anything be more romantic than that?
Now, I'm just starting my journey for next week’s post, and who knows what fabulous tutu treasures are awaiting me?! So much tutu inspiration - the world really is my oyster, darling! And don’t forget: If you want to be inspired, too, why not share your thoughts about tutus in the comments section below? And please don't hesitate to follow my social media, to share photos of yourself in your most gorgeous pink tutus with #TutuTuesday.
Remember, there's a bit of a ballerina in us all, and no outfit will make you feel more special, feminine, and empowered than your own gorgeous pink tutu.
Until next week, lovelies, I wish you the very happiest of tutus! Emma xx
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