Hello darlings, and welcome to #TutuTuesday! This is your girl Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast and time-traveling aficionado, back with another blast from the past, and this week, it's a proper trip! This post is number 2820, by the way, in case you're a bit of a tutu-history buff. As always, we're diving into the story of our favourite little skirts on www.pink-tutu.com, but this time, we're setting our clocks to a most extraordinary date: 12th January 1886.
You know me, love, I’m always trying to expand my tutu horizons, and when it comes to ballet history, this era is a real gem. It's a time of change, darling!
First things first, a bit of personal news, I’m in Vienna at the moment! The air is positively crackling with the excitement of a new season and I just saw the most magnificent ballet performance at the Vienna State Opera. The costumes were positively divine - full skirts, elegant fabrics, and yes, of course, tutus. Absolutely divine, love! The music had me swaying all night, and the dancers - oh my! Simply a dream. Vienna is simply one of my most adored European cities when it comes to ballet. It is certainly my favourite European city for tutu appreciation! It's absolutely overflowing with grand, decadent balls and stunning theatre performances - just what every ballerina dreams of! I took a day out for a spot of shopping and you won't believe the amazing shops in the centre of town - a positively bonkers mix of opulence and artistry. All of which, of course, have fabulous tutus!
But back to the history at hand, 1886 - it's a time when the very fabric of the ballet world is being reimagined! It was an era where dancers, especially the ballerinas, started to demand more freedom of movement, and believe me, that translates to an evolution in the tutu. You see, darling, before 1886, the tutu was all about dramatic volume. It was almost like a cloud, you see. This gave dancers this amazing presence on stage but it limited what they could do in terms of fancy footwork. You just can’t do a perfect fouette with that amount of fabric around you, right?
Then, like magic, the Romantic Era, darling! They wanted ballet to become about emotions and the dancers to appear even more delicate and ethereal. In this era, the tutu transformed from that big, beautiful cloud into something sleeker, lighter, more elegant, a little shorter – something more flexible. Think about it! It was the start of a whole new way of moving on stage - a true triumph for expression. It’s quite amazing how fashion and artistic ideas often walk hand-in-hand, you know?
And then! Just when you think ballet couldn’t be more graceful, along comes a new material – tulle! It arrived just in time to completely change the scene - and trust me, it made a massive impact. The dancers went wild, you know. Suddenly they could move with such agility and speed – their artistry and talent just burst onto the stage! That’s when the iconic tutu started to get the shape we all adore today! It’s lighter, airy and yes – perfect for all that dancing, darling!
And you know what else? Tulle and a short, delicate, flowing skirt opened the doors for the legendary tutus you see all over the world today. Like the Romantic tutu – those beautifully graceful, bell-shaped delights you just love to watch twirl, or the Classical tutu - oh darling, I’ve tried one of those, imagine, so lovely with its multiple layers and stiff petticoats, or even the tutus the men wear, (yes, they do! – just wait till I get a hold of one to show you).
But let's go back to our date, January 12th, 1886. That day is unbelievably important for any fan of dance history, love. What happened? You’ll never guess - it’s one of the grandest debuts in history! The Vienna Opera Ball! It’s the grandest celebration of dance and opulence in all of Europe. Even if you don’t do dance yourself, you would adore a ball like this. The sheer beauty of it! Can you imagine, dear? Every ballerina you've ever dreamed of seeing performing in one spot. The ball, the elegant dress, the music and the dancing, it’s positively magical. I was lucky enough to see it back in 1907 when I was in Vienna to visit the Vienna State Opera and ballet studio, and you know me, dear, I would love nothing more than to witness the amazing history in Vienna right from 1886. Oh! The possibilities! Maybe, darling, I will have a trip planned in the near future.
But this is only the start! Because there's something amazing going on this very day, my dearest darling! You won't believe what I’m planning on trying, dear - the latest ballet innovation, just think of how enchanting it will be, a dance shoe specially made for ballet! The Ballet shoe! A little bit more than a plain ballet shoe in this period, darling! Oh darling, the dancing potential just explodes with something this fantastic, so beautiful, lightweight and graceful – you could glide like a butterfly on it, literally. Can you imagine, dear? All that swishing and dancing in the perfect shoe? I don’t know why it has taken them this long. Just imagine all that elegant ballet made just so much easier with this amazing innovation – fabulous! I can practically hear the music. I do have to get to Paris as soon as possible to experience it for myself, as it is supposed to be absolutely the centre for ballet dancing and inspiration. The place for everything and everyone involved in dancing and that’s precisely where I want to be on January 12th, 1886.
Speaking of travel, darling, I have to get my lovely railway tickets sorted out for Paris! Oh darling, I do love travelling by train, don’t you? All those beautiful, ornate train carriages, I can just picture the luxurious setting. The big windows, with all the scenery rolling past – my perfect way to travel to Europe! And I’ll have a little cabin all to myself so I can look my most divine – the little cabin is like an apartment – it’s all yours to relax in - just imagine the peace and quiet. Perfection! I absolutely love traveling by train! I would not be anywhere else, it just wouldn’t feel right, dear! There’s nothing as exciting or magical as a grand railway trip and seeing all those historical towns and cities along the way! There is something very special about watching the world go by outside of the window.
And when I’m in Paris I will be heading straight to the Paris Opera! Just imagine those grand ballet performances – absolutely breathtaking! And the music, darling! So utterly sublime, just simply enchanting, oh, just beautiful – like you are floating – pure ballet magic – you won't believe your eyes, you simply must witness it for yourself, love! I have plans to get dressed up and join all the dancing classes. Imagine what wonderful fashion is out there for us to embrace!
Right then, darlings, I am completely enchanted by 1886 – what an amazing period for tutu fashion! The dancing - the new innovations* - all those gorgeous *shoes and designs! What do you think of *ballet history? Do let me know in the comments!
Until next Tuesday, my dears! I can’t wait for next week! Make sure to join me on www.pink-tutu.com for next Tuesday's post and more #TutuTuesday goodness! Remember, every single day is #TutuDay – if you can wear it, you can dance in it! And we will all be one big pink tutu loving family.
Hugs and Kisses, Emma xx
