Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, darling readers! It's Emma here, your pink-tutu-clad time-travelling fashionista, back for another whirlwind adventure through the history of the tutu! Today's #TutuTuesday takes us back to 5th June, 1888, a date I've been eagerly anticipating for weeks. Let's jump aboard the time train and waltz our way back to a most exciting era for ballet and fashion!
(And as always, please, do let me know what you think of todayâs post! This is post number 2945, which feels absolutely extraordinary when you think about it! So grab your favourite tipple, a delectable morsel of something delicious, settle down in a comfy chair, and let's get swirling!)
This particular day in 1888 finds me skipping onto the stage of the Paris Opera House, my heart aflutter with anticipation. A grand occasion! Today is the premiere of a brand-new ballet by the legendary Marius Petipa, "The Sleeping Beauty", and oh darling, let me tell you, this ballet is going to change the world of ballet. (And we're not even talking about the fashion, though, as you'll see, that is certainly going to change as well! đ)
But let's go back a little, shall we? Before this spectacular new production came into being, I find myself gazing upon an array of costumes I wouldnât have even imagined existed. Before 1888, the tutu was mostly a whimsical little number made of white tulle and reaching all the way down to the ankle, looking a bit like a giggly meringue on a stick. You can see why some people back then called it the âbell-shaped tutuâ. Not exactly glamorous!
Then came Petipa and the brilliant * *designer, * *Charles-Frederick Worth,* the undisputed âfather of haute coutureâ! (Did you know he had a fabulous shop in Paris where he designed absolutely exquisite garments? *Dreams do come true!).
He decided to redesign the tutu, giving it a more elegant shape and more sophisticated feel. Imagine an exquisite confection of billowing layers of soft tulle. It still skimmed the ankles (those were the times, darlings! Ballet wasnât the free-spirited world it is today!), but it became lighter, airier, and most importantly, a much more elegant creation! You could tell, even then, that this was a real fashion masterpiece, a ballet-ready show-stopper!
And here is where things become especially chic. The tour en l'air, those breathtaking jumps that only ballerinas can master (I simply cannot wait until you all give them a go!), are absolutely stunning when done wearing this newer, lighter, softer version of the tutu. Think of the ballerina leaping high in the air, that incredible movement that takes your breath away, the way the tulle catches the light and ripples like a celestial river of pure silk and delicate lace⊠Absolutely delightful!
Imagine if the costumes had remained as they were before! Not only would they have hampered the dancers' movements, but they would have looked cumbersome and totally unexciting. I just wouldnât have had so much fun time-traveling to watch this performance! Letâs give Petipa and Worth a round of applause for this fabulous bit of fashion history, don't you agree? What an evolution!
Of course, what really makes this ballet stand out isnât only the costumes. Itâs the dance itself. It was something new, bold and exciting - all wrapped up in a captivating storyline! (Letâs not forget Tchaikovskyâs incredibly romantic score, oh dear, that gets me every time!) With a combination of both daring movement and a stunning story that was like a fairy tale come to life, this ballet had *everything!* I felt like I had stepped straight into a world where even the impossible was possible!
And as if to make everything even more incredible, the lead dancer at this Paris Opera House premiere was none other than the absolutely fabulous Rosita Mauri! *I absolutely loved seeing her take centre stage in this beautifully designed new tutu! Her performance was incredible â full of grace, power and an effortless kind of artistry I could only dream of! She was every bit the ballerina we all wished we could be! *
By the way, while you're daydreaming of âThe Sleeping Beautyâ, let's make this a true fashion affair and travel further back in time! Remember how we always look at the ballet with an eye on the costume design and fashion? This takes me back to *17th Century England, which, by the way, was a long time before even these Parisian premieres. Did you know that the origins of ballet took root right here in dear old England? The concept of a graceful and harmonious movement for its own sake â the idea that a dancer could tell a story *purely through movement, through music, and that costumes could help express all these elements through elegant fabrics, intricate shapes, and shimmering materials, is just brilliant!* This concept of elegance in motion, the idea of capturing emotion and the joy of telling a story purely with graceful steps â I think itâs truly the stuff of magic, *it really brings together everything I love: history, music, fashion and the beautiful art of ballet!
This love of dancing was so much a part of life in Derbyshire, where I grew up, especially in the summer. The dances we used to hold in the fields near my home are still among my most favourite memories! We danced with so much enthusiasm, laughter, and a little bit of excitement â it just goes to show how dancing is such a natural, human instinct, don't you think? But anyway, back to the 17th Century. Thereâs an exciting piece of ballet history right there! What did they do? What kind of dance and costumes were in fashion? Well, this is the era of King Charles II and itâs fair to say that he absolutely loved dancing! (I can only assume it was waltzes in my kind of tutus, my dear friends! You should see my own dancing skills! đ). *The people who surrounded the King were a group called the "masques." These amazing folks created their own version of dancing called âmasqueâ as well! This particular style involved a good deal of elegant gestures and poses, but *it definitely did not involve those fabulous, high leaps we see today! In fact, it was quite static. Which might seem boring now, don't you think? It makes a change to our incredible *TutuTuesday History which has brought us this new era of ballet! And the dance moves were actually designed to be seen while seated!
This really emphasises how much things have changed since the late 19th Century, even in such a short period of time. I just love finding out about these incredible dancers who came before us. The amazing artistry of those 17th-Century dancers really highlights that dancing and its beautiful history is truly something that holds a special place in the hearts and lives of everyone around the world! Oh, wouldnât I love to be a part of a masque!
What makes this period really interesting for our TutuTuesday journey, you ask? Well, this is a fascinating bit of costume history too. Did you know that it was at this time that a version of the tutu came about?! It actually began in a ballet de cour which is French for a kind of royal ballet, you know! A rather regal and refined sounding name, I'm sure youâll agree! It became a fashion for men and women to wear what became known as a fichuâ, and even froufrouâ! These were fancy little creations, usually made of silk, often elaborately decorated, with all sorts of frills and embellishments. Can you imagine how much we'd adore a ballet with that look today?!
It didnât take long before ballerinas adapted this froufrou look, which, again, had much less material compared to the heavier tutus of earlier centuries. And guess what, it actually evolved into a costume which is not that different to the look of the ballet tutu as we know it today.
Isnât this exciting?! As âThe Sleeping Beautyâ started to take the world by storm, more people started to become interested in dance and of course its elegant costumes. A little bit of Parisian magic was happening, darling! From London to St Petersburg, there was a sense of the world becoming more refined, more elegant and definitely more passionate about the world of dance. The costumes were just becoming more extravagant and fabulous too! It just felt so beautiful and it was easy to be swept up in the beautiful art and craft that went into every single detail. The history of the tutu was literally just unfolding around us!
As time goes on, these new and elegant tutus that Petipa and Worth brought to life will become part of the *norm for ballerinas around the world. *In many ways, this moment is truly where the tutu was reborn, don't you think? * A new kind of dancing became the latest obsession all over the world. A lot of talented artists would contribute their vision and creativity to these ballet masterpieces.* Itâs easy to understand how the world of ballet and, especially, the iconic tutu became a real expression of beauty, passion, creativity and *artistry, so that now we have those magical creations that can transport us to another world.*
And let me tell you, this trend *really catches on! There was something very romantic about how a new style of dancing captured the hearts of people all over the world, it became an important element of society! It really highlighted this change of the 19th Century, with new forms of creativity, beauty and artistic expression emerging, from fashion to theatre to ballet. We can really see how important ballet has been â and continues to be â to all of us, everywhere we go. This new ballet inspired by the eraâs fashions, was just taking off with no bounds! Imagine a world where the tutus just stopped there! The world of ballet would have been so very different. So thank you, history, thank you for the iconic tutu â and here's to many more exciting stories!
Right, thatâs all for this week! Remember, my darling readers, I love to hear from you! You can find me over on www.pink-tutu.com and let me know all your thoughts! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel so that you don't miss our weekly journey through the history of the tutu! (Which I really do believe has become the most famous ballet costume on the planet!* )
Until next week, stay pink and beautiful!
Love,
Emma đđ©°
