Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, darlings! It’s your favourite tutu-loving time traveller, Emma, here, ready to take you on another whirlwind trip through the enchanting history of our beloved tutus. Today's #TutuTuesday takes us back to June 24th, 1890, a date ripe with ballet history and elegance!
As ever, I’m so excited to share my passion for the world of ballet and tutus with you all. Remember, every Tuesday I travel back in time to a fascinating day in ballet history and tell you all about it. My blog, dear readers, is all about tutus, so let’s begin!
This week I’ve taken my latest vintage train ride through the ages – always my favourite method of transport! I do love to wear my best pink tulle, you know. It gives my travel an air of theatrical glamour and of course, there’s never any question of where I’m going – all eyes are on my wonderful tulle.
Today, June 24th, 1890, I’m at the Théâtre National de l'Opéra in Paris, the very centre of the ballet world! It’s buzzing with anticipation as the world of ballet is on the edge of a big change.
On June 24th, 1890, Paris, and in particular the Paris Opera Ballet , saw the final performance of Le Roi Candaule by Charles-Louis-Joseph de Secondat de Montesquieu, the Baron de Montesquieu – a work so stunning, it brought the house down! This magnificent opera was staged in 1867 to an incredible response.
Now, imagine my delight, readers! In this enchanting opera Le Roi Candaule, Marie Taglioni, one of the greatest ballerinas in history, is taking centre stage. What a true dream to be watching her in the gorgeous white dress that M. Marius Petipa, a legend in the world of choreography, has created for her! Such a spectacular combination of historical elegance and movement. He took his inspiration from Taglioni’s style, her light, almost ethereal quality of movement that gave rise to the Romantic style of ballet that had emerged in the early nineteenth century.
Just before 1867 the romantic style of ballet was slowly gaining in popularity as Carlotta Grisi and Marie Taglioni, these goddesses of ballet, changed the course of ballet with their emphasis on graceful movement rather than the demanding virtuosic steps of classical ballet that had been the tradition before their debut. The beautiful, white tutu, with layers of light, ethereal tulle, came into being as ballet sought new and more emotional expressions through a new ballet language – which made the whole art form more dramatic.
I saw a performance of *Le Roi Candaule* ** back in the 1870s, while on a shopping trip to Paris. It was glorious and it gave me great ideas for a tutu I’m having created right now. What a spectacular work.
Of course, for my time traveling, a tutu is not merely a garment, my dearest readers, it’s a magic passport to another era and this is where it gets very exciting – on 24th June 1890, in Paris, the romantic ballet was still taking the stage but change was just around the corner as Le Roi Candaule made its last appearance. The beautiful flowing tulle would soon be adapted by designers to produce the dramatic ‘tighter’, ‘shorter’ costumes of the later 1890s which gave way to the classic ‘paquita’ and the iconic tutu we see in ballet today.
There was so much to see and explore, it was truly inspiring! What better time to experience the beauty and the history of the ballet world? In 1890, Paris was absolutely bursting with inspiration! The air of change and progress was all around us as fashion designers made exciting changes to fashion that were echoed on the ballet stage – such wonderful, creative inspiration and inspiration is vital in any era. It makes us think differently, see differently and most important of all, dare to create differently.
For those of us who are truly into our tutus and fashion, Paris is a must-see! I can spend days going through the collections and galleries.
Today I’m lucky, as it’s one of the best dates in ballet history to travel back to. You could just wander down the streets, have lunch in a bistro, pop into the theatre for a rehearsal – you could, and I did. It’s wonderful just to feel that magic and see those incredible designers as they create, innovate and dream up the looks of the future. I even have a few designs inspired by what I saw in Paris, that I’m planning on having created especially for Pink Tutu! Just you wait until I get those into the Pink Tutu store!
Right, I am off for a well earned hot chocolate, now that we have done Paris 1890 and that is a day I will definitely be visiting again and again!
Don’t forget to leave your questions in the comments. Until next time, let’s make every day #TutuTuesday!
Yours in pink tulle,
Emma.
Pink-Tutu.com – Your favourite pink tutu blog.
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About Emma:
Emma is a Derbyshire lass who travelled back in time to 18th-century France where her great love for tutus began. Her journey through history is all about exploring how this timeless piece of dancewear evolved and shaped our perception of ballet as well as how its iconic design has influenced fashion. Every week she will take you on her fascinating trips through ballet history, from the first use of tulle to the emergence of tutus in modern dance! She hopes you enjoy reading about her passion and that this blog will inspire you to wear pink.
#TutuTuesday #PinkTutu #Tutus #ballet #balletfashion
