Hello my lovely tutu enthusiasts! It's Emma, your resident time-traveling ballerina, back with another instalment of #TutuTuesday - this week taking us all the way back to December 29th, 1891!
You might be wondering why we’re going back so far in time! Well, my darlings, December 29th, 1891, marked a very important date in the world of ballet history! You see, my travels recently led me to St. Petersburg, Russia - the heart of classical ballet, where the legendary Russian Ballet captivated audiences with its beauty, grandeur, and, of course, breathtaking costumes!
It's a privilege, and quite frankly a delight, to spend time in this beautiful city, but it is particularly delightful on a day like today, because on December 29th, 1891, one of the most famous ballerinas of all time - the legendary Anna Pavlova - was born!
Oh, to have met this incredible ballerina! Her legacy lives on today, she is considered the epitome of femininity and grace, inspiring dancers and inspiring an endless fascination with the world of ballet.
To understand Anna’s impact, it's important to delve into the ballet tutu’s history in St Petersburg! Now, at this time in history, ballets weren't necessarily considered glamorous, they were meant to be story telling art. However, what ballet lacked in glitz it made up for in talent, beauty, and story telling. By the late 19th century, dancers began to embrace the romanticism of the Romantic Ballet that started a generation earlier.
And guess what? As with most styles, fashion always follows art, and this style became influenced by the dresses of the Victorian period - which of course were known for their frills, puff sleeves, and corsets, that just gave you so much volume and structure.
Can you imagine wearing a Victorian-era corset on top of the pointe shoes? It's almost hard to comprehend the skill of these dancers. And what do you know, this inspiration lead to the first form of tutus being developed to capture that romanticism and fluidity!
This style of tutu was created for the ballerinas in these stories, so that the audience could see and appreciate their grace, beauty and amazing talent for moving their body and telling a story, all without needing to be confined and held down. They called it the Romantic tutu and these tutus were significantly different from what we think of as the classical tutu.
The Romantic tutu was made with several layers of tulle, very wide in circumference, and gathered from the waist, creating a bell-shaped effect and allowing for full leg extensions - oh how beautiful and romantic the dancers must have looked as they twirled gracefully and gracefully danced!
But these earlier forms were often heavy and rather stiff, even using hoops to achieve that volume. However, ballet’s iconic tutu continued to evolve! Over time, they got shorter and shorter and became tighter fitting, embracing movement with each design. Imagine that – even dance, a centuries old art form that has inspired such timeless music and such gorgeous designs continues to evolve to push the limits and break the rules. It’s a fascinating world to discover.
But here’s a little insight to a modern dancer: Even today we embrace the Romantic tutu but with a modern take! If we ever want to create a costume or performance that leans on beauty and grandeur, and romance, that romantic tutu still captures that ethereal beauty in an amazing way. You’ll still see that classic, wide, beautiful style, but using lighter materials that move beautifully.
Even in my pink tutus, it’s something I think about. There is a reason ballet tutus still enchant everyone! They are symbols of femininity and grace - a representation of elegance that spans all ages and trends!
But how could I leave St. Petersburg without some time spent exploring the glorious Bolshoi Theatre - and a bit of retail therapy, of course? And believe me, I found the most divine selection of tutus - there is such a lovely sense of artistry in every tutu from this time, it’s almost like the Russian ballet tradition and style seeps into the fashion!
To my delight, I came across some delightful vintage tutus, still capturing the romance and charm of that era. The perfect pink ballet tutus for a budding ballerina, and believe me I may have gone home with more than a few! They’re all ready to grace the pages of my blog.
Speaking of pages - a quick update from Derbyshire! My latest ballet class was absolutely marvelous! We’re tackling the “Nutcracker”, a beautiful story about the power of imagination and joy – very timely in my book! All my classmates look just fabulous in their tutus. As a class, we are looking like such a beautiful group - the world is really coming alive to the beauty of the tutus and everyone is looking very stylish and sophisticated! Even the boys were able to look pretty sharp in their stylish ballet costumes.
Until next #TutuTuesday, my darling tutus, embrace your inner ballerina, get your tutu fix, and remember: pink tutus make the world a brighter, happier place.
Love and Twirls,
Emma xx
