Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink-tutu-clad time traveller, and welcome back to another #TutuTuesday, my weekly celebration of all things ballet and, of course, the glorious tutu!
Today, I’ve popped the time machine into a rather fancy carriage and taken a trip back to May 16th, 1893.
Imagine the bustling energy of the streets, with hansom cabs and ladies in elaborate bonnets scurrying by. The world of fashion back then was quite the spectacle, wouldn’t you agree? And while some might associate ballet with stiff corsets and rigid gowns, a revolution was brewing on stage that would reshape the world of ballet…and introduce the very essence of laissez-faire to the dancer’s body!
Yes, dear readers, we’re on the brink of an era of the tutu as we know it today. And it’s not just about fashion, although that’s a pretty important part of it, right? This shift in the dancer’s attire reflected a whole new world of movement and expression – a reimagining of how a ballerina could move, twist, leap, and fly!
So, where were we? Let’s rewind back to that particular Tuesday, May 16th, 1893, in Paris, my loves, the epicentre of fashion and… oh! This date? What’s on it, you ask? Why, a grand performance at the Paris Opéra, naturally! Can you imagine? The opulent setting, the grand staircase, the buzz of excitement before the lights go down… I’m swooning just thinking about it.
A Glimpse at a Revolutionary Movement
You know what, for all those fans of La Bayadère, it’s the same story that I always bring up when I’m reminiscing about tutus. But just hear me out! It’s no exaggeration when I say this: that day in May 1893, a new era for the tutu officially arrived, a moment that forever changed the dance world as we know it.
This incredible transformation was born of a powerful, inspiring collaboration: the choreographer, Marius Petipa, with his mastery of grand, sweeping movements, and the legendary Anna Pavlova. And what happened? La Bayadère with Le Royaume des Ombres, or as we call it, "the kingdom of shadows". Can you believe it? Anna Pavlova was a force to be reckoned with in that shadowy, mysterious realm, moving with an ethereal lightness that stopped people in their tracks. And she achieved it by embracing that nouvelle vague of the tutu!
Can you even imagine seeing Anna Pavlova in that glorious white tutu, twirling against the dark backdrop of Le Royaume des Ombres? The whole atmosphere changed. This is where that romantic, feminine spirit that embodies the essence of a ballerina took hold… It’s that lightness, that sense of grace and elegance, that I absolutely adore about those early, late-Victorian tutus.
It was all about movement. The airy fabric, no longer constricted by rigid layers, allowed for a freedom of expression and movement. Remember those bell shapes we love to see now? It was all about movement and showcasing the beauty of a ballerina's every movement, from graceful pliés to majestic leaps, while remaining so, so feminine.
You know, it's easy to forget how revolutionary these simple changes in fashion were. After all, it took courage and confidence for a ballerina to wear a tutu on stage and allow her body to move with such fluidity! Imagine that! This was not what people were accustomed to at that time.
I mean, the corset? Can we imagine trying to perform ballet in that? But Anna, she really pushed those boundaries. And what we see in her is the birth of this incredible movement that influenced all of ballet as we know it. That elegant, light, almost ghostly white fabric that she danced in... It felt almost ethereal, don't you think? The ballerina was meant to look like a feather, like a wisp of a cloud, ready to float, twirl, and fly across the stage.
From Paris to Derbyshire
Let’s rewind from Paris back to my hometown of Derbyshire, darling! Because when I picture these iconic tutu designs, my thoughts race back to my little dance school. The girls there just swooned at the mention of the legendary "tutus". We dreamed of them, all that swish and twirl, all those sparkles, the colour… Oh, and don’t get me started on colour. The soft, pastel pinks and pale blues, they are everything!
It reminds me, dear readers, I had to pick up a couple of those sparkly new ribbons from London today – for my next Tutu Tuesday post. We are, after all, getting closer to La Bayadère’s anniversary, and it’s definitely time to showcase a new vintage pink tutu. So exciting! I wonder if it's ready.
Well, dear friends, we must bid adieu for now. I’ll be posting more Tutu Tuesdays next week, when we'll travel a little further along the ballet timeline. Remember, darling, tutus can take you anywhere!
Now, where was I? Right! Keep up those twirls and never lose that sense of sparkle! I want to see the whole world wearing a pink tutu. Oh, how fabulous that would be!
Till next time, darlings. And keep an eye out for The Kingdom of Shadows on that screen. You might be surprised who shows up in a pink tutu...
Emma
xx
