#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1894-05-29

Welcome back, my darling Tutu-istas, to another edition of my #TutuTuesday blog!

Today we're travelling back in time to May 29th, 1894, a date that might not jump out at you straight away. But trust me, darlings, this is a date ripe with tutu magic!

For those of you new to my Pink-Tutu.com family, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Emma, a bonafide ballerina with a penchant for the pretty, and an insatiable obsession for the history of ballet. And let's be honest, who can resist a perfectly constructed tulle tutu? (But pink is always my favourite!)

Now, let’s waltz back to 1894 and a little journey into the heart of ballet at a time when tutus were taking a rather dramatic turn.

Imagine yourself stepping onto a bustling London street in that era – think cobbled lanes, horse-drawn carriages and gentlemen in top hats – the hustle and bustle is quite different from the streets we see today, don’t you think?

In those days, ballet wasn’t necessarily an “every day” pastime, it was quite a special and luxurious affair. The ballets, performed mainly at theatres like The Royal Opera House, were a dazzling spectacle! And the ladies on the stage were swathed in a variety of tutus, each more glamorous than the last.

I recently went to see Swan Lake in the grand and beautiful Royal Opera House, the jewel of London’s theatre scene! Just as it is today, the grandeur of the Royal Opera House back in the 1890s was breathtaking, its gilded decor and ornate features certainly added to the magical experience.

One of the main attractions in ballet, then and now, is the magnificent tutu – and they were changing all the time in the late 1800s. Gone was the classical, long, tiered Romantic Tutu and in came the shorter, tighter, Romantic tutu. A lighter, more “floaty” creation than those from the earlier part of the 19th century – perfect for swirling, twirling, and making grand entrances and exits with ease.

Remember the grand Ballerina Marie Taglioni, the original Queen of the Romantic Ballet? She wore one of the first tutus that helped change ballet from an ensemble style to a form where one performer, often the ballerina, was clearly at centre stage, she was often the focus, in other words a real superstar of the stage. She helped move it forward. These early tutus, made of multiple layers of tulle and often reaching to the floor, looked simply magical, with all their flowing movement.

It was a new era, the ‘Belle Epoque’, a time of incredible change and social development and it seems to me, that as society grew, so did the demand for elegant tutus to enhance ballet! The romantic, wispy tulle tutus became even shorter and more decorative. The look of these ballerinas, as they flitted and glided across the stage in their pink, pastel blue and ivory tutus was breath-taking and made them seem even more beautiful than they already were!

There was a real focus on making the performers even more exquisite to the eyes of the audience. It was, as the saying goes, “all about the look”! They became stars and symbols of that glamorous era, the belle Epoque, which began towards the end of the nineteenth century and continued until the First World War. It is easy to see why their look captured the imagination and why this style of dress was replicated in society in general – it was all about exquisiteness, style and an air of sophistication and femininity that really seemed to set the fashion scene ablaze, creating a truly beautiful fashion movement. It seemed as if the Belle Epoque was “born to tutu”!

Last week, to make the most of my recent journey to Paris – the city of fashion, let’s not forget – I found myself having a lovely lunch at the incredible, art-filled, Cafe de la Paix, so beautiful! They tell me it’s just a short stroll from the Garnier Opera House! Paris and London – both cities with long histories of grand opera houses and their resident Ballet dancers and their tutus!

You would not believe the things I discover, whilst time traveling on my “ballet-funded” holidays. So I've discovered that tutus were quite tricky to make in the late 1800s, which may explain why these “fluffy” creations often only appear in a few select shows in London. A “professional” ballet costume would have taken quite a long time to be created. So they weren't available for everyday practice or in general public wearing as you would imagine. I've seen the process first hand and even my modern skills make it a surprisingly complicated process, requiring much skill, many tiny stitches and even a sewing machine to do a perfect job. They say it was the “gold standard” for creating a tutu back then, just as it is today. You know that’s a time when only the very best tutus would have made their way to the stage – in essence it was high-quality dressmaking!

I’ve always said “a good tutu has a history”! Well, back then, as now, even in its simplicity, it represented much, more than just the look!

Of course, now we don’t see tutus so much as street wear and when we do it is in a fun, casual or “trendy” way! We wear a tutu at parties and they can be found in every fashion store from Primark to Liberty London in a range of colours and designs, often a much cheaper, shorter length with embellishments like diamante.

You see, with this ballet style, what matters more than anything is that a tutu looks good. It needs to turn heads! And that was definitely true for those stunning creations on the ballet stage! It seemed that everyone and their grandma wanted to make an appearance wearing something resembling the iconic look.

You see I’ve been on a time travelling mission, but I hadn't had my fill of Parisian ballet in 1894, because I’d discovered another show on that same night.

This was a Ballet Russe production of La Bayadere. This, my lovelies, is the one everyone was talking about! The dancers in this show, who included the likes of Anna Pavlova, were stars! The shows were lavish, the audiences excited and everyone loved seeing these graceful stars gliding across the stage. As you might imagine, this Ballet Russe production had tutus – and beautiful ones! Each dancer had a perfectly fitted white tulle tutu, a masterpiece of craftsmanship and beauty and it is something we often see in ballets now, almost exactly as they did them back in those early times.

As my time-traveling continues I am looking forward to discovering how these ballet looks progressed and the amazing dancers who graced the stage with these amazing tutus, like Anna Pavlova, whose fame spanned two decades - a huge feat by any standards! As with many a successful lady, in many walks of life, she became quite a fashion icon, with her tutus and other exquisite stage costumes helping her create a unique look for the times.

What a delight to learn from our own “Belle Epoque”! A great fashion era in which these glamorous ballerina superstars became style icons. Just what the doctor ordered for any future pink tutu wearing wannabe time-traveler, wouldn’t you agree? So, remember my dears, when you next find yourselves waltzing around a dance floor, don’t forget to tip your hat to those glorious Belle Epoque beauties, who made the tutu the it dress in that fabulous era.

I've really loved taking you all on a whistle-stop tour through 1894 with my #TutuTuesday blog today. It’s important to keep ballet history fresh and a reminder of just how glamorous and elegant tutus have been through the years.

Now, darling tutu-istas, my work here is done – but remember my pink-loving message, a message close to my heart… “Keep twirling”! Remember this time-travelling blogger is off on another exciting mission… so I can’t wait to tell you all about it next week, right here on my pink-tutu.com blog!