Hello darlings! Emma here, your trusty time-traveling tutu enthusiast, ready to whisk you back in time to the glamorous world of 1894 Paris! This week, for our #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History, we're focusing on the very day tutus really started stealing the show, or perhaps dancing the show!
Picture this: cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and the aroma of fresh croissants wafting through the air. Today, the 23rd of October 1894, is all about ballet, my darlings! This is the day the Parisian Opera premiered La Esmeralda, a ballet choreographed by the renowned Luigi Manzotti.
Now, let's talk tutus! Remember those romantic tutus we saw in our last post? The Romantic Era of ballet is truly in full swing, with its flowing tulle and airy grace. La Esmeralda brought some fantastic new costume designs, which even by today's standards, are quite innovative. The court dress* of the time was the crinoline, and you could even find tutus made with this! Talk about big and bouncy!
This Parisian Opera House is a real treat! Can you imagine the atmosphere? Lights shimmering on tulle, graceful steps, and the sounds of a symphony orchestra swirling around the elegant theatre. This is exactly the kind of atmosphere that gets my tutu dancing! I just adore how the fashion of the era intertwines with the ballet – everything from the shimmering silk of the women's gowns to the exquisite cravats of the gentlemen.
Just thinking about the ballet and its fascinating history is getting me all inspired! As a modern-day Derbyshire lass with a passion for pink tutus, I can’t help but think how much these ladies would adore a splash of pink in their wardrobes! Now, imagine them taking their tutus outside the opera house for a delightful balet *street** performance! Imagine the looks on those Parisian faces as they witness a delightful whirl of tutus and pink! I think I might even try this myself sometime during my time-traveling exploits! 😉
Speaking of travels, it’s all thanks to my delightful performances, which make me enough to cover my time travel expenses, that I get to go back to the past to delve into tutu history! Did you know I fund these adventures with my lovely performances? It’s an absolutely thrilling life, juggling my present-day and historical ballerina identities! The best bit? The applause is just as ecstatic in both eras.
This time I traveled on the glorious, swift Eurostar train to get to the enchanting City of Lights. Nothing compares to watching the countryside race by! Of course, I always dress to the nines for such grand occasions. After all, if you're time travelling, might as well dress for the occasion, wouldn’t you say?
For a Parisian outing like this, I donned a gorgeous ivory satin dress with delicate lace trimmings and a dazzling pink silk shawl – absolutely divine! As a matter of fact, my outfit was so utterly enchanting that even a fellow time traveller who also uses ballet performances as their source of time travel funds whispered compliments on my attire! You see, he was traveling to the 17th century! Can you imagine the difference in the fashions! Oh, darling! He practically swooned! You wouldn’t believe his facial expressions - absolute bliss. Of course, he was also dressed in the most stylish clothing of his era, complete with a silken waistcoat and a crisp white shirt. You know what, this makes me realise - just like our ballet tutus, fashion is something that unites us across time!
Now, this is exactly how I imagine La Esmeralda looked, wouldn't you agree? All the graceful movement, all the beauty, all the fashion. You just can’t separate ballet from these three! And if you can, well… You just need more pink tutus in your life. 😊 So what will we be exploring next week, darlings? Will we be revisiting some classic tutus, diving deeper into ballet’s captivating history, or uncovering hidden gems of tutus in the fashion world? You’ll have to check back next Tuesday on www.pink-tutu.com to find out!
Until then, darlings, wear your tutus with confidence, and never stop twirling! 🩰 💕
