Bonjour mes chères danseuses! Welcome back to my blog, Pink-Tutu.com, your ultimate guide to all things ballet and, of course, tutus! Today, I'm taking you on a trip back in time, all the way to the late 19th century, to Paris, the city that's practically synonymous with dance! I mean, the Paris Opera Ballet, seriously, how iconic is that?
This week's #TutuTuesday journey leads us to 26th January 1897. Now, if you were to visit the grand Palais Garnier Opera House this day, what would you see? Well, it would be an era of opulence, of elegance and refinement. Can you imagine the beautiful ball gowns, the ladies with their fans, and the gentlemen with their monocles? And you just know they're all sporting an air of intellectual curiosity about the arts! It's like stepping straight out of a classic novel, wouldn't you say?
Of course, we can't talk about a Parisian theatre experience in 1897 without mentioning the ballet, my darlings! This was an era where ballet was really starting to bloom, a period of evolution and transformation for dance as a whole. And you know me, anything that means an exciting change for ballet and the graceful swirl of a tutu is exciting to me!
The ballerina of this period wasn't bound by the constraints of earlier ballet. She was empowered, she was graceful, and she was expressing herself in new ways through her movements, her tutus especially! Remember, the tutu as we know it is a relative newcomer. Back then, the tutu as a ballet garment was still developing, morphing into its modern form.
It's around this period that we see the emergence of the shorter, airy tutu, the one that became the defining look for classical ballet dancers! This airy lightness was all about showcasing the elegance of the ballerina’s movement. We are talking graceful leaps here ladies! They are using these tutus to tell stories in a completely new way. I think you can probably imagine how thrilled I am! Can you picture the flutter of the tulle as a ballerina takes to the stage? Just gorgeous!
As you know, my mission in life is to make the pink tutu the global fashion statement, but back in 1897, there weren’t many pink tutus! This was an era when white, black and a touch of blush pink were the colours of choice! Imagine, they would pair this with the elegant lines of the tutu and create absolutely stunning visual effects on stage! Ballet back then was full of elegance and charm, an art that I, a twenty-something ballerina with an addiction to travel and tutus, can't help but be absolutely obsessed with!
However, the early tutu wasn’t all glamour and glitz. We must remember the realities of the dancers’ lives, as much as I'd love to just dream of lace and sparkles! The tutus of 1897 were quite uncomfortable, if I'm being totally honest. It must have been so hard for the ballerinas, especially when we are talking about such long rehearsals! I can't imagine training in them for hours!
But we are lucky! Today, we've moved on from these less than perfect styles! Now, there are modern designs that give us both elegance and comfort. Think about all those beautiful tutus, from the romantic tutu with its billowing layers, to the more form-fitting, athletic classical tutu. I'd take one of each in pink, of course, if you ask me! I have some serious shopping plans for our next stop. And Paris has got the best shops, you know?
As a modern day ballerina with a penchant for historical fashion, I find it fascinating to compare the elegance of this period with the vibrant expression of dance today. The evolution of ballet has seen many changes. The tutu has been an integral part of that journey. In fact, I'm so fascinated by it that I travel to see the various forms the tutu has taken.
One moment I’ll be watching Swan Lake at Covent Garden in London, and then, bam, the next moment I’ll be dancing in the Moulin Rouge in Paris! But that's the thing about a dancer with a love of history, you can never truly know where your next journey will take you, and the possibilities for both my ballet performances and shopping expeditions are endless!
The tutu has a story to tell, and I hope I can tell you some more of those stories every week. Don't forget to visit my site, www.pink-tutu.com, and share your thoughts on today's post. I love reading your comments, ladies! Until next week, happy dancing, and don't forget your pink tutus!
With love and pirouettes,
Emma x
