Bonjour mes chéries! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu aficionado, and welcome back to another fabulous edition of #TutuTuesday! Today, we’re going to journey back in time – all the way to 10th January, 1899! Hold onto your tiaras, darling, this one’s a corker.
Now, you know I love a good ol' fashioned train journey – there’s nothing quite like watching the countryside whizz by as you’re sipping a spot of Earl Grey and dreaming up your next fabulous outfit. And that’s precisely what I’ve done to get us to our destination today – a bustling city at the heart of the dance world: Paris!
The air is electric with excitement as I step onto the cobbled streets, and oh darling, the fashion! Let’s just say, my love of pink tutus isn’t a fad, it’s a timeless aesthetic.
I can practically feel the creative energy pulsating in this city. Think dramatic blouses with ruched sleeves, exquisite gowns with lace and embellishments galore, and – you guessed it – the beginning of a tutu revolution!
Now, the tutus you’re used to seeing are, let’s face it, more or less a recent invention – we’re talking early 20th century, but in 1899, a real revolution was brewing. Think shorter, lighter skirts, giving the dancers more freedom to leap and bound, rather than being held back by weighty, cumbersome layers of tulle.
It’s like the whole ballet world was waking up, saying “Hey, let’s dance like nobody’s watching!” and it was exhilarating.
Think Isadora Duncan (who you've gotta see dance if you ever get the chance, absolutely inspiring!) – a visionary who ditched the rigid corset and long skirts in favour of flowy gowns, her own brand of artistic rebellion . But before her, we’re still very much in the era of tight corsets and bulky tutus, almost like a deconstructed petticoat in its initial form
The grand old ballerinas in 1899, however, weren’t completely leaving their romantic and romantic tutu forms behind, especially not the lovely, elegant and very important Russian Imperial Ballet. Here they are, still delighting audiences with the magic of 'The Nutcracker', that very beautiful ballet that made a huge splash when it was premiered way back in 1892 in St Petersburg. Talk about iconic!
And while this may seem like a simple step towards the modern, easy-going ballet of today, believe me, darling, in those days, these small changes, were huge strides, a declaration that ballerinas were ready to express themselves freely and with incredible power.
Speaking of power, there's also a lot going on in the theatrical scene - this year sees the release of a must-see historical drama that had the whole of London talking - “The Prisoner of Zenda”! There's also a brilliant, bold new performance from the legendary Marie Lloyd at the Canterbury Music Hall, and ‘A Princess of Kensington' with that adorable Lily Elsie - they say her performance is utterly delightful. Must find time to catch that one!
You know I love a little cultural treat, and these amazing shows are giving me plenty of ideas for future posts!
However, darling, it’s getting dark and this history lesson is reaching its conclusion. I promise you though, our tutu odyssey is far from over! We have so much more history to explore in the wonderful world of tutus. Stay tuned for more enchanting adventures, next Tuesday at www.pink-tutu.com!
I hope you enjoyed this journey to 1899 – and remember, there’s a little bit of magic in every tutu!
Don't forget to share your tutu adventures with me using #TutuTuesday on your social media – let’s get this amazing world spinning together!
With much love and twirling,
Emma xx
