#TutuTuesday: A Whirlwind Through Time - 1899-06-06
Greetings, fellow tutu enthusiasts! It’s your favourite pink-loving, time-traveling ballerina, Emma, here, back with another #TutuTuesday post. This week we're twirling back to 1899-06-06 - can you imagine a world without modern technology? Just me, my trusty diary, and a whole lotta pink tutus!
This blog post is number 3519 (don’t you just love a good count?), and it finds me waltzing through the elegant halls of the Paris Opera House. It’s quite the experience, let me tell you! Paris is positively dripping with style, especially when it comes to fashion. Even though the turn of the century is approaching, fashion has that certain Parisian je ne sais quoi. And, let me tell you, my darling readers, tutus are all the rage!
Speaking of tutus, darling, did you know that the iconic shape we see today is really just over a decade old? It all began back in the 1880s with Marius Petipa, the genius who set out to revolutionize ballet and, well, let's just say he succeeded! He believed that the tutu needed to be more than just a dress, it needed to be an instrument of dance, showing the intricate movements of the ballerinas. He called for shorter tutus, barely there at the knee, allowing for the beauty of the legs and feet to shine through. And wouldn't you know it? The audiences absolutely adored it!
Now, in 1899, my sweet dears, ballet is a whirlwind of activity. I just finished a breathtaking performance of La Bayadère with the Paris Opera Ballet, oh it was divine, pure theatrical perfection! It was an exciting time, too, as Isadora Duncan was captivating everyone with her modern, groundbreaking style. We ballerinas found her a tad unrefined for our tastes but, she’s certainly brought excitement to the scene, darling!
My trusty time machine, well, it's been rather busy taking me to all the most exciting fashion events of 1899. It’s such an extraordinary time for Parisian fashion – there's just so much drama! I'm talking voluminous, ornate dresses, shimmering with beads, silk, lace and everything imaginable. I even popped into a salon and managed to score a fetching feathered hat, something I must say has been added to my shopping list for future expeditions.
Of course, being a time-traveling ballerina, I have to stay within budget. The cost of time travel, especially to such fabulous locales like Paris, doesn’t come cheap, my darlings! But fret not, the magic of ballet pays the way! From dazzling performances in elegant venues to bustling street theatre in the heart of the city, the ballet is my very own personal bank account.
On this specific date, 1899-06-06, a little bit of ballet history was being written back in London! There was a fundraising event held in honour of a dancer named Ellen Terry – I bet she could rock a pink tutu! I bet all the stylish people in London dressed to the nines for it, as always, they did so in great fashion, did those Londoners!
Oh, and did I tell you that the French are obsessed with fashion magazines? There's even a magazine dedicated to fashion called La Gazette du Bon Ton! I was thrilled to find myself featured in a few issues, after all, what fashion mag would be complete without a pink tutu wearing ballerina? Just one little problem: they call them 'pink petticoats', darling. Such a charming term for something so wonderfully, delightfully elegant.
Now, enough with the gossip, time to get back to the topic at hand - tutus! I’ve had quite a busy day, a whirlwind tour of 19th-century fashion and even a taste of ballet history! This trip has truly rekindled my love for tutus. Every single twirl in a well-made, beautifully flowing tutu brings a special kind of joy. You wouldn’t know it, but this journey has had me feeling positively sentimental.
There's a charm, a magic, to tutus that transcends time and transcends fashion. There's something so elegant, yet so effortless, in a single swirl of fabric. As we move through the ages, one thing is sure: tutus will always be a source of inspiration, elegance and dance. Don't forget, you can find more about the beautiful world of ballet and how you too can embrace your own inner ballerina on our website www.pink-tutu.com. Until next week, keep your tutus pink and your smiles even brighter.
Love,
Emma
(The pink-tutu-wearing, time-traveling ballerina!)