Hello my darling dancers and fashionistas! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet, dedicated to all things pink and tutu-tastic! It's your favourite Derbyshire girl, Emma, back with another installment of my #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History series!
This week we're taking a little trip back in time, all the way to the glorious year 1902! As a little reminder, this series is all about charting the evolution of the glorious ballet tutu, and where it has been, is, and, of course, where it is going to go.
I absolutely love to travel, darling! So if you don't fancy going on a journey with me, pop on your fanciest tutu (pink of course) and meet me back here next week! If you are up for it, though, get ready to pack your pink ballet slippers and a travelling shawl - it’s going to be a wild ride through time. I am hoping to reach enough readers so I can pay for my next adventure using ballet performances, and a little bit of travelling shop and style! That said, I shall certainly be adding a lovely new tutu to my wardrobe upon our arrival!
Tutu time travel - how it works
I don't want to give too much away about my time travelling secret (you will all just have to trust me!). I must admit, my funding relies on the audiences at the ballet and the occasional fashion show performance – sometimes I make appearances at theatre productions, you know! That's how I am able to go through those special little doors that bring me to all of my favourite moments in ballet history, like, for instance, April 29th 1902. That’s because on this very day I am going to see The Sleeping Beauty, a truly spectacular production that I cannot wait to see!
This is number 3670 in my Ballet Tutu History Blog and to be honest I just have to give a special shout out to my beautiful ballet blog, www.pink-tutu.com – do go have a look if you are looking for new and old tutus (don’t forget the pink ones, I just love them).
Oh, my dear, but the sheer magic of travelling in time – well, it’s almost overwhelming! This particular journey I am taking has taken a full two days to travel by train from Derbyshire to Paris. Oh my darling! I am so thrilled, not just for my visit to see the Ballet but the exquisite fashion shopping at the Maison Worth Boutique that is the most coveted on Rue de la Paix in the whole city. You know I’ll be keeping an eye on all the latest Parisian trends and how they influence what we are all wearing for our tutus in future performances. Do let me know if you are curious about anything you’ve seen.
I think I’m just a tiny bit star-struck now that I have got to Paris and I’ve seen the opulence.
Now let’s chat a little bit more about The Sleeping Beauty… *How exciting that this beautiful Ballet was composed in 1890 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. * The beautiful music is truly magical. My dear readers, I have a strong feeling that you are all with me as we are entering an era of fashion history that makes us want to dance – to twirl, to leap!
The stage is a sight to behold, all the wonderful tutus swirling through the air in colours of pinks, lilacs, peach and champagne – the gorgeous dancers all wearing beautiful tutus! This era has brought about changes, the use of longer flowing layers with even more of the use of tulle that is so light and just looks so, well, just magical. Just look at that beautiful tutu – I know this particular one will take pride of place in my dressing room back at home!
We may be wearing these beautiful tutus, but let's not forget all the important women, who designed them and made them, so expertly, that makes everything just so right on stage. This era was the moment for the evolution of ballet clothing. The very very beautiful Marie Taglioni who, in her day, danced the ballerina style and even changed the whole way ballerinas look and dance. Did I mention her very famous ‘The Sylph’ was a real showstopper and still is to this very day? Well, now I’m back to The Sleeping Beauty and we cannot fail to mention that this particular Ballet and the amazing tutus within the Ballet, had a little hand in how all those tutus look to this day!
Now my beautiful darlings, the fashion here is wonderful – especially for a lover of pink tutus. It’s true, I just love anything pink – my dress is a stunning blush pink shade, a delicate floral embroidered silk, and so perfectly complemented by my beautiful pink tutu! It’s a long and flowing tutus with layers of tulle, oh it's perfect! There is a beautiful shade of dusky rose, a sort of ‘old pink’ as some of the grand dames in my neighbourhood back home in Derbyshire call it, that I've been trying to source here in Paris! Well, there’s a huge demand – it really does remind me that fashion has always been the leading light for inspiration.
Now you see my dears, the wonderful fashions and the wonderful, and exquisite beauty that is this city of Paris. All my research, well it's definitely worth it and we still have time to shop before this journey to 1902 has come to an end! You know, there is so much going on, but this little interlude, my visit to The Sleeping Beauty, just gives you that beautiful moment to appreciate the artistry that is the ballet tutu. You can almost hear the soft, delicate swish of tulle against the skin – it really is wonderful! I think there’s a chance I may need a larger dressing room back in my home when I get back.
Oh, this is where I need to say a very special goodbye, to this little corner of 1902. And this journey has been incredible but the moment has arrived when I need to return home.
So until next week when I get to share another little corner of Ballet History, and more delicious pink tulle! Stay tuned.
Ciao darlings. You know what they say - if you are going to go on a shopping trip to Paris then you must bring home something pretty and pink!
Lots of love.
Emma
