Bonjour mes amies!
Welcome back to another #TutuTuesday, where we take a trip through the glorious history of the ballet tutu. It's Emma here, your trusty time-travelling guide to all things tutus, from the delicate pouter pigeon skirts of yore to the frothy masterpieces of today. And this week, we're heading back to 1902. Just imagine, the 20th century was dawning and tutus were truly blossoming.
Now, before I set off on this thrilling journey, a little about myself. I'm Emma, a Derbyshire girl through and through, but you might say my passion for ballet took me on a detour. When I'm not spinning through time in a magnificent pink tutu (I do think the world needs a little more pink, wouldn't you agree?), I'm usually caught up in a whirl of London ballet shows, attending dance classes, or even giving a performance or two (you never know!). This whole "ballet for all" movement is close to my heart, so when you're done with this blog, I hope you'll be inspired to try out a pirouette or two.
Anyway, back to the history! As always, I'm financing my escapades with my ballet performances. My fellow time travellers find it utterly bewildering, but they seem to enjoy the sight of a glamorous pink tutu appearing from thin air, so what can you do? Speaking of pink, how can we talk about the era of 1902 without a little whisper of it? This was the era when a true ballerina goddess emerged - Anna Pavlova, the queen of the ethereal white tutu. She's absolutely iconic, you know, her style of dancing just epitomises that delicate, otherworldly air of a dancer who is at one with her movements. But the story of the ballet tutu before her is quite the journey!
Back to the roots
On this glorious November 25th in 1902, what was happening in the ballet world, you might ask? Let's take a little dip into the past! You know how we talk about those Romantic Era tutus from the early 1800s? Those iconic pouter pigeon skirts were all the rage! Short, with multiple layers of stiffened tulle that literally pouted outwards, like the famous 'leg-baring' dancer Maria Taglioni, oh my!
These were bold times, you see, when it was almost shocking for a dancer to have such exposed legs. Before that, women in the dance world wore very full skirts, which hid all of their lower limbs. That just made for heavy, impractical dancing! Can you imagine?
As the era of Romanticism gave way to more elaborate ballets with detailed and fast-paced steps, something needed to change. Thankfully, those beautiful ballerinas took it into their own hands and gradually made their skirts shorter, which in turn gave them more freedom and grace for dancing, all those exciting movements like the grand jeté. It was a dance world revolution!
Entering the tutu's evolution
So, the tutu continued its exciting journey! And we enter the tutu evolution with 19th-century Romantic ballet, which led to the popularisation of this beautiful, fluffy attire. What's so fantastic about the late 1800s was that the tutu evolved into an intricate ballet wardrobe. Designers took on a brand new, fashionable element - the tutu could have ribbons, ruffles, beautiful details, you name it! You know, all the flourishes that create a perfect fairytale vision.
And who do you think really helped to push that iconic fluffy look we know and love? Enter The French Ballet. Can we give them a big hand? They played a key role, their tutus were longer with multiple tiers, making those flowing, dramatic shapes that made their ballets a true visual feast!
Now, 1902 wasn't just about dance. Let's delve a little into what else was happening on the 25th November in 1902, shall we? Just like we love the history of tutus, let's dive into a time capsule of all the fascinating events from that day.
- It was International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. How incredible!
- It was a beautiful November day. According to historical records, London saw some lovely sunshine that day, so perfect for an afternoon at the Royal Opera House, wouldn't you agree?
- There was a fascinating event going on in Edinburgh - The annual Edinburgh International Film Festival was starting! Talk about cultural vibes, it's so wonderful to see how all the arts intertwined even then.
- And, last but not least, there was some incredible news: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr. Ronald Ross, who you know was one of the pioneers of malaria research. How impressive!
So much more to discover
There's so much to say about this fantastic time in history, isn't there? With so much exciting new progress being made, the tutus also felt the spirit! Just like fashion, they got so many interesting upgrades during this era, giving dancers even more beautiful forms and movement, while adding elegance to every step.
As the year ended in 1902, there was so much change in the air! Can you just imagine it? The tutus, their designs, they were getting shorter and even more revealing by the day, but not forgetting the iconic long and dramatic layered tutus we loved. It was such a stunning and exciting evolution of what this wardrobe item had become - just beautiful.
That's all from me for today! It's been a whirlwind of tutus and timelines, but I just love sharing the history with you all! We'll be back next week, so be sure to keep that beautiful pink tutu feeling strong! And let me know if you are having your own tutu-ful Tuesday in the comments below, and why not also give me some ideas for next week's #TutuTuesday blog!
Till next time! Au revoir!
Yours always in tutus, Emma
