Hello, lovelies! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet where we celebrate all things tutu! It’s Tuesday, which means it’s #TutuTuesday!
Oh, it's been such a whirl this week, and I just had to tell you all about it! I'm here in Paris, which, as you know, is the ultimate ballet paradise. Can you believe the chicest dancers, the most divine ateliers, the incredible shows?!
But before we delve into all that glitz and glamour, let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? This week, we’re hopping on the time machine and heading back to March 10th, 1903. Fancy that? Just a few years after the turn of the century and we’re already seeing some truly revolutionary things in the world of ballet!
*(Disclaimer: Time travelling is a lot like shopping for a perfect tutu - you never know what you’ll find, and it’s definitely more fun with a good pair of dancing shoes! 🩰 And to fund my adventures, I always need a bit of time to earn some pennies. Lucky for me, my dancing always lands me a few extra francs for a train ticket. *wink )
Now, 10th March 1903, let's talk about that glorious period. Imagine the bustle! Horse-drawn carriages, ladies with elaborate hats, the smell of freshly baked croissants in the air… Paris was truly buzzing!
That day, imagine a packed theatre filled with an excited crowd! They're eager to see a production called La Source! Imagine beautiful dancers in their billowing tutus, soaring across the stage with grace and agility. La Source was an enchanting ballet full of passion, beauty, and of course, those gorgeous tutus! It’s hard not to fall head over heels with a classic like that, even from all these years ago.
What else was happening in the world of tutus back in 1903? Well, we're starting to see the romanticism of the nineteenth century evolving into something a bit more modern, more athletic even. Gone are the heavy fabrics and the more ornate tutus! You’ll see lighter, flowier silhouettes, fabrics like tulle and gauze becoming the material of choice! You just know that would make for a show-stopping piqué tour or an effortless grand jeté - they wouldn't have had such beautiful tutus without the help of innovation.
You know me and my love for a good tutu story, so we’re heading over to the Opera Garnier where a certain Mr. Marius Petipa was having a busy year! (Let's face it, Mr. Petipa never shied away from a grand, romantic, tutu-tastic ballet, especially in Paris. You may know him from some iconic pieces like Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake. He was a pioneer of his time!)
And then of course, there were the magnificent ballet dancers! Oh, those glorious women with their powerful limbs and graceful elegance! Think names like Anna Pavlova, who made her first performance in Paris, you know, the place that embraces ballerinas and beautiful tutus so warmly.
Now, talking about fashion and tutus is never complete without fashion tips! It wouldn’t be a proper #TutuTuesday without a dose of fashion, right? 😉
You know I adore pink! I just can't get enough of that shade! Well, I wouldn't be a time travelling ballerina if I didn't pick up some sartorial tips from my 1903 tour, right? Well, the ladies back in 1903 were smitten with the delicate pink shade and the soft flowy lace, not unlike what they would put in their tutus! * Imagine, a flowing skirt, lace edging a bodice, soft pastels? A true dream of an outfit, just like the kind of *dress you'd dance in at a soirée or even a delightful picnic in the garden!
That’s my trip down the time travel lane for this #TutuTuesday, dears! Next time I see that *magnificent *La Source, I will think of all these beautiful women dancing in their iconic tutus - it's really one for the history books, right? And I’ll definitely have a little pink dress ready for my visit!
(As I write, a lovely lady dressed in the most elegant attire rushes by, and her laugh echoes around me… This beautiful city is such a constant inspiration… )
Oh, I’m already planning for the next #TutuTuesday, so join me then, lovelies. Until then, you’re welcome to comment on this post or visit the other ballet blogs here on the Pink Tutu website. See you next week, and don't forget to keep on dancing!
Emma 💖 xx
