Hello dearies, and welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! It’s another glorious Tutu Tuesday and today, we’re diving deep into the history of the tutu, my beloved fashion statement of choice, in a rather stylish jaunt back to June 1905!
I’ve travelled right across the Channel to Paris, France for this week’s adventure. I must say, they have the most exquisite shops here! From the Grand Palais to the Opéra Garnier, every corner has a twinkle of tulle and a touch of sophistication! I can’t imagine having to do a pointe shoe recital on cobbles. Goodness gracious, I think I’d get a blister with each pirouette! Oh, and did I mention I am completely besotted with their hats? So incredibly chic, even when you’re in your tutu, they make you feel like a duchess!
My first stop was to the Opéra Garnier of course, which just reeks of elegant grandeur! In 1905, it's still home to some of the most incredible dancers I've ever seen. Now, you may think it odd to have a grand opening of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ by Tchaikovsky, nearly twenty years after it was premiered. But they just love to have an ‘opening’! Fancy that! It’s one of my all-time favourites, but don’t get me wrong, the costumes are just fabulous. Long flowing dresses for the ladies, no tutus! Sadly, my darling tutus hadn’t fully emerged yet.
There's an aura of mystique in the air around these ‘opening night’s’. Just seeing all the finery in the auditorium and catching glimpses of the ballerinas backstage gives me goosebumps! It makes me wish I was backstage myself, surrounded by the smells of make-up and beeswax. I'd be happily getting my pointe shoes tightened, having my wig tied, all for the pure delight of being a ballerina. Oh my goodness, wouldn't I be the most radiant star, swirling through the theatre!
However, let’s not get carried away with wishful thinking and head back to reality. Today we are stepping back into 1905, to explore the roots of the modern tutu. And even though it's not quite what I'm used to, it still makes for some interesting developments in our little world of tulle.
Remember back to my first blog post about tutus, the Roman tunics and Crinolines? This whole story all stems back to the 15th century. Fast forward a few hundred years, to the late 19th century, and ballet's in full bloom, with dancers flitting and twirling, their bodies all tucked away under those magnificent crinolines and layers of petticoats. But can you imagine trying to perform any sort of grand jeté with all that heavy fabric? That's what I’m talking about - freedom of movement - it's a fundamental element of our graceful artistry!
This is when the pioneers of our world of tutu artistry realised - the time was right for something more functional and something with more of a “flair". They experimented with shorter skirts to showcase their legs and agility which ultimately launched our love affair with tutus. The tutus of this era weren’t quite the tutu as we know it; they had frills around the bottom or layered fabric to create a whimsical ‘cloud’ effect. So beautiful!
Now, as we dive deeper into 1905, we’re beginning to see what we know as our iconic silhouette starting to shape up, but not quite the poofy shape we know and love! You see, back then the tutu had minimal layering, tighter construction and it was all about emphasizing the length of a dancer's limbs.
We can see glimpses of these styles in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ in that year of 1905. You can just imagine the graceful swirl and effortlessness of the ballerinas* in their skirts as they leap, twirl, and dance. But with every grand jeté, they’re also showing the world what the ballerina is truly about. Power and grace. Elegant and powerful.
This is where I come in, because we don't just want to see graceful and elegant, we want to add an extra sparkle to the world and what is more elegant and sparkling than a pink tutu? We all deserve a dose of the ballerina's flair in our lives. This is what makes our Tutu Tuesdays so fun, so delightful, so feminine! Let us make this world a twirl with a splash of pink tulle. Let’s get everyone twirling! Let’s bring our fashion magic to the world! Let's make them all understand: It’s Tutu Tuesday, darling!
Until next time, happy twirling!
Love,
Emma xx
www.pink-tutu.com
P.S. If you’re in Derbyshire, do stop by! My favourite dance shop has got some fabulous deals and we might even see if I can arrange a performance for you all. Just drop me a comment below!
