Oh my darlings! It's Tutu Tuesday again and guess what? Your favourite time-travelling ballerina is back with another glimpse into the dazzling world of ballet history! Today, we're swirling back to the 24th December, 1907, just before the turn of the century and the start of something truly extraordinary!
Oh, darling, Iâm absolutely thrilled to be back in Paris, especially today, as it's the most wonderful day ever! Not just because of the festive season but because it's the date of a legendary ballet debut - Anna Pavlovaâs triumphant premiere of Les Sylphides!! This delicate, ethereal ballet would become one of the most cherished and celebrated works in the repertoire. It was a perfect showcase for Annaâs graceful and effortless style and youâll just have to imagine how this would have enthralled the audiences back then, with its romantic themes, moonlit forests, and ethereal sylphs. How lovely!
Now, just picture this, the stage is bathed in soft, moonlit glow, a magical setting created by shimmering backdrops, and beautiful, flowing tutus, swirling like whispers of silk and air. The costumes, oh, the costumes! - they were revolutionary for their time. Imagine, instead of stiff corsets and bulky skirts, the ballerinas are wearing soft, ethereal dresses that move like a dream, their weightless tulle flowing with their every movement.
And oh, darling, can we talk about the tutus? So lightweight and floaty, designed to perfectly embody the essence of ethereal beauty! The âRomantic tutuâ, also known as the âTutu Romantiqueâ, as itâs known here in Paris, had arrived!
Oh, but how lovely - letâs journey back a bit in time. You know, right back in 1832 when tutus first began to evolve. Marie Taglioni, the reigning queen of ballet, revolutionised stage attire, creating a tutu that resembled a bell. It flowed around the ballerinas, a delightful expression of effortless grace and it revolutionised ballet forever. This stunningly light, diaphanous creation made its first appearance in her portrayal of âLa Sylphideâ (thatâs the ballet where a young woman falls in love with a mischievous sprite, you know). It made ballet a much more visual delight - and everyone was wowed!
But as time marched on and the ballet world embraced a spirit of change and adventure, this first romantic tutu morphed into its longer and fuller incarnation. We call it the Romantic tutu, because it captures the dreamlike, delicate essence of that era, it flows with grace, evokes mystery, and simply oozes femininity, much like us lovely ladies of the pink tutu society. It's all about expressing our beauty in motion and this new look reflected this so well!
Back in the 1900s the ballerinas here in Paris were simply obsessed with these romantic tutus and were seen sporting them everywhere! There were debates and gossip about who wore them the best, whoâs was the prettiest. And letâs face it, in the Paris of the day there was certainly plenty of time for such debates with all those fashionable soirees. They went from theatre and ballet to shopping sprees and fashionable dinners. And guess what? Those lovely tutus went everywhere with them, just as it should be.
Of course, the evolution didnât stop there. We know how it all goes from the lovely flowing romantiques to the sleek, sculpted lines of the later tutus! Thatâs what I love so much about ballet, the stories it tells, the dance, the history. It is an endlessly evolving story.
Well darlings, I must hop back to Derbyshire to plan my latest adventures. #PinkTutu and I will be busy in the New Year, shopping for vintage tutus! Itâs absolutely essential to stay at the forefront of the worldâs trends! So until then - keep the ballet dancing!
Emma x
