#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1908-04-14

Greetings, my lovely Tutu-licious friends!

It's Emma here, your Pink Tutu Queen, ready to whisk you away on another captivating #TutuTuesday journey through ballet history! Today, we're travelling back in time, my dears, to April 14th, 1908, and as always, we're diving headfirst into the fascinating world of the ballet tutu!

Oh, the excitement! It’s a glorious day to be alive. Especially if you are in Paris, my darlings! Because my goodness, the City of Lights has everything on offer – art, music, fashion and, oh, my lovely friends, it simply must be ballet too! Don't forget your Pink Tutu! I always say it – Paris has that certain je ne sais quoi. I mean, there is just no other place in the world, except maybe London, to see such stunning performances. So much glamour, darling. And such a fabulous time to be exploring Paris – my goodness me! Oh my friends! I have so much to share with you today about ballet history in this magical city. And then, off I go! I do enjoy travelling, of course. Nothing is quite so romantic as going to London on the Orient Express to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane! (Now, I’ve done some thinking. Why don't we all plan a little outing! If you were around back in 1908, darling, then we’d be taking a Gresham Steamboat, of course! It’s such a treat to watch the countryside drift by as the paddle wheels go round and round. And a bit more travel then, of course, before we arrive in Paris. Paris! How much of history is there? I’ve actually got so many of these places in my ‘places-to-go’ notebook. What’s that, you ask, darling? This is Post # 3981 of my #TutuTuesday blog. We just need more people wearing tutus everywhere we go, don't you agree, darling! You know, I always find there's a perfect tutu out there for everyone. A tutu for every age, and every shape. I’m looking out for mine in Debenham & Freebody, London* today. *Just arrived! Isn’t that exciting? They really have *everything there, my darling. From luxurious ball gowns and exquisite gowns that could grace the court – to all kinds of stunning accessories - it’s every woman's heaven, darling. Don’t even get me started about the hats! My god! They even have tutus - how divine! The most fabulous array of gorgeousness, darling. Just…simply divine! And let’s be honest! The perfect Parisian ballet outfit simply has to have a little pink tulle thrown in. Oh my friends. Did I mention that the world is going positively mad for the ballets?! Oh darling, this is what we do in Paris - and every place that has a ballet theatre.

So! Back to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane! That’s one of my most favourite spots, I think! That 1908 date was so lovely – the Ballet d’Opera’s “Faust” was all over town! Can you imagine! And to my immense pleasure, they were in Paris a few weeks later – it was quite a grand thing to be seeing! Now I found myself standing at the back of the Theatre Royal’s royal box in my divine tutu – well you just have to imagine – it wasn’t pink, this time, and it was rather full of diamonds. Just one or two. And it was a really short skirt, oh, darling. I think you’d describe it as an ‘impressionist tutu’ in modern ballet times. So, that very short tutu with some big fluffy, diamond studded things that the ballerinas wore, really helped me look so much better. You know, what I love about ballet tutus is the incredible way they really enhance our shape, my dear. Like you’d have no other thought! Oh, how good a feeling it was – the dancers in their delicate, flowing outfits! Did I mention fashion? I have to tell you about this! This absolutely incredible dress at Debenham & Freebody, London. Oh my gosh! This gown from *Paris. The latest trend. Wonderful! * The color? Absolutely gorgeous. My *dream colour: pink! And, darling, you will simply never believe where they have just had these made – oh darling – what a secret! – at a secret Parisian designer called… * *Jeanne Lanvin!! I did ask, *why they were so…so secretive. You’d not believe, dear friend. Lanvin’s made gowns for Queen Alexandra. The very Queen herself, darling, from England. The *Queen of fashion!!! It was such a joy - a bit like seeing an original *Impressionist painting. Do you see what I’m saying? – It's almost sacred! Isn't it fabulous to just be there, in all this loveliness? I could be there every day in the year and just simply never get bored. Of course, my darling friends. I think everyone knows that my absolute favourite fashion period for the ballet tutu is from the 1830’s onwards, oh darling, when Romantic ballet – with tutus in their most ‘beautiful’ period, with layers and layers of glorious tulle, swishing as you turn, really just made its entrance. What an art form, and what lovely, fabulous clothes, dear friends! They do go wonderfully together. Now Romantic was quite a special style in ballet and of course, the French love romance don’t they?

Did you know? – back then in the 1830’s, there was Maria Taglioni! She started all the craze – gorgeous, wasn’t she? She was my role model for sure, oh my dear, wearing this perfect tulle tutu on her dainty feet! Such an artist! We have to give her the thanks – so she was all the rage back in the 1830s, just after we started in the 1820’s - I think it all got started with the ballet called “La Sylphide,” in 1832. This absolutely breathtaking ballet about a sylph, that magical creature, a sprite or a nymph – oh my! She could dance so delicately, so gracefully… she even started with her tights, darling, – something you can only imagine back in those days – but imagine those lovely white tights coming back in. I'd so love to be a ‘La Sylphide’ in my gorgeous pink tutu, but – there you have it! Maria! You had to admire that! A very special, special dancer in a world that is always a-changing! But we never ever, ever get bored, darling! It’s always changing! But we’re back in the year 1908! It’s always changing, and my darlings – what a change we have to enjoy today!! How does 1882 look to you now, my darlings? What a difference those ten years can make! In fact… did you know the Russian dancer, Anna Pavlova, performed in Paris on 29 April 1895 and that there are so many Russian and French ballet theatres that have a really lovely feel! The Russians! A world apart! We are talking the Bolshoi. So different! Their tutus! Not always so light, but *my dear! It all helps make Paris the perfect theatre capital!

That was in 1895, but if we’re in 1908! It’s now completely different, oh my darlings! This is the period of modernism, The Belle Epoque. This is all changing with a different set of fashion ideas about beauty! There are wonderful artists, you see. There’s a world of difference – from the romantic to a much bolder world – full of exciting, vibrant ideas, from dance to art to, well, you name it. We’ve still got to see it, oh my friends – so ‘The Belle Epoque’ changed things - so let’s move onto those lovely Parisian streets! I simply have to tell you about a little shopping trip to L’Étoile! That really is such an excellent shop full of all the latest in shoes – you must imagine, my darling - such beauty! Just a little thing – that really changes my world. My tutus! My dancing! A lovely walk from my hotel! All to buy a few pair. We are all, you know… in search of the perfect dance shoe! Oh my darlings - don’t worry! We won’t be wearing a pointed ballet slipper, but the style of our dancing today. That’s quite different from 1908, and for the next few years, with ballet slowly and, well, sometimes, not-so-slowly moving into ‘modern ballet’. It does bring back our shoes, dear friends. How about you, oh dear friend, let’s visit the Theatre de Chatelet* **on our lovely trip today!

*And, that is all I have time for now, my lovelies! * Don't forget your Pink Tutu! I'll see you next #TutuTuesday for more enchanting tales of the ballet tutu and all its glorious history!

Until next week, my lovelies!

#TutuTuesday #ballet #balletlover #history #balletstyle #fashion #paris #travel #1908

*Emma, your Pink Tutu Queen! *