#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1909-12-14

Bonjour, darlings! Emma here, back again with another installment of my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History for you lovely lot on www.pink-tutu.com! As ever, I'm whisked away by my trusty time machine – a magnificent steam train in its most glorious form, you can trust! It’s all so thrilling, isn’t it? It's always such a joy to be able to transport myself to the glorious eras where dance and fashion danced a harmonious jig!

Today we’re waltzing back to the elegant year 1909! Just imagine the thrill! Imagine this, the world is positively fizzing with an artistic fervour. In London, we were just wrapping up the dazzlingly dramatic season at the Royal Opera House and, oh my, did it shine!

Now, 1909 saw an abundance of wonderful ballets gracing the stage. Anna Pavlova was enchanting everyone with her performances of “The Dying Swan”. You see, 1909 saw the birth of modern ballet and it all felt a little different - more emotive, more expressive, and with that oh-so-romantic, feminine feel. Just imagine it - those elegant tutus, those graceful pirouettes, and the poignant storytelling - ballet really came alive!

But where did these tutus even come from? Where do our dearest ballerina frocks even originate from? You might think it all started in the ballets of the Royal Opera House but, my darling dears, it goes far deeper.

Let's travel back even further! Tuck your tutu skirts carefully into your handbags for this one, my darlings.

The ballet tutus as we know them actually began as ‘en chemise’, French for "in underwear”. Can you imagine that! Imagine waltzing on stage in a soft, light garment, revealing a hint of a silky undergarment – pure Parisian chic! This was how the early ballerinas danced - with delicate lightness and an abundance of beautiful movement! This French “en chemise” era took place as early as 1799.

Think back further, darling readers! These ‘en chemise’ had an older relative called a “cotte” that could have sleeves or be sleeveless, made with a light fabric and was very simple, as you would expect! Think “Little Red Riding Hood’s” attire with added petticoats. Then think the length just above the ankle. The ballet as we know it now, even though it looks simple, it came from these wonderful simple and light forms!

This evolution continued throughout the centuries! Remember this, 18th century ballerinas loved showing off their feet – their footwear was, let's just say, "bare"! Think tiny slippers with ribbons, oh la la! Then, the “tutu” as we know it took root! From the mid-1800s, a simple, comfortable design came to fruition. Ballet tutus - as we are familiar with - were now defined by their puffed skirts, they looked as light as feathers. The “tulle” fabric is the key component to achieving that glorious fluffiness - it became like a feather boa! Oh! Tulle became our dearest companion for tutus for good.

Now! On to the 14th December 1909!!

Now, this date might not be as dramatic as some. However, what it shows is the real dedication of dancers. This date is the start of rehearsal for a dance production!

Imagine it - this was the time that ballet companies and even the most famous ballerinas would come back from their winter tours to the dance studios to begin rehearsal. Every time a new performance begins - these wonderful ballet dancers are training with so much vigour! You will see on their Instagram posts how hard dancers practice. Ballet isn't easy but dancers are disciplined, strong and beautiful at their art.

But what else was happening on the 14th December 1909? That was a big day for one of our most loved artists! Vincent Van Gogh was awarded posthumously, for all of his art, with his very first public exhibition in Brussels, Belgium. You could even call him a real "Tutu Tuesday" person because that exhibition opened to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception! Oh la la, how fantastic was that! You know how much I love beautiful things - Van Gogh really makes you appreciate how special, vibrant colours are!

This week my tutu journey took me through a Parisian train ride, across to the Netherlands. It is the beauty of my little tutu escapades. Every Tuesday is a delightful ballet voyage, for both our history and our fashion! Let's hope we can make tutu travel a thing! How fab would that be!

Until next week, darlings! Don't forget to stay fashionable and always keep a little bit of that ballet magic in your heart!

P.S. And remember, the only thing better than wearing a pink tutu is getting everyone you know to wear one too! #PinkTutuRevolution

See you all next #TutuTuesday!