#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1923-04-10

Hello darlings! Welcome back to another Tuesday and another jaunt through Ballet Tutu History! This week, we’re taking a train journey (which I love! So comfy and chic!) to the heart of Parisian fashion – 10th April 1923. I’m rocking my most luscious pink tulle confection, feeling inspired by the revolutionary changes swirling through the world of dance right now.

Oh my, what a time to be alive! It feels like every single day, there’s something new happening in ballet! We're not quite in the era of the famous Ballets Russes yet – those dazzling, flamboyant creations have only just begun to truly take hold in the ballet world. But even back in 1923, the whispers of change were evident. It’s such an exciting period, filled with innovative steps, inventive costumes, and a yearning for the new.

Now, for those of you who don't know, a ballet tutu is like, a swirling, twirling, magical costume! It's made from layers upon layers of tulle and, quite frankly, the more ruffles and layers the better! In 1923, they were just starting to look different. Back then, we had this beautifully impractical costume – the ‘Romantic tutu’. Imagine it – super-full, lots of layers, long enough to swoosh as you pirouette. But oh, darling, you can barely move in these gorgeous things. (Of course, a ballerina can do anything – the costumes make it even more spectacular!)

Just imagine – you have your favourite ballet dress, it looks beautiful and ethereal. It's even pink - a darling! And you get to dance and you get to twirl and you look spectacular! That’s what tutus are all about – elegance in motion!

So, where did these wonderous, fluffy creatures come from? Well, darling, their history is a truly charming affair. The Romantics had an affinity for the flowing skirts, all dreamy, soft and feminine, of course! But what a bit of a pain for all the gorgeous pirouettes – those whirlwind spins of ballet. You just couldn’t move easily in these long skirts!

That’s when our fabulous tutus arrived! To be precise – 1832. Maria Taglioni, the lovely dancer of the time, donned a creation by Charles-Louis Didelot. This first tutu wasn’t too short (just imagine the shock of having legs on show!).

Imagine, dear friends, how shocked the audiences must have been to see a lady's ankles and knees! But it must have felt amazing to have that movement, the ability to dance gracefully and be free to whirl around on pointe! (My favourite thing in the whole wide world, apart from tutus, is dancing on pointe. It is a magical thing. You get to see the world differently, it's like a new experience – like flying!).

Then we had this short tutu – it was revolutionary! In 1841, the really short skirt (think super short!) was created, for another lovely ballet dancer, Carlotta Grisi! Imagine, the thrill! They finally saw a woman's legs in a ballet and they just couldn’t believe it. Oh, darling, you should see the expressions on the men's faces!

So, back to Paris in 1923. Oh darling, you wouldn't believe the buzz surrounding the ballerinas and the tutus. These dancers weren't afraid of some of the newer styles! There were long ones, just past the knees, with this sort of layered, billowy look. (Imagine a gentle waterfall of gorgeous fabric). They were called the “pancake tutu”, for obvious reasons.

Remember when ballet skirts used to be very restrictive? Well, that was beginning to change. This exciting change allowed ballerinas to dance and make exciting, graceful shapes and turns. These new creations, these “pancake tutus”, were not as tightly structured as the Romantic era. A very good thing!

And guess what?! In this glorious time, ballet tights were introduced! No more stockings! Imagine dancing with legs free – a liberating thought indeed! They were quite simple, and definitely had that new modern look! You’d be shocked to know, but in previous times, these wonderful dance garments weren't even a thought – you can’t believe how impractical they were before the revolutionary tights arrived.

We can see a real change happening - they were moving away from all those super-long and heavily layered looks that were around before. Imagine! Less fabric means more freedom to move! It was like being a ballerina who'd just escaped from her tight corset - it was about elegance, but it was also about showing off that amazing, agile movement that makes us dance fans say 'Oh!'!

But then you’d have this gorgeous combination, right? Some ballerinas were still wearing their lovely traditional costumes alongside these stunning modern innovations. You'd have beautiful flowing gowns, layered tunics and billowing pants with their classic Romantic tutu in place – the most romantic of costumes! But they would always be there, floating amongst the new, in this beautiful symphony of costumes – some classical, some brand new – in that era's stunning, graceful ballet shows.

Now, if I were here in Paris in 1923, I so would have been shopping for new tutus. Think, a new pink creation! (If you know me, then you know it has to be pink ). This era in ballet is truly fantastic for style and for showing off how wonderful ballerinas can be. And if you know a little bit about history, there was just so much happening around the ballets, too! It must have been an incredibly inspiring and electrifying time to be around.

Speaking of inspiring, I've found something incredibly exciting! The Ballets Russes first performed on this date, 10th April 1923. In their first show, they performed "Schéhérazade" - a breathtaking masterpiece by Michel Fokine. Imagine - a new era of ballet in this magical place. This date would be marked as historic and life-changing for the world of ballet!

Isn't it truly thrilling that all of this ballet history was swirling around on this day? So next time you're watching a ballerina (a glorious twirling creature) think of those amazing ballerinas who first moved into this gorgeous modern era, so you could see them spin effortlessly on stage! And that makes every single day even more exciting. I am always so excited by ballet and dance. They truly have a little piece of magic that brings us joy in every era and in every beautiful costume!

Let’s all get our dance shoes on, darlings! Until next time – let's get twirling!

• Emma*

  Emma is from Derbyshire, England and she posts this every Tuesday

• TutuTuesday #BalletHistory #BalletTutus #Dance #PinkTutu #Fashion*

(This is post number 4763 on the www.pink-tutu.com website )