#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1928-09-11

Hello my darling dance devotees! Welcome to another delightful instalment of my #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History series! It's Emma here, your pink-tutu-clad time travelling ballet enthusiast, ready to whisk you off on a journey through the whimsical world of tutu history! Today we're going right back to 1928, the year that was all about flappers and fabulous dresses!

I’m currently enjoying a whirlwind visit to New York, a bustling, vibrant city that really knows how to show a girl a good time. I must admit, it’s quite different from my charming Derbyshire village - a far cry from the rolling countryside and cobbled streets, but the city is an exciting hub for all things fashion and fabulous, so I’m loving the big city experience!

Oh, and it's a real treat for a ballet fanatic like myself! Broadway, the mecca of musicals, is simply divine. I saw the most delightful musical called ‘Show Boat’, with a dance scene that really blew my mind! I’m already planning my trip to the Metropolitan Opera House – you just can’t miss out on the thrilling ballet performances in this magical city!

Talking about thrills, it’s September 11th, 1928 and a piece of ballet history happened today. The first ballet to feature an American-born prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, happened to be performed right here in New York. Now isn't that amazing? I am in absolute awe of her. She was a dazzling talent and so elegant and graceful, you just couldn't take your eyes off her. Just looking at her, you could tell that ballet was in her blood. I would love to learn from her some time!

Speaking of history, the early tutus, which are completely different from the fluffy creations we wear today, really did fascinate me.

We have to step back in time to understand their history and journey from their beginnings in the mid 19th century. Back then, tutus were really quite different! Gone were the layers and layers of soft tulle and delicate fabric that I just love to wear. Instead, the ballerinas would wear short, frilly, rather plain and tight skirts. I really wouldn’t be caught dead in them! Oh my! Think of the constraints! Ballet must have been such hard work back then.

It's interesting to know how much the design of the tutu evolved. The original ballerina tutus, made for ballerinas like Fanny Elssler, were designed for showcasing grace, elegant movements, and their long, strong lines as they glided across the stage. It was quite a different way to approach ballet dancing as they were designed for showcasing pure strength, technique, and power of movement, all within these frilly, frilly, skirts!

Then in 1871 the tutu underwent a magnificent transformation. Marie Taglioni’s iconic costume with a single layer of gauze changed the whole world of ballet! It became more ethereal, lightweight, and allowed for much freer movement. Think about how different dancing felt for the ballet dancers with these newly lighter fabrics! And to imagine dancing on wooden floors, and no tights to be seen!

The tutus that were evolving in the late 19th and early 20th century looked completely different. Ballet had become much more focused on expression. Romantic ballets were gaining in popularity. So you could have a range of beautiful pastel colours used in the fabric of the tutus. Can you just imagine, dear reader, how enchanting a ballerina would have looked in a delicate pastel tutu under the soft light of the theatre stage, with a little touch of glitter and sparkles in her hair and makeup?!

But by the 1920’s the style of tutus was even changing once again, it's fascinating isn't it? We’re right in the heart of the roaring twenties, an age of bold and audacious expression, with a focus on movement, which brings us to the era when a new kind of tutu began to be favoured. Think short, sassy, tutus. The very first ‘tutus’ as we think of them today! This time around they are shorter, made in multiple layers, with beautiful flowing tulle and elegant shapes. Now, that's what I'm talking about!

It was all about the freedom and ease of movement, the light, and the flowing fabric. And so it began. In the 20s, there was a shift from romanticism in ballet towards the dance becoming a kind of athleticism! Isn’t that fabulous?

That’s what I really adore about fashion and tutus in the 1920’s! You know me, a girl who adores pink and pink tutus.

By this time the color palette became bolder, and even featured brighter colors in the dance. In 1929 there was the introduction of The International Association of Modern Dancing - talk about a game changer in the way ballet was understood! We began to see that a more theatrical aesthetic was creeping into the ballet performances. Imagine, this bold approach led to the development of ‘The Romantic’ which included tutus with layers of beautiful tulle. It wasn’t a million miles away from the types of tutus we see worn today by ballerinas in performances like the Nutcracker.

But then we had another major ballet tutu milestone in the mid-twentieth century when The New York City Ballet adopted what became their famous “tutu”. These ballerinas really brought it! They really embraced short tutus and made them fashionable for audiences to look at, giving us the tutus that have taken the world by storm in the world of ballet!

But remember those early short and frilly skirts of the mid-19th century, the ones that looked really uncomfortable, I’m so glad we’ve moved on. That really goes to show just how the tutu evolved over the years, how much a dance can have an impact on fashion and how fashion can have a direct impact on a dance! It’s always an exciting dance of innovation. Just like a ballerina’s life is always about adapting to the demands of the performance. Isn’t that an exciting thing? It really helps you understand how dance and fashion became so entwined in the story of the tutu.

What is my conclusion for #TutuTuesday? Ballet and fashion have a really beautiful, long history, especially with tutus. It's important to me to remind all my lovely readers to appreciate all that’s come before! So, next time you're at a ballet show, why not admire all the beautiful fabrics, and colours.

So my dears, let's wear pink tutus with a little bit of history and love. If you can’t be at the theatre, have a look in your wardrobe and let me know which tutu you'd choose in your collection! I really would love to see a whole army of you dancing and wearing pink tutus all over the world. Don’t forget to hashtag your photos! #PinkTutu. #EmmaLovesPink

Next week we’re heading further down the rabbit hole of tutu history to 1931, we have so much more to cover! Until then darling dancers, take care.

I hope you've enjoyed my #TutuTuesday Blog today.

Until next week my dears!

Emma xx