Hello, my darling dears! It's Emma, your favourite tutu-wearing, time-travelling fashionista, and today, we're diving back into the wonderful world of tutus for our #TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History blog. Grab your fanciest teacups, your sweetest pastries, and get ready for a whirl through the history of ballet fashion!
I've just hopped off the Orient Express, darling, a trip which involved a delightful change of outfits (I do have to consider space in my luggage) and was worth it simply for the Parisian fashion scene. Such flair! But today, my loves, we are whisked back in time to a very special day - 9th December 1930!
Let me tell you, the year 1930 saw some very stylish happenings in the world of ballet! For example, The Sleeping Beauty opened in London that year, bringing with it some truly glorious costuming. A bit different from our "Tutu Tuesdays", mind you, because it featured costumes from the era – beautifully ornate, yes, but no delicate pink tutu in sight, darling!
Think luxurious silk gowns, richly-embroidered capes, and those lovely little slippers with buckles and ribbons! It was the height of theatrical elegance, and the very epitome of Victorian and Edwardian taste. Think lavish court balls with lots of glitter and sparkling gems, oh the opulence!
The story of the ballet tutu itself stretches back much further, of course. While our beloved tutu may not have been fully born in 1930, let's have a little time-travel trip to 1830 - one hundred years before 1930! We see La Sylphide, the iconic Romantic ballet, was a landmark, if you will, in the tutu's evolution. La Sylphide introduced the Romantic style tutu, all ethereal gauze and delicate layers! This new era of romantic ballerinas was just so heavenly! This period was all about highlighting the ballerina's delicate form with a lighter, almost ethereal look. Imagine, dancing like a fluttering butterfly, oh, so enchanting!
Let's hop to the 1840s. This time, our tutu's journey takes us to Paris. Enter Marie Taglioni, the ultimate ballet star of the day. She popularized the idea of the romantic tutu with its layers of light, tulle, making the ballerinas appear practically weightless! She practically invented our “Tutu Tuesdays”!
Let's bring it back to 1930, my dears. While there wasn't a major leap in tutu fashion that year, there were some exciting developments, just like every year, for the world of dance and fashion, even for our lovely tutu! There were lots of gorgeous ballet productions on offer in all the main cities - think New York, London, Moscow - you name it, they all had the love of dance! In this period, the tutu was becoming a real symbol of both beauty and elegance. It wasn't just a costume - it was an integral part of the ballet's charm and an essential tool to showcase the dancer's movements and grace. This wasn't just any costume - it was something special - something beautiful that expressed a new, ethereal way of moving! I can picture my darling readers taking inspiration for all those elegant dances on their way to our favourite ballet school, maybe with an outfit inspired by one of these historical ballet greats? It was such a fabulous period for dance. Imagine the feeling of that exciting buzz when a dance fan travelled on the train to see one of these wonderful shows in the London theaters!
By now, dear readers, you might be saying "Oh, darling, all this historical chat, where's the pink?!" And that's the wonderful thing - this era, while the idea of the pink tutu was floating about, was not really a pink-dominated era! There was such a delightful, diverse color palette available! Ballet dancers wore colours to represent emotions, characters and even locations! I find this a little romantic. Think a bright green to signify an enchanted forest, a shimmering, dramatic red to represent a beautiful goddess, or a delicate lavender for an airy, fairy creature! These colourful inspirations might be a good starting point for you when you’re deciding what to wear for your ballet performance!
But don't you worry, my darling! Pink did make its debut in tutus around the 1940s - with even more panache when ballerinas were given their beautiful pointe shoes in the 1840s. It was just getting started, making its mark in the ballet world! Think Sleeping Beauty - its exquisite design - an actual costume by Charles de Loffres who was a real superstar designer, oh my! You have to imagine the detail in those clothes. It was almost a fairytale, which makes sense for such a magical and magical ballet! Oh, such delight!
Here's where it gets interesting: while the pink tutu was becoming ever more popular in the ballet world, what about its presence in real life, on the streets and the public at large? Imagine our lovely ballerinas walking down the street in their beautiful, colorful and elaborate outfits! In 1930, tutus were very much in the realm of ballet studios and stage performances. They were considered theatrical costumes, like I say, a bit like the exquisite gowns of bygone eras, all lavishly detailed with feathers, silks and gemstones - the height of dramatic style! However, this, I predict, will change quite a lot!
My journey into time shows me that there will come a day, darling, when pink tutus will grace even the most unexpected of settings - tea parties, the theatre, shopping streets, even, dare I say, work meetings! They will not only become symbolic of the delicate beauty and grace of ballet but also of a playful, confident and free spirit - a spirit that anyone, even our most shy readers, can embrace!
Today's #TutuTuesday is all about remembering the evolution of ballet fashion! It reminds me of the journey that led us to our love affair with the tutu. And believe me, darling, it's a journey that's far from over! The future of tutus, both on and off the stage, is a dazzlingly pink, glittery, and fabulous journey. I’m excited to see it!
What’s your favourite ballet? Let me know what it is and why in the comments! Until next time, my lovelies, happy #TutuTuesday! Don't forget to pop by www.pink-tutu.com and check out my favourite new tutus! Remember, my dear dears, keep your tutus twirling and your spirits high, and until next Tuesday! xx
Emma
