Greetings, fellow twirlers! It's Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, back with another dive into the captivating history of this most wondrous garment. Today, we're taking a little trip back to 13th September, 1949 – buckle up, my darlings, it’s a delightful journey!
I recently popped over to New York City (always a fabulous trip, a bit of a detour from my usual ballet itinerary), and my latest ballet escapade landed me smack-bang in the middle of a beautiful performance by the New York City Ballet. Now, this troupe, they've got style, and they know how to rock a tutu. Seeing their exquisite tutus swishing about, all delicate and voluminous, it got me thinking – how did we get here?
Our tale takes us back to the 1830s. The invention of the tutu, my dears, was a revolutionary moment, one that transformed ballet as we know it. We have the incredibly talented, oh-so-visionary, Marie Taglioni to thank for it. Her "La Sylphide" is credited with catapulting this elegant design into the world, and her movement was so light and graceful that she looked like a sylph, floating across the stage with effortless beauty. That's some inspiration, if I do say so myself!
Those first tutus were fairly simple – the idea was to reveal the leg, allow the dancers a much wider range of movement, and create a very, very feminine, ethereal aesthetic. Now, who doesn’t love a little drama and elegance, eh? It was quite revolutionary at the time! Imagine the chatter amongst the Parisian ladies! The ballet was a hot ticket. It took some time, but the tutu swiftly became a standard garment in ballet. Think about it: who wouldn't want a fashion icon of the calibre of Marie Taglioni making your outfit popular, right?!
Now, you might think these original tutus were exactly like the ones we see on stage today, but that’s a big, fat, and quite honestly rather un-ballet-esque "no"!
Back in the day, they were far less voluminous. You might be surprised to learn that they weren’t necessarily pink either, in fact, they could be almost any colour, from cream and black to light blues and even (dare I say it!) lilac. Just imagine how stunning they would look – graceful swirls of lilac, perfect for fairy and whimsical roles, just picture it! Oh, I must get hold of a fabric sample – it could make such an elegant outfit for the summer season.
It wasn't until the 20th century that the romantic tutus really blossomed into those huge, majestic clouds of tulle we love so much! A whole lot of material, yes, but absolutely perfect for dancing, so much so that when the stage lights hit, it’s truly a glorious spectacle.
It was the incredible, world-renowned George Balanchine who brought the Romantic Tutu into the forefront, making it the defining costume in classical ballet for centuries. The Romantic Tutu - a statement, my dears! I've spent my time in the Victorian era, and there are just so many romantic ballets with a glorious tutus - it’s quite frankly a delightful treat.
So there you have it! That is our #TutuTuesday flashback to 1949 – a year where ballet was reaching its glorious peak in popularity.
Oh! And guess what’s happening this day – I shall be heading to a delightful production of "The Nutcracker", in Birmingham! It's such a classic! Oh, I'll be heading over on the train! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I've got to pick out the perfect tutu and hat for the occasion. You’ll all be so jealous!
Remember to follow my journey on the site and check back next Tuesday for a new dose of Tutu history. Don't forget to post your favorite #TutuTuesday memories! Now, get out there and twirl!
Until next time!
Yours in tulle,
Emma
* www.pink-tutu.com *
