Welcome, darlings, to Post Number 6835 of Pink-Tutu.com! I’m your ever-so-fashionable, time-traveling ballerina, Emma, and it’s Tutu Tuesday again!
Oh, my dears! You won’t believe what an amazing day it is! It’s the 25th of December, 1962, and today, a tiny little babe named Debbie Gibson was born! Yes, that’s right – our very own Debbie Gibson is popping into the world right now. Just wait and see, lovelies, this girl is going to change the world! Just think – her first step into this magical world will probably be into a sweet little tutu. Squeal! And while she’s in a cute little tutu and learning to pirouette, The Nutcracker will be taking the stage in New York City, starring none other than the fabulous Gelsey Kirkland and Edward Villella! Can you even?
This festive day in December, 1962, is just brimming with ballet magic. We’re here in New York, taking in the sights and sounds, and oh my word, is it a dream! I must admit, I think my vintage pink tutu might be blending right in – every window here seems to have at least one fabulous outfit on display with tulle and ribbons galore!
And I can’t wait to see The Nutcracker! We’ve snagged seats in the orchestra at The New York State Theater, I’m simply bursting with excitement. The perfect way to spend a Christmas Day – watching a spectacular ballet performance! But of course, I had to pop into the shops and indulge my tutu loving soul in a few little surprises. Can’t say no to a beautiful little satin bow! And you know how much I adore finding vintage tutus – I snagged the most amazing, almost translucent, *white tulle skirt that will make the perfect undergarment for a stunning, elegant, modern dance routine.
Speaking of tulle – that's our big focus for #TutuTuesday today! It's quite simply the heart of our ballet tutu, the fluffiest, dreamiest, swishiest, twirliest part! And it has a story that's just as magical as a fairytale ballet!
But before I start to spin tales of the tulle, I must share with you, my dears, the amazing train ride we had this morning, a true slice of vintage 1960s travel! It felt like we were traveling right out of a classic ballet – imagine a train bustling with ladies in elegant outfits, charming gentlemen in suits, all travelling for the holidays. Dreamy!. The sights rushing by, the rhythmic clickety-clack of the train tracks... all made it feel like a perfectly choreographed ballet sequence. Just waiting for me to leap out onto the platform and do a grand jeté across the station.
Now back to our Tutu Tuesday! Tulle! What is this incredible fabric and how has it become the fabric for ballet?
Here are a few fun facts for you! Did you know it wasn’t invented for ballet at all?! Can you imagine?!. Tulle actually made its debut in the early 1800s, not as a stage fabric, but as a rather sophisticated fashion fabric! It was named after tulle, a town in France, a must-visit destination if you're a tutu enthusiast like myself!
But it wasn't long before tulle made its way to the world of ballet – after all, its light and airy nature perfectly captured the essence of movement and grace. Think of its history in the famous tutu designs of Marius Petipa – he was a choreographer with unmatched vision in terms of how he incorporated costume designs. A master at using the materials at hand – he brought in a fabric so delicate, yet so incredibly resilient – making tulle the queen of the stage!
Here’s another little tutu-tastic nugget: you can't think ballet and tulle without remembering the glorious Maria Taglioni. In 1832, this Italian ballet dancer shocked and captivated the world when she appeared on stage dressed in a daring, ethereal tulle skirt. It was the La Sylphide tutu – a skirt that floated as if on air. From that moment on, tulle became synonymous with ballet, the essential ingredient in the most enchanting tutus on Earth.
The Romantic Era was the start of an extraordinary chapter in ballet history, and it coincided beautifully with tulle coming onto the scene. The romanticism of the era, a yearning for the mystical, the delicate – was perfectly mirrored by tulle. We're not talking the heavier tutus of earlier ballets. This is a time of flowing movement, the air of light and airy steps, and tulle simply embodied it all.
Let's take a look at some key types of tutus and what tulle plays within their history!
We have the classic Romantic Tutu. Light as a feather, floating like a dream, this is the La Sylphide style! Think about its silhouette – almost straight, emphasizing the grace of the dancer. Think ballerina in a dream. Now we move to the Romantic Tutu, it's slightly more structured. Imagine an elegant ballerina in this design - and this is how we start to bring the classical and the romantic elements together. We need a bit more fullness. We need more twirl. And of course – the tulle allows us that magical flourish.
Think of this beautiful fabric, in all of its varieties. Think silk tulle. Think nylon tulle. Both give us different levels of movement. Think of single layered. And think multi layered. How tulle transforms based on how it's structured! This is where our tutu evolution comes into play.
As the era of classical ballet arose, our ballet tutus got more defined. The classical tutu, like the Romantic ones, comes in different forms. The Classical version has a very wide, structured, full skirt. This gives it the beautiful, "Bell" silhouette we love. The shape can change with single or multilayered tulle designs – depending on what you want to achieve on stage!
From tutu beginnings with simple fabric layers, think of the ingenious ideas that followed, like boning and construction designs. Can you imagine how complex these ideas can get?. All to enhance that elegant ballet movement, for that magical stage presence – and it was tulle that gave them all a fabulous starting point! Wonderful!
By now, our tulle fabric is truly working magic on the stage! The classical ballet era produced a treasure trove of different styles! And with the use of tulle, these became staples for ballet performances all over the world: we’ve got the The tutu en panier, with its amazing “basket” silhouette, the tutu pagoda, the tutu with a cone or bell shape, the *tutu- with the flat, layered, flowing skirt....
Imagine a magical dance where the dancers appear almost weightless as they glide through the air, like sprites made of tulle and light. It’s so breathtaking – I simply can’t imagine a ballet performance without a tulle tutu. It’s so beautiful, and elegant, the perfect accompaniment to every dance. And while classical ballet developed those incredible shapes with tulle that still wow us today – tulle also played a huge role in how other forms of dance expressed their artistic ideas!
In the late 19th and the 20th centuries, modern dance made its big arrival on the scene! Think Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor. These talented movers started challenging traditional dance and traditional costume choices. Modern dance needed a new way to capture that energy, a different form of freedom for movement. And tulle once again rose to the occasion – a magical and flexible partner to all forms of dance. Modern dance started creating their tulle designs, more contemporary interpretations – creating something truly captivating. Tulle allowed them to break those rules, make those stunning statements, create their tulle stories – it truly helped propel modern dance forward! Brilliant!
So you see, lovelies, the story of tulle in dance is truly remarkable. It is, in a word, a testament to its magic. A magic that transforms as ballet styles transform, an magic that’s so delicate, yet so very powerful – a testament to a world where the art of dance thrives!
Of course, all this tulle talk has given me a craving to do a little tutu-ing myself. After this magical TutuTuesday post, I'm off to get into my pink tutu and dance the evening away!
So here's to tulle, and here's to you, my fellow tutu enthusiasts, always ready for a twirl.
I'm already on my way to my next adventure in time and tutu-ing, so until Tutu Tuesday next week, remember this: every day is an opportunity to bring your pink tutu spirit into the world – wear it with confidence, darling, and twirl with abandon!
Love, Emma.
