Hello lovelies! Emma here, your resident pink-tutu-wearing time traveller and fashion enthusiast, popping in to whisk you back to a dazzling era of tulle and twirls! This Tuesday, we're taking a trip to 6th January, 1976. A magical date indeed!
It was a crisp morning, and I'd just hopped off the train at Victoria Station, a glamorous, swirling vision of pink chiffon, en route to the Coliseum Theatre in London to see the legendary Margot Fonteyn in The Sleeping Beauty. It’s amazing to think that someone as beautiful as her danced in that iconic, soft pink tutu - you know the one - that every ballerina, me included, dreamt of wearing.
The Romantic Period and Beyond - A tutu timeline.
1976? That was just before the late 70s – the age of huge pouffy skirts, disco balls, and bell bottoms! - I am loving a pair of well-tailored bell bottoms, by the way. 😉 Tutu design, by this time, had evolved a lot!
Before I get carried away with modern styles though, let’s travel a bit further back to the romantic tutu period - think dreamy swirly tulle - between 1830 and 1914. Oh, the elegance of those skirts! They were light as a feather and almost billowing and swirly, often made of layers of tulle with no petticoats or framework whatsoever! It all came from the glorious era of Romanticism where, even ballet was infused with imagination, beauty and emotional expression - so much passion in those swirling skirts! The tutus themselves helped create the flowing, almost ephemeral ballet aesthetic of that period - pure magic.
It's been fascinating to see how the tutu, like a graceful and ever-evolving creature, has morphed over the years. But why don’t I show you a glimpse of some key moments:
1830-1880s – the first proper tutu appeared! It was shorter and more flowing than what was worn previously and we got our first glimpses of ballet shoes, though ballet shoes were still, oddly enough, in flat slippers in this era, no toe pointe! What an extraordinary time to have lived in! I'm so tempted to have a go in those long, billowing tutus - it’d feel just so glamorous and grand.
The "tutu romantique," circa 1832 - what can I say, the 19th century loved its dreamy-like tutu, with that swirling flowing effect. These romantic tutus helped to free the ballerinas from their more restricting classical tutus (think more ‘classical' ballet styles, where dancers had been forced into skirts or tights to help showcase specific shapes or moves and to control their dancing.) Oh, for that freedom of movement!
*The tutu *pancake in the 1890s * - This shorter style with *many layers of frilled tulle – think very bouffant – created a more circular silhouette. These, along with the flowing romantic tutu designs of the 1830s -1880s and those that followed, were simply an artistic statement of feminine grace and style – how wonderful and revolutionary those women were!
The tutu at the turn of the 20th century - the tutu pancake developed into the short-tutu design you’d see in classical ballets today – but those gorgeous ballerina skirts of yore still provided enough material for a delightful swish! You may be wondering how such gorgeous dancers kept their delicate outfits so beautiful all throughout the dancing. The early ballerinas used to do it by hand. They'd use iron on top of their tutu to get the perfect, starched, rigid, beautifully round form for their graceful dance performances - quite ingenious, if you think about it.
And in 1976 - the tutu is in full flower - and so am I!
When I see ballet stars of today wearing such magnificent tutus on stage - even in those incredible short-tutu dresses which accentuate the beauty of each ballerina’s physique, it makes me realise what a wonderful story these magical garments have, how they’ve progressed over time – how ballet dancers in this period embraced their femininity and elegance in such an understated but iconic manner – we have the pioneers of ballet to thank. It reminds me why I love travelling to those amazing places, finding new experiences and telling their story through tutus and our love of ballet.
That evening I had such a special treat. There were gorgeous classical dances at the Coliseum, but that show will forever be special to me because of seeing Margot Fonteyn. Her delicate beauty was everything. It was quite a remarkable feeling - like time stood still while the graceful and breathtakingly talented Margot danced her swan-lake role - my jaw was hanging open, that's how I was struck. But that was not the only incredible memory that evening; I had the most extraordinary dinner, shopping spree, and fashion show, just as London was emerging in its unique style! What more could you possibly wish for?
Well, this was just a quick taster of the wonderful history of the tutu. Next time you go to a ballet, try imagining all the amazing, incredible, groundbreaking and, most importantly, stylish, women in pink tutu’s that walked those very same boards. They will inspire you!
Until next Tuesday my lovely dancers, keep dancing!
PinkTutu #Ballet #TutuHistory #TutuTuesdayP.S. If you want to catch up on the other weeks' #TutuTuesday blog posts - check out www.pink-tutu.com
