Hello darlings! Emma here, back for another dazzling #TutuTuesday, taking you on a whirl through time, exploring the fascinating world of ballet history, one twirl at a time! Today, weāre setting our time machine dials to March 12th, 1985, a day packed with tutus, tap shoes, and theatrical wonders.
Today Iām going to be focusing on the incredible story of the tutu. They are so important to the ballet world. From their evolution in the 19th century, right through to the iconic designs of todayās legendary ballerinas. These tutus, from romantic tulles to bold statement pieces, hold so much history and glamour.
Today Iām back in New York, which is one of the centres of ballet in the world. I took the train this time, I love riding trains! I just arrived at the Metropolitan Opera house on a tour and I'm dressed in my most vibrant pink tutu with a fluffy pink pom pom to top it off!
Now, letās dive into the ballet buzz of 1985, shall we?
A Glimpse into 1985 Ballet:
In the heart of the Big Apple, New York City Ballet was absolutely rocking the stage. The legendary George Balanchineās creations were electrifying the crowds. If you were in New York at the time you might have even caught the world-premiere of a breathtaking ballet piece, āThe Four Seasonsā, with the enchanting choreography by Jerome Robbins. The sheer volume of talent was almost too much to take in! But one thing I could say, those ballerinas looked fabulous in their tutus! Itās interesting to see the contrast between the style of tutus in 1985 and the beautiful tutus worn today by ballet dancers. I wonder how they might change over the next few decades...
You couldnāt ignore the explosion of interest in contemporary dance in the 1980s! From Martha Graham's expressive style to Merce Cunninghamās revolutionary pieces, the world was moving!
Did you know the Royal Ballet was taking England by storm? There were beautiful, world-class productions going on! This was a truly golden era for ballet in the UK!
The excitement around dance and ballet was even extending to TV. In 1985 there were amazing ballet documentaries being aired, as well as TV performances, helping to make ballet accessible for the masses!
So if we fast forward from 1985 to today we are witnessing an even bigger love for ballet! In fact, Iām wearing this fabulous hot pink tulle tutu while typing this blog, in fact, I feel like this must be the only acceptable outfit for a ballet blogger.
The tutu is a universal symbol of grace and beauty and so essential to every ballet loverās wardrobe! They are not only a fantastic part of dance but so easy to wear - throw on a pink tutu and a pair of ballet shoes and you are ready for anything!
As I sit here watching ballet on my iPad (another invention which arrived since my travels to the past), the joy of dance shines so bright, a magical combination of beauty, strength, and sheer emotion that really makes the human spirit shine! It's an uplifting art form, donāt you think?
The tu-tu holds its own magic. It transforms us into dreamers!
A Journey Through the Tutuās History
When you look back on the history of ballet the tutu was not always so glamorous. In the early 1700s ballerinas were dancing with frilly skirts that looked more like everyday gowns. You can find portraits of these ballerinas and their frilly outfits online. A lot of ballerinas of the early days found these cumbersome to work with so they often got stuck on furniture! It must have been terribly difficult. They really wanted a new kind of costume that could make their beautiful movements look even more fantastic!
Then a new design was created in the mid-1800s. A magical transformation started in Paris where Marie Taglioni, a star of ballet in her time, wore a a light, whimsical skirt, designed with a wide shape, ending in points and made of delicate tulle, the kind of tulle we still use for beautiful, fluffy tutus today!
They became more common in ballets like Giselle and the popularity of tutus really skyrocketed from there. The way the tulle moved when the dancers twirled - it was sensational! Ballet really exploded into the spotlight, it looked like a fantasy world! It looked incredible. This era was truly one of innovation. It is an inspiring story, for anyone who wants to pursue a creative career, I guess even dancing is influenced by creativity and design, it isnāt all just beautiful movements, although it certainly is beautiful, and amazing!
It is almost unbelievable to think that we can take this same magical fabric, tulle and make so many incredible tutus in so many colours! This has given so much life to our amazing modern ballet companies, so we owe it all to that fabulous Marie Taglioni, you amazing ballet history queen.
A new style of tutu arrived with the Ballets Russes in the early 20th Century. I absolutely love the design and fashion from this period, as did everyone at the time! The style was groundbreaking, bringing new techniques in choreography and costume design. This made a big impact on how people saw the ballerina.
Some of the world-famous ballerinas of the 1900s were still wearing some of those fabulous long romantic skirts, Iām not going to name any names - no tutu bashing - as thatās really not what this blog is about. These days tutus are often called Romantic Tutuās because they look very elegant, almost like you are floating down a long river. But other ballet companies introduced short tutu designs that really changed how people saw ballerinaās - they seemed so empowered! You see them still in ballets like The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty with elegant dancers in classic styles and some amazingly talented designers, such as Christian Lacroix, making modern pieces for The Nutcracker which you will definitely see in your lifetime!
My friend Sophie - the most passionate dancer I know, often said that āEach new tutu design is like a whisper from history.ā That quote gives you some food for thought, I really like how she explains it.
Sophie loves tutus so much, she has a vast collection in every colour under the sun, and I must admit I do a little window shopping of my own on occasion too. One of my favourites is the classic white tutu worn by Margot Fonteyn! Sophie just swoons when she watches her on Youtube, she absolutely admires her elegance and technique, especially the way Margot would take these beautiful leaps, like she was flying on the clouds - oh so graceful, her leaps really look like she is going to soar! Her artistry was pure inspiration, that's for sure!
Let's seeā¦ where was I?
Now where to take this blog, there is so much more I want to share, oh yes! the Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty tutu, they look a bit like skirts but a more fitted design to let those delicate swan moves fly on the stage! I always do that ballerina squat at the start, to get my head in the zone before I start. Just imagining being able to spin like this and the tutu just glides. That really must feel so elegant and light and airy, my mind just cannot believe that ballerinaās dance all night long.
So now the āmodernā tutu! The tutus in ballet in the 1980s changed again, there was a rise in ācontemporary tutusā that took us back to the minimalistic styles. So, they have this really soft layered shape but they canāt hide the incredible, athletic skill of dancers! Some dancers say that this style makes them feel so free to use all their energy and strength when they dance.
This style has really become iconic on the dance scene and the design gives me a real feeling of freedom and excitement when I see it.
I do have to add, ballet companies all over the world use beautiful materials in tutus! From different layers of fabrics that go from lightweight and silky, or soft and fine tulle - they must have used the finest tulle in the world in 1985 and before! There really has been such an incredible mix of artistry, fashion, and performance that continues to mesmerise all those who see a ballet production. Even if you canāt make it to the stage to see ballet you can enjoy a beautiful tutu through fashion, I think theyāre perfect for day wear, as long as they have a beautiful and fashionable pink color palette - I do love my pink! I have a couple that I have worn on shopping sprees around Derby (you can look up what those are called!). Iām also always on the hunt for new styles!
My Tutu Love & Tutu Tips!
Right then, I must be off - my little niece Sophie, is visiting me this week. We will have to have a Tutu Tea Party and watch The Swan Lake. Now letās talk fashion. I need to find the perfect outfit to impress the ballet queens at this fabulous dance event! The āTutuā as you already know is my favorite! If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I can never have too many! I feel like I am just a dancing dream in these glamorous skirts! This week I'm feeling classic so Iām looking for the soft pink tulle with layers and a slightly ābouffantā tutu shape! Oh and some glitzy, pink shoes to go with it too. But you have to remember the key to tutu elegance is a balanced ensemble ā and I think I might just have found the right ensemble today, as I look around for my sparkly shoes... I am really not looking forward to finding my ballet shoes, as my usual sparkly pair, went through the washing machine. You know that's not a good look, don't even think of washing ballet shoes, it will ruin them!
So, remember dear Tutu lovers, twirl, dream, and embrace the magic!
And of course, join me next week, on #TutuTuesday!
Love and sparkles,
Emma xoxo
