Ahoy there, my darling tutu-loving darlings! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-travelling ballerina, Emma, back with another delightful dose of ballet tutu history for your #TutuTuesday fix!
Today, we're whisked back to the glorious year of 1990, a time when hairspray was thick, shoulder pads were bigger than your dreams, and tutus were all the rage, naturally! This week's adventure finds us in a bustling metropolis, where the very air crackles with the excitement of a grand ballet performance!
But before we delve into the dazzling spectacle, let's have a little chat about tutus!
A Short Story About The Wonderful History Of Ballet Tutus
You see, dear readers, the tutu we know and love today has quite a fascinating story.
Imagine the late 1800s: ladies are swishing around in flowing, ankle-length dresses. But then a brilliant choreographer named Marius Petipa decided that restricting these dresses was just the ticket to showcasing the graceful leaps and turns of his ballerinas. Thus, the "tutu," originally designed by Carl Friedrich Wilhelm, Baron von Hauch, a tailor to the Imperial Court, became the signature garment for ballerinas around the globe.
For those unfamiliar with the magical world of ballet, the tutu is essentially a whimsical, puffball skirt, meant to highlight a dancer's grace and precision. Think of a magnificent whirlwind of fabric, fluttering around their feet!
There are two main types: the Romantic tutu and the classical tutu.
The Romantic tutu, longer and more flowing, evokes the romance of a fairytale. Imagine graceful ballerina with soft, ethereal movement, she embodies the beauty of a dreamy ballerina. These tutus are quite literally to die for!
The classical tutu is a bit more demure, featuring multiple layers of stiff, tulle material. Think starry sky, a thousand twinkly points of light reflecting around a dancer's elegant leaps!
I simply can't get enough of them! And judging by my many years travelling through time, neither could anyone else. This iconic piece of fashion has had an enormous influence on everything from fashion shows to street wear - tutus really are the definition of whimsical femininity!
But enough with the tutu talk, you're all probably aching for that tantalising trip back to 1990!
Today's Ballet: A Thrilling Trip to 1990
We're taking a trip to Paris, France - the heart of the Parisian ballet world, the ultimate hub for those delicate tulle creations, the grand cathedrals of ballet performances - think the Opéra Garnier! I was even fortunate enough to catch a performance of "The Sleeping Beauty"! I swear I heard gasps throughout the performance and not just from me! It was quite magical!
Speaking of Parisian fashion, I can’t get over those fabulous costumes – shimmering silk and sparkling sequins, a veritable explosion of glamour and grace! They would absolutely knock your socks off (though you should really be wearing tutus, just sayin’!). I mean, the dancers must have felt amazing swirling across the stage in these exquisite garments!
And can we talk about the headpieces? Let's just say the bigger the flower, the better! Imagine my little ballet self, decked out in pink, obscenely large flowery headbands – pure paradise! It’s a visual that would probably get me stared at in modern society, but back in 1990 it was all the rage, especially on February 13th! I felt absolutely fabulous wearing it while making a little ballet performance in the theatre! My travel expenses had to be covered, I had to dance on and earn money to afford all those new shoes and headbands in the time I'm in, after all!
My little travel journal even makes note that I took in some serious "Parisian fashion inspo" on this day, enough to inspire countless more tutu combinations when I return home! And that, my dearest tutu enthusiasts, is the beauty of ballet and its history.
As I board the train back to Derbyshire (how lucky I am that time travelling can be so simple!), I can’t help but smile at the memories I've made in the ballet world. So much magic! It really is a world of elegance, artistry, and yes, of course, tutus!
Stay fabulous, and don't forget to twirl those tutus!
Your tutu-obsessed, time-travelling friend,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
