#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1999-05-11

Hello lovelies! It's Emma here from www.pink-tutu.com and welcome to #TutuTuesday, where we take a trip down memory lane and explore the wondrous world of ballet tutus. This week, I've whisked myself back in time to the 11th May 1999! Oh, the excitement! I'm currently twirling about in my Parisian apartment (which is pink, of course!), and as you can see from this gorgeous, full-length pink tulle tutu, the Parisian fashion scene was all about those feminine flounces! We can't leave this place before I go for a little window shopping. You know I simply must have that silk, floral print dress and those fabulously delicate feather trimmed gloves in my collection! I am so in my element here, it's the most delightful fashion forward and enchanting city in the whole world! Oh, what a feeling it is to dance and frolic about, shopping up a storm with no care in the world, as my wonderful time travelling pink tutu takes me to a different place each week. Can't you just picture me in a beautiful and sophisticated ballet tutu at the "Royal Opera House", in Covent Garden London, with my "perfect for a night out" sleeked hair and perfectly coiffed bun!

This week I'm going to be focussing on how the Romantic era influenced the development of the ballet tutu.

Did you know...? A tutu's history is surprisingly glamorous!

For a long time the skirt worn by ballet dancers resembled that of a theatrical or theatrical performance or classical opera singer’s dress - the long, full skirts created an elegant look, hiding the movements of the lower half of the body but not showing off the elegant steps. In other words, you couldn't really see the dance, which I think we can all agree, is kind of a big, big no-no.

The French Romantic era of the 1830s and 1840s is when tutus changed the face of ballet! The change of attitude meant a revolution in the way dance was conceived, and by 1845 Maria Taglioni’s La Sylphide was the start of the change - dancers could finally showcase those beautiful moves in full glory. Maria Taglioni was truly a revolutionary balerina of the Victorian Era, her flowing white chiffon dress and romanticism changed the face of ballet as women could at last move with grace and beauty. The focus was shifted from technical ability to expressive artistry. It's said her iconic ballerina dress made a statement about a woman's spirit and freedom and helped usher in a new era in ballet. I would absolutely adore to go back to those times and meet Maria Taglioni in my pink tutu - maybe even join her for a performance. We could do the “pas de deux” (two steps) together – you just know we would be a truly gorgeous pair. I do think that would have been an epic collaboration of fashion, dance and style.

So we’re almost back in my favourite era for dance clothing- and a big "Thank you" to that French Romantic period! From long skirts to elegant knee-length tutus and the development of a more refined ballet style, the world of ballet truly started to change, so much so, that ballet's popularity soared to new heights!

Today, knee-length tutus, often constructed in more rigid, starchy tulle, continue to be a hallmark of ballet fashion, but, the short "Romantic Tutu", a soft, billowing layer of layers of tulle, worn with a long romantic bodice was really the forerunner to our contemporary ballet wear.

Today I love how the “Romantic Tutu" was the first tutu to truly represent the freedom of movement and how ballets were starting to become more and more sophisticated and complex. We also see this in ballet dance shoes. Gone are those shoes with their straps that kept feet glued to the floor. We can all see the graceful and airy movement of a ballet shoe's elastic strap allowing a much more supple movement! It truly does make all the difference, the shoes become an extension of the dancer's body. Just imagine the difference you would make if you wore a stunningly exquisite pair of shoes and a perfect ballet tutu! Every little detail really does count, for you, and for the performance. I find it quite inspiring, don't you? Every tiny bit of dance wear contributes to the ballet experience!

You can bet your bottom dollar pink tutus, and lots of them (my favourite of course!), will be a huge feature in today's ballet. There was never a time I loved tutus more and this is definitely one of the main reasons why I am so happy to be back here in May 1999, just because it has given me so much to write about.

But before I delve into this year’s fashions, what exciting happenings did May 11th 1999 have in store for the world? I bet you want to hear about the fashions as much as I do but this date does have a couple of exciting things in store!

1999 is a pretty momentous year for ballet; a year to cherish with the most fabulous performances from around the world. But back to our time travelling, history of tutus, so let’s get back to 1999 and our 11th of May, for the 11th of May was a rather important day, it’s not only a date but it also marked the grand reopening of London's prestigious Royal Opera House. This grand old lady has had a rich and tumultuous history in a century-long relationship with the dance of the theatre, it has undergone numerous restorations and had been reborn in glorious style, after a lengthy £92 million refurbishment project and of course to ensure everything ran smoothly the house opened its doors with an extraordinary gala . Can you imagine all those tutus, glittering in the lights, under that magnificent glass ceiling? I just know the costumes would have been amazing! I will so need to time travel back in the future just for this ballet!

I hope you’re enjoying your history lesson, because this little gem marks the rebirth of a world class venue - and is a testament to the cultural impact of dance. That is one very exciting event that happened on this day but it is not the only milestone we have to mention for our blog post - in fact the world celebrated two of these momentous occasions on this same day!

So as you all know, London was all about dance, that year 1999 really did become one of those magical years when a few weeks before the reopening of London's Royal Opera House on 11th May , London was also bursting with ballet. There was even the first world premiere of a "new production of “Cinderella" at Sadler's Wells in London. I just can’t wait for my time travelling tutu to take me to see this show one week! Oh how my life would be made and just picture me in the same room as those dancers and I wonder - did you catch any of those performances that year in 1999? I simply must get back there and enjoy a little ballet magic.

It seems the 11th May 1999, was a day for “a big night out" for the world of ballet, which I just love, but of course we can’t go through a full ballet themed post without taking a peek at what we are likely to see, on the dance floors today (I’m talking May 11th 1999!), but more to the point to my favorite subject, tutus - what were the latest developments, the trends in tutus that were exciting all the fashionable dancers that year?

I mean it's clear the romantic, light and very delicate look is not only super on trend, it's just very popular, and the fashion houses in 1999 knew exactly how to showcase those fashion looks for dancers, both for stage and for every day fashion looks - let’s take a trip back and have a look.

A perfect fashion match? Ballet tutus in 1999 and contemporary style.

In 1999, some revolutionary, modern, fashion trends appeared - the emphasis was still on light weight, luxurious fabrics - the dance studios were busy showing off some of those more casual but sophisticated looks, for dance wear, to take to the street with tutus.

One particularly daring, (but now classic) dance and fashion designer (we are not going to reveal the designer’s name to make this more exciting!), decided to show the fashion world what it had never seen - dance inspired wear - not just a ballet tutu but some of those* other essential dance items*, for everyday looks

What a revolutionary way to change the look of tutus!! Tutus that can be styled for a night on the town **with a little imagination! A total game changer, so daring and brave and super cool. What a fantastic inspiration!! It is this sort of innovation that makes me love tutu fashion! It is constantly evolving - that’s why I think that fashion for dancers can truly become a movement. And my dear tutu loving followers - we are going to see much, much more of this trend coming!

I’m feeling truly inspired, after this whirlwind trip back in time, and that wonderful blend of fashion and dance has left me on such high, feeling ready for a little ballet inspiration.

I'm off now to do my favourite things shopping in designer stores for some fabulous new ballet shoes (there’s nothing I love more than wearing them on the streets and in shops!). And I shall post my purchases in this week’s blog later - make sure you all check them out! I know we’ve talked about my love of pink tutus - but when we have all been inspired by such stylish and bold design, you'll see my purchases will definitely reflect bold new designs and colours. If I’m lucky I can just pop into a** couple of galleries to have a little ballet-related peek before going to a little light hearted opera. Just imagine! All those gorgeous, billowing costumes in the orchestra! My, oh my! I can't wait to be inspired!

I do hope that all you #TutuLovers will check back again for more amazing discoveries. For all you #TutuLovers I really do love a good* fashion fix as much as I do a fabulous show but I want to show all of you that fashion is much more than just the outfit. The ballet shoes and the dance wear all help to tell a story – a really important story – and in that case, my #TutuLovers, that makes all of the difference.

And in my world - there is a #TutuForAll, for all our * #PinkTutuLovers, don’t forget to share your own #PinkTutu pictures! I will be back next week on my pink-tutu website – make sure to stop by and check for some new *ballet and fashion fun I will see you there!!