Welcome back, lovelies! It's Emma here, your resident tutu enthusiast, back with another #TutuTuesday instalment, this time taking us on a journey through time to the magical year of… wait for it… 2000! Buckle up, darling, this trip’s going to be a hoot!
This is blog post number 8777 – I mean, that's a lot of tutus, right? We’re practically royalty in the world of tutus, don’t you think? This week, we're exploring the evolution of the ballet tutu, those glorious swirling symbols of grace and elegance. You see, our tutus weren't always as delightful and airy as they are today! Let's hop on our time-traveling, tutu-shaped spaceship and delve into the past. (Of course, I’m going by train… a fabulous first-class carriage is the perfect setting for a fabulous tutu.)
A Tutu Through the Ages
It’s not like we invented the tutu out of thin air, is it, darlings? The origins of the tutu, believe it or not, lie with the male dancers of the time. Men, they used to wear pants that weren't terribly practical, imagine that? 😮 But with the development of new dance steps in the 18th century – things like the "pirouette" - designers had to be ingenious and, hey, the evolution of the tutu began. Think of them like tiny little dance dresses with layers and layers of tulle!
But hold on a minute… why did the male dancers wear the ‘short pants’ (imagine how uncomfortable that must have been? ) because they were part of the original 'pas de basque' that they danced! The dance step meant that men’s lower legs and feet were required for the choreography - I always say 'show off what you’ve got!' And with these dances requiring fast movement and agility, these short ‘panniers’ and later, skirts, provided a certain degree of mobility to dancers that those pesky, baggy long trousers of the time never could.
Of course, when ballerinas took to the stage (always wearing long dresses) things needed to change. Can you imagine, darling, trying to do a fouetté in one of those big old frock coats?! Heavens! You'd have to call it the 'Fouetté Fumble', I'd be right there front row, tutus swishing.
You know what, darlings? Ballet in the 19th Century started a real love affair with the tutu. Now it wasn’t just about practicality; the ballet skirt was becoming an emblem of a graceful, elegant, female performer! And the dancers loved it – so did the audience. It helped women on the stage show off those fancy footwork steps in style. You could say, it was 'the beginning of beauty'!
Our Tutu Time Capsule: March 14th, 2000!
What an exciting time! What better day for this fabulous #TutuTuesday journey than a beautiful March day, just like today?! This year ( 2000!), I mean!
If you're wondering what the tutu scene was like back in the good old days of 2000… let me tell you, the tutu was in its glory days! You couldn’t walk past a shop in London, New York, or Paris (Oh la la!), and not find a stunning array of tutus just waiting to make your ballet dreams come true!
2000 marked a pivotal moment in tutu history because tutus, not just on stage, but also for everyone! This wasn’t just a trend for dance class! Oh no darling, it was a movement! You might remember a bit of pop-culture magic at this time – with the hit Disney film “Fantasia 2000“ bringing back all things tutu. That classic movie – the original "Fantasia," was so famous and that new animation style and a ballet sequence (complete with a beautiful ballet dancer on pointe, of course) just turned tutu culture on its head and the little ballet tutu’s, that are more and more familiar to us now, just floored the whole world with its feminine charm.
This meant we all embraced the tutu, as something fashionable, it wasn't just 'on stage,' it was 'everywhere,'! Now we all had the power to create those stunning ballerina looks on the street… (Well, when I was 12 back then I thought so). It’s all down to the tutu; what makes ballet so incredibly fun, exciting and a symbol of ‘feminine power! It became this statement of fun and energy! And I can say that today the popularity of tutus and all things dance is here to stay… And you can quote me on that.
So here I am standing in this iconic year with this magnificent little ballet tutu (I’m sure you will just adore it … it’s just heavenly), I know we've made some truly incredible memories, haven't we? The tutu just embodies everything that's feminine, beautiful, and utterly tutu adorable. It's no surprise that we just adore it! Oh, this little ballet dress has always been, and will always be ‘the symbol’ of every ballerinas heart…
I’m not quite sure, dear readers what is happening right now - but all I know is we are about to witness history on this fine March 14th…
It looks like something rather spectacular is about to happen. There are lots of lovely people dancing in the street and I’m not sure how this all happened - but we are here to witness something special! I hope you're joining me as I bring back all of the glitz and glam of tutus - and the iconic styles from back in the year 2000, (You see I did all the time traveling in the previous blog - so I had plenty of time to see the show! )
And finally – just in case you didn’t know… Today - that's March 14th, 2000… marks the start of a beautiful Ballet Tutu renaissance which will continue until who knows when. We are so in the midst of this special movement. It’s truly magic in motion!
This has been Emma’s #TutuTuesday time traveling ballet tutu blog for pink-tutu.com, hope to see you next week on our fabulous Tuesday travels…
ballet #tutu #ballettutu #balletlife #balletstyle #history #tutuhistory #timetravel #dance #fashion #dancer #dancelife #dancing