Hello my lovely tutus,
It’s me, Emma! Back with another dose of tutu magic, direct from… well, wherever this month’s time-hopping adventures have landed me! Let me tell you, travelling through time in a pink tutu isn't always easy - those historical fashions just can't compare, can they? tut tut
Anyway, this week’s topic is extra special - a deep dive into the wonderful, twirly history of the tutu! Buckle up your ballet shoes, lovelies, it’s gonna be a whirlwind.
*(I always thought that ‘whirlwind’ sounded just like a tutu spinning - I’m sure you’ll agree.) *
Now, hold onto your tulle – we're leaping back to March 21st, 2000, where a certain famous American ballet company had just wowed the audience with Giselle, one of my all-time favourite ballets (the second act, especially – just watch those wraith-like movements!). It’s all so graceful, dramatic, and sigh completely inspiring…
Before those famous ballerina skirts…
Let's go right back to the roots (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) of this fantastic fashion: before tutus became those fluffy, almost transparent masterpieces, ballet dancers had much less forgiving attire – we’re talking about big, billowing, ankle-length skirts. Can you imagine leaping across the stage in that?!
Imagine, though, how these large, flowing skirts would have been great for showcasing all those beautiful grand jetés! Just slightly difficult to see those elegant pointe work. Imagine those ankles getting tangled, haha!
It was in the late 1800s that Marie Taglioni, a famous ballerina, decided enough was enough. We needed to see the elegant movements more clearly - those feet had to have room to dance, you know?! Now that was some brave fashion sense!
- Marie chose to shorten her skirts. Now, there was nothing to stop her from doing the incredible jumps and elegant turns that are still beloved by audiences all over the world. She paved the way for what we know and love today - tutus were officially born! Hurrah for Marie!!
That first tutu…
Her tutu, you see, was more of a layered, stiffened skirt, still relatively long. No, those gorgeous, *wispy, nearly see-through skirts were much further in the future. But those little layers allowed for movement and, even then, gave the audience a great view of those amazing leaps and turns.
It was like a blooming rose bud, opening to its full beauty, don’t you think? Imagine! No wonder I’m a fan!
(Those big Victorian skirts were a lot of fabric, too… how do you even sit in them? Imagine that, my darlings!)
Just as there were different fashion styles for clothes* throughout the centuries, there were *different styles for the tutu. It’s a wonderfully flexible bit of fabric, as it adapts to the choreography and the overall feeling of the performance.
How the tutu evolved into the romantic tutu
By the end of the 19th century, tutus had already evolved! The Romantics, with their penchant for all things whimsical and dreamy, made sure those skirts became even lighter!
They removed a lot of that bulky stiffening that earlier tutus relied upon. This let the fabric fall more gracefully - what a dream! *Those twirls… * I almost faint at the thought of it, so wonderfully airy and free!
Those lovely Romantic ballets had to have the most fantastic, flowing tutus. Think of how a Giselle or a La Sylphide must look, just think about it…
This type of tutu we now call the Romantic Tutu.
The arrival of the 'Classical' Tutu, and tutus in our everyday lives…
By the start of the 20th Century, we saw another style emerge! We know it as the 'classical’ tutu and that’s what you'll see most ballerinas wear today - just the kind of tutus you'll see when visiting the ballet or at our very own Pink Tutu Studio! (That's what I like to call my space for all the ballerina dancers who are also tutu enthusiasts! 😉) Those layers! Those little frills! Those ruffles! I *love how perfectly it embodies those strong classical ballets!
From those very first tutus, right through those beautiful romantic, then to the classical, ballet fashion has really taken shape, don't you think? And you can really feel those changing fashion styles in each type of tutu - that's just amazing.
*Can you *believe that the tutu is such an important piece of clothing, not just for a ballerina's look, but for our entire culture?! * You've *got to love the history and the beauty behind that!
It doesn't just appear on stage, of course! Those big fluffy, swirling skirts have taken centre stage in art, cinema, even fashion! (How fabulous is a tutu for a fun fancy dress costume? Oh, I love it!) *I bet it’s almost as popular today as it was back when those great dancers, *Marie Taglioni and Fanny Elssler, first started wearing tutus – or maybe even more so! Maybe we should ask one of those time-hopping travel agents… they probably know… **
I just adore a lovely pink tutu, so it almost goes without saying… tutus aren’t just a dancer's best friend, they’re my favourite piece of clothing! They’re a statement. *We *can do anything in them, they can show any emotion. They are so versatile - they go with just about everything! They can be romantic, they can be dramatic, *even playful.
*There’s really nothing they *can’t do. So stylish! **
Well, my lovely tutus, I think it's time for me to tutu out of here – a few more destinations to visit before I get back home to Derbyshire. I'm going to find a show to watch – hopefully some romantic choreography is in the air… with all these grand leaps and twirls I can already feel the tutus spinning… 😉
Keep an eye out for my next post, coming to Pink-Tutu.com this time next Tuesday!
Your ballerina,
Emma xxx
*(And of course, don't forget your *pink tutu when you visit Pink-Tutu.com - I bet you’ll find all my fabulous tips and reviews on everything that goes with a lovely ballerina skirt… you won’t regret it!) **
