Hello my darlings! It's Emma here, back again with another #TutuTuesday and a sprinkle of time travel magic for you! This week I'm taking us on a fascinating journey into the history of our beloved tutus. As a proud resident of Derbyshire, I've been swirling and twirling around in tutus ever since I was a little girl. Itâs almost hard to believe, but there was a time when these gorgeous frothy creations didnât even exist! Can you imagine?!
But before we dive into the glorious history of the tutu, I wanted to tell you about something else fabulous! I was lucky enough to see âA Midsummer Night's Dreamâ at the Shakespeare's Globe in London this week. The costumes were so vibrant and playful! Imagine delicate butterfly wings and flowing fabrics dancing under the summer sky - pure magic! And of course, there were tutus. Always tutus! đ
But enough about this week's theatre adventures - let's turn the clock back to the 1800s to discover where these beautiful frothy garments came from. Grab your favourite cuppa and prepare to be dazzled!
Act One: A Classical Ballet Awakening
In the early days of ballet, dancers wore long, flowing skirts, but these were impractical and made it difficult for them to showcase their graceful movements. In the 1830s, Marie Taglioni - the most famous ballerina of her time - famously changed the world of dance by commissioning Carlo Blasis (a renowned dancer and choreographer) to create a new kind of skirt for her performance in âLa Sylphide.â It was made from tulle, a delicate net fabric that, when gathered at the waist, created a frothy, feminine shape. That, my lovely readers, was the birth of the first ballet tutu!
This new creation allowed Marie to move with incredible lightness and fluidity. It became an instant hit, inspiring dancers around the world. From the stage, the tutu's elegance and lightness, the femininity and the flowing shape it presented to the world - its beautiful impact could not be denied. Imagine the look on the audienceâs faces! There they were, used to watching long flowing dresses and seeing a dancer suddenly perform in such a beautiful and light and airy garment for the first time - Itâs no wonder this change caused a revolution in the world of ballet.
Act Two: From âThe Sylphideâ to âLa Fille Mal GardĂ©eâ
Letâs take another big step, and imagine the years going by! The popularity of the tutu just grew and grew! The famous tutu we think of in classic ballet - with its romantic, flared shape - began to emerge during the mid-1800s, in productions of "La Fille Mal GardĂ©e." Now the ballerina's dancing could be seen in all its glory, the legs moving, kicking and lifting in every elegant step.
Itâs quite extraordinary when you think about it - the tutu became more than just a skirt, it had transformed into an iconic garment that truly represented the graceful movements and fluid art form of classical ballet! It became a symbol of femininity and elegance on the stage and off! Even today, you can't have a ballerina without a tutu! It's like the dress of a princess!
Act Three: A Fashion Phenomenon!
But that's not all! The tutu wasnât just confined to the stage. It spread into everyday life and was adopted by society. You couldnât miss the tutu! You might have seen skaters swirling in elegant skirts in ice rinks across the land! It was all the rage in art, too - artists used it to showcase feminine beauty, light and romanticism! It's not difficult to imagine, even today, that many young girls must dream of owning a beautiful pink tutu just like a fairytale princess! Even those girls who have never even been to a ballet show know what a tutu is, its magic has travelled through time, its popularity endures and everyone is enchanted by the elegance of the ballet tutu, everywhere it's seen. And you just have to be careful not to catch your toes on the tutu, but letâs not worry about that - letâs continue our exciting trip through history, because it's still quite a long journey before we see all the wonderful changes that the tutu went through, to the world it's in today!
Part Two? Coming soon - with all my #TutuTuesday Love
This has been a lovely journey through time. I can't believe we've reached the end of todayâs #TutuTuesday already. As always, I hope youâve enjoyed your first foray into tutu history! Join me again next week for another part to this exciting trip into the past! In part two weâll find out how the tutu went through exciting and thrilling developments. Weâll also discover how new styles and innovative uses were born â it's an absolute fashion adventure! Donât forget to follow www.pink-tutu.com for your regular #TutuTuesday dose!
Until next week, I hope your tutus twirl beautifully, you dance with happiness and I hope that soon, you'll all join my mission and put on a pink tutu!
Iâm off now, to chase after the fashion dreams in London. It's not going to be easy but if there's one thing I've learnt on my time-travelling adventures itâs that âYou canât put a tutu on the ground without it coming back to life again! And now off I go!
Love always,
Emma, www.pink-tutu.com
