#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2000-08-01

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Hello darlings! Welcome to another exciting week of Tutu Tuesday here at Pink Tutu! Today we're diving into the wonderful world of Ballet Tutu History, but let's be honest, it's all about the tutu, isn't it?

Today, the first of August 2000, I found myself stepping into the world of ballet and landed right in the heart of Paris. That’s right, I’m taking the train – the darling Orient Express of course - to France’s iconic Palais Garnier opera house!

Did I mention I was absolutely radiating in a delicious pink tutu? Nothing like making an entrance with a swirl of silk! And don’t you just adore a good pink tutu?!

Honestly, this time-travelling ballerina can't get enough of the whirlwind of beautiful things I see. This magnificent opera house alone deserves a whole week's worth of blogs. Imagine the sheer magic in every corner of this beautiful building, its glorious décor, its majestic, opulent beauty! This place - it’s not just for seeing shows - it’s for living in, honestly!

Now, I'm not here to wax lyrical about architectural delights (though let's be real, I'd totally write a separate blog on it), we're here for our favourite topic: the Tutu!

It was quite extraordinary to see the grandeur and elegance of ballet in action. It’s not just about the movement, or the beautiful story, the music … the very essence of ballet is, to me, embodied by the tutu. It's a magnificent piece of sartorial genius!

So let's rewind a bit, shall we? I know what you’re thinking: What’s a tutu got to do with 2000? Bear with me – the story's full of surprises, just like a delicate swirl of tulle!

Remember my last post about the tutus of Marie Taglioni? We talked about the Romantic Era and how ballerinas became more free, less restricted, taking centre stage. Now, here’s a crucial detail. You won’t believe this – before the Romantic Era, women didn't wear any tutus! Can you imagine?

Their skirts were heavy and long, restricting them - quite a different scene, I tell you! The romantic, airy tutus we’ve come to adore (especially the ones in glorious pink, obviously) - those came about later!

Now, the romantic era… the heart and soul of ballet. It’s that special time – where everything evolved. * And the tutu became an integral part of *expressing freedom and lightness. It gave ballets and dancers an even more expressive, dramatic and emotive style.

Think of how the tutu's light and flowing form accentuates the ballerinas’ movements, how it captures the air. It’s an element of pure beauty and graceful style, isn't it? Imagine trying to perform the leaps and turns of classic ballet with heavy skirts!

But wait, there’s a catch – I’ve got some fascinating facts about tutus that we've gotta discuss, my darlings! Here's one of the most shocking discoveries I’ve made…

In the beginning – believe it or not – the first tutu was not at all the fluffy confection we know and love today. Hold onto your top knots, darlings.

They were… extremely simple and almost looked more like a shorter skirt than what we consider a tutu today. It had just a few ruffled layers. No fancy swirly extravagance to speak of! It would shock us to our ballet slippers to see them! And they weren't in glorious pink! They were much more utilitarian than romantic, you know. More about allowing the dancers to move - less about being pink and flamboyant. Oh, how far we've come!

*But, the really astonishing thing… *

...is, the change towards our beautiful, elaborate, swirly tutus was, in a sense, an accident! Talk about a fortunate accident.

What do you think? Isn't that fascinating? I find it hilarious, because if we know anything about the evolution of fashion, mistakes can be marvelously glamorous!

It all came about when Marie Taglioni, the beautiful queen of the ballet, wanted a more airy style. She desired a skirt shorter than the usual long, cumbersome ballet costumes, a flow of tulle and airy movement instead of the bulky designs of the day. She wanted her dancing to reflect that new freedom, a freedom to express herself through her poetry of movement!

Can you imagine how shocking this was, when those skirts began getting shorter and shorter? Can you even imagine?! * But *Taglioni was an icon, wasn’t she? Dare I say, she made *every ballerina embrace the shorter style… that meant, even more layers of tulle! It's truly fascinating to see how one person’s creativity led to this extraordinary dance fashion moment!**

There was also the* practical side of this shorter skirt* that nobody talked about back in the day: you could see their dancing, better! * It was like a *revolution for dancers. No more being hidden under mounds of fabric!

And don’t forget, my darlings – every dancer wants their moves to be showcased perfectly, don’t they? It’s a magical show, one of light, movement, art - every dance and movement matters! And let's face it, tutus were designed to help a ballerina stand out * and take center stage. *

Imagine** a tutu of only two or three layers… it’d lack that drama and romanticism, that elegant air, you know what I mean?

This, my darlings, is why we call the Romantics era so important, a huge step forward in ballet, and indeed a turning point in how the world viewed tutus. From short, less showy, skirts to a *burst of airy fluffiness - *a revolution!

And the revolution continued to bloom, through many ballet epochs. Imagine the Victorian Era and its more modest, almost almost medieval, ballet fashion! But even that period was steeped in the tulle of those early tutus. Can you see the history and stories being layered and spun into our beautiful dance stories? And the modern ballet scene, now that’s something special - from fluffy, almost invisible tutus, to structured and sculptural tutus, it's amazing to witness their transformation!

We will continue exploring the grand history of tutus next week , my darling ballerinas, because it is a grand, gorgeous history. Let’s explore the grand fashion houses and those incredible * ballet designers. Don’t you just love how, even in 2000, *ballet has managed to stay true to its **tradition?

And of course, don't forget to visit pink-tutu.com and see my own selection of glorious pink tutus. And remember, ladies… we have to wear a pink tutu at every opportunity. It's the pink tutus of the world, that have to carry ballet's legacy on into the future!

It's like I’ve often said…

*You’ll look * simply beautiful * in a pink tutu. *

Don’t forget to let me know your favorite pink tutu style!

See you next Tuesday!

Love and a twirl of tulle,

Emma, The Pink Tutu Ballerina