Hello, my darling dancers and tutu enthusiasts! Welcome back to another dazzling #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things twirly and fabulous! Today, we're going on a grand adventure through time, jumping back to the year 2003!
Now, I've got to confess, I've always been a little bit obsessed with this era. Remember the iconic "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" movie? The shimmering, billowing dresses, the fantastic musical numbers⊠it all just screams elegance and charm, a time where women embraced their inner sparkle!
But today, we're delving deeper into 2003's fashion world. We'll be uncovering the secret lives of tutus â the frothy, delightful ballet skirts we all adore. They were so popular then â and let's be honest, they're still all the rage!
Let's set our time machine dial to August 19th, 2003! The sun is shining, a gentle breeze is whispering secrets through the trees, and what are you doing, my lovelies? Youâre probably either twirling in a pink tutu, or admiring your favourite ballet dancers grace the stage in theirs! (Itâs true, a good tutu never goes out of style, wouldnât you agree? wink).
Now, to our historical tour!
I just landed in Paris, and wouldn't you know it, the MusĂ©e du Louvre is celebrating a new exhibition - "Dancing Through Time." It's a whole museum wing dedicated to ballet! Can you believe it? It's a dancer's paradise! They've got tutus of all shapes and sizes â from the elegant white, billowing Romantic period styles, all the way to the shimmering, modern ones.
I, of course, did a twirl in a beautiful, peach-coloured tutu with pink ribbon detail while I was there! There were so many beautiful pieces to be admired: * A sparkling, sapphire-blue tutu from a Parisian Ballet Rouge performance! * A tiny, ruffled white tutu for a 19th-century âpetit ratâ, the darling ballerina girls! * And, of course, a show-stopping crimson tutu, so magnificent, you just had to stand back in awe!
These days, you canât take a trip to a dance school without seeing some amazing designs and colours. It makes me so proud of our ballerina heritage!
You might be surprised to hear that ballet wasnât always so⊠glamorous.
Back in the early days, tutus werenât quite as, well, tutu-ish! Ballet skirts were made of heavier fabric, long and billowing. They didnât allow the dancers to show off their lovely legs or twirls as well. Think more sweeping, dramatic gown than a delightful mini-skirt.
The year is 1839, a beautiful day at the Opéra Garnier. A beautiful ballerina named Marie Taglioni (oh, how she moved, so gracefully!), has taken to the stage and wowed the entire audience. The air is abuzz with excited whispers as everyone watches her in admiration, particularly when her legs, finally, are revealed. The dramatic billowing skirts from those early ballet days are gone!
Suddenly, this simple shift to a shorter, more revealing style was a real revolution! All the ballerinas wanted to emulate this revolutionary ballerina style, and that's where the short, billowing tulle skirt we now call a âtutuâ started to become a big hit! It brought a new freedom and ease to the performance, as well as, a newfound elegance to their style!
Marieâs daring change was embraced with such gusto that the fashion for tutus quickly caught on! Not only was Marie a legendary dancer, she helped start a dance fashion craze that continues to this day! That's why I think we have her to thank for a century of fun and playful tutus!
I could go on all day about how amazing tutus are! And I will, dear reader! Youâll be happy to know that my âTutu Tuesdayâ posts continue week after week with fascinating, fun stories from the history of tutus, so youâre never far away from another dose of twirling joy. And now, I've got to rush! I've just received a notification from my fabulous stylist friend in New York. Sheâs just landed some truly spectacular new tutus in her shop, and you just know I've gotta see them before anyone else!
My dear readers, I wish you could travel with me. It's the absolute best way to see the history and evolution of this glorious invention that is the tutu. The train journeys allow me to lose myself in my favourite magazine articles, especially those detailing the incredible journeys of ballet history. Every time I take a step on to a new train, I canât wait to learn the secrets and wonder that every historical destination has in store! I love learning the history of the things that inspire me and my greatest passion, ballet!
Until next Tuesday, I bid you adieu. May your days be filled with twirls, happiness and lots of pink tutus!
Your Favourite Pink Tutu Wearing Ballerina, Emma
