Hello my lovely tutu-loving friends! It’s your favourite pink-obsessed ballerina, Emma, here, and welcome to another instalment of Tutu Tuesday, your weekly dose of all things twirly and delightful! Today, I’m taking you on a journey through time, to April the 4th, 2006!
Hold onto your tiaras, darlings, as we hop aboard the tutu-powered time machine and zip off to a decade ago, back when flared jeans were all the rage, and mobile phones were still chunky enough to double as a doorstop! Oh, the joys of nostalgia, eh?
It’s a glorious day to be in Paris, darling! The air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked pastries and the distant hum of accordion music. But, let's not forget why we're here, my fellow fashionistas. It’s Tutu Tuesday, and the heart of ballet is beating strong!
So, what was happening in the ballet world back on April the 4th, 2006? Well, you wouldn't believe the excitement in the air! The Royal Ballet was in the midst of a whirlwind tour in Vienna, dancing their hearts out at the Staatsoper. It’s no secret I love seeing them dance; there's nothing quite like watching those graceful leaps and elegant turns, is there? It's so much more than just watching beautiful dancers, it’s seeing stories told in a beautiful and elegant language of movement and expression.
Speaking of elegant expressions, it's National Autism Awareness Month in the States. And if we're talking about acceptance, who could forget the iconic Princess Tutu anime series, launched on this very day! The story of a clumsy duckling who becomes a graceful ballerina? Now that's what I call a fabulous metaphor for overcoming challenges!
And speaking of metaphors, what is more evocative of freedom, elegance, and sheer joyous movement than the iconic tutu? Now, before you assume this little confection was always twirling on stage, let’s take a trip back even further, shall we?
Remember, darlings, the tutu's evolution isn't a story of sudden inspiration but a beautiful tapestry woven by centuries of creativity and passion. The origins can be traced right back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. You can’t tell a ballet story without the early ballet of the 1700s, with its long, flowing dresses and grand gestures, so imagine ballet without its tutu! The long, elaborate court dress, even tights, worn by the early dancers had to be simplified somehow to allow for easier and more expressive movement. The answer? You guessed it: the first proto-tutu.
Remember those puffy underskirts called panniers and crinolines, all those layers of fabric designed to make the dresses even bigger and more voluminous? Well, this was the birth of our tutu journey. Early dancers started simplifying the gowns, shortening them and then replacing those bulky layers with less fabric and layers that would allow them to jump, skip, and turn, much more elegantly!
We have a long way to go before reaching our iconic tutus. But we're making progress with the Romantic Era (early 1800s) bringing in the Romantic ballet and introducing a more airy look! Long, flowing gauze fabrics, less layering, more movement, that's what these graceful dancers were about. Romantic ballet introduced the idea of lightweight and fluttery and we’re already getting close to a more familiar look.
And now, darlings, hold onto your seats as we jump a few decades ahead to the mid 19th century. And it’s in this era that we really see the rise of the iconic tutu we all know and love! With the rise of classic ballet, with all its graceful jumps and turns, comes a big step toward the classic tutu, shortened and made of layers of tulle, allowing a graceful flow, but more practical than the previous garments and allowing dancers to reach new heights!
If you're imagining an elegant, layered and dreamy garment now, well done darling! Think layers and layers of beautiful tulle! Think shorter skirts. You are now ready to move into the late 19th Century.
Now we're in the Victorian era, my loves, where elegance and refinement are paramount, and ballet is no exception! This is where the tutu truly comes into its own, becoming synonymous with the artistry of ballet. Imagine short tutus for the ballerinas, just hitting the knee, but a more airy and wispy garment, with a long flowing bodice. A truly feminine look.
And remember that the tutu isn’t just for ballerinas! They were seen on the ballet stage, but they were worn outside of it too, you could see a tutu on any fashionable woman at a fancy party. You couldn’t walk out of a theater, a street performance, even just walking down a boulevard, without catching sight of at least a few tutus, even a glimpse of a lovely dancer in one.
The 20th century brought its own exciting additions to the tutu, as well, like the introduction of the "Romantic tutu". This is where we find a much more free-flowing tutu made of layers of soft chiffon, a delightful contrast to the more structured and stiff earlier tutus, but, of course, all made with elegant lines, a focus on movement, and a light, airy feel, like those big, gorgeous ballerina gowns!
The tutu has been on a long and dazzling journey, but one thing remains consistent - its power to express movement and elegance. Today's modern tutus, though often taking cues from historical versions, can be short, long, fluffy, structured, whatever is needed to fit the dancer, the ballet, the mood, the feel. Just think of Ballet de Paris’ lovely dancers whirl across the stage. If you close your eyes you can see those soft and delicate fabrics, all those beautiful lines, that magical flow and movement… It makes me want to don my pink tutu, my favorite tiara, and hop right out into a dance in the center of the boulevard.
And you know what? You don't have to be a ballet dancer to enjoy the enchantment of a tutu! Even the humblest of us can embrace a little whimsy with a pink tutu! Let's wear those tutus to our next tutu party. Let’s make it the next fashion craze! It’s never too late to unleash your inner ballerina!
Remember to share this blog, give it a like and come back next Tutu Tuesday for another magical journey into ballet history. Until next time, darlings!
Much love from the time-travelling, tutu-loving Emma!
