Hello darlings! It's Emma here, your resident pink tutu-loving, ballet-obsessed, time-traveling blogger! Welcome to #TutuTuesday, where we delve into the fascinating world of ballet and, of course, those glorious tutus!
This week, we're stepping back in time, specifically to the 23rd of May, 2006! It's post number 9100 for me - that's a whole lot of tutus, folks! My little time machine (which I fondly refer to as āTwirlā) dropped me off in Paris - oh la la, the fashion capital of the world, perfect for this journey, right? Of course! It's a city teeming with art, history, and yes, beautiful dance! Today I'm feeling extra fancy in a lovely pink tulle tutu, a matching feather boa, a floral headband, and my trusty pink sparkly ballet shoes. This city just calls out to be seen with a fabulous ensemble, doesnāt it?
I arrived at the Palais Garnier ā you know, the opulent, iconic opera house in Paris, right? It was almost as dazzling as a glittering ball gown! Imagine being transported back to 19th-century France, a time of magnificent elegance, and ballet flourishing on its grand stage. Today, the Paris Opera Ballet is renowned for its talent, its spectacular productions, and yes, its incredible, almost outlandish costumes. Just wait until you hear about them!
2006 was an incredible year for the ballet world! This was the year that the Paris Opera Ballet premiered "The Lady with the Camellias." This performance featured the legendary ballerina Sylvie Guillem. Itās hard to believe, she actually stopped dancing in 2015, sheās retired. Can you believe it, she performed until she was almost fifty! Now thatās what I call a dedication to art. I love the classical ballet repertoire and watching graceful dancers perform the romanticism of Tchaikovsky or Debussy ā thatās true inspiration for any budding dancer!
Speaking of dancing, do you want to know the story behind the tutus we all adore?
For today's #TutuTuesday blog, weāre going back to the roots of tutus. Can you imagine the origins of a dance-ready outfit? The humble tutu wasnāt born with billowing layers or an iconic look.
It all started with a desire for comfort. Back in the 1800s, ballets were dramatic and complex, featuring intricate movements and leaps. The tight corsets of the day and the bulky layered skirts of those days were impractical. Think of long gowns billowing on the stageā¦ oh dear. But alas, fashion has a way of making things work for a new era!
Enter Marie Taglioni! This revolutionary dancer (and my role model, of course), she wanted to create an easier, more natural way of movement and movement. You guessed it, she dared to break fashion rules. And let me tell you, the audience went wild for it! Her new design involved a shorter skirt. Now, imagine all those petticoats removed - how revolutionary! This innovative design was meant to create fluid and graceful movements and thatās how the iconic ballet skirt began! This is what people referred to as a tutu. It started out short and quite fitted - weāre talking knee length or shorter.
But letās take a quick leap to the 1840s, the world was falling in love with the tutu. By now, the look had evolved from fitted to a wider silhouette. Think of this as the āRomantic Eraā of ballet history. It was in this period that tutus began to include a wider and layered shape with multiple petticoats. That's when the first tutu designs with an expanded look began to take shape - you could really call this the tutu as we know it now!
Of course, like every good dancer, fashion just couldn't stand still for too long, now, could it? Now that the "Romantic Era" tutu, the design was constantly being reinterpreted for different ballet stories! By 1880, it became more āstructuredā - just look at the costumes in the famous ballet Giselle, or the works of Marius Petipa (a very famous choreographer!). As ballet moved through the 20th century, there were exciting new versions. Look at the beautiful works of choreographer Michel Fokine in the 1900s with the āThe Dying Swanā. Just as we are in the āmodern balletā era, tutus changed. Think, shorter lengths, less structured skirts - almost like what the ballet started with! We saw more freedom for the dance and for design! And now thatās the joy of ballet history - fashion and creativity! Think back to the classical tutus, the fluffy ballerina shape that most people associate with ballet. Thereās a realness about that design - a bit of nostalgia for many of us, including me!
Now letās step back to Paris There was a lot happening in the ballet world here, even in 2006! It was not only ballet. Did you know Paris is a city of theatre and spectacular costume design too! They took their theatre, music and dance seriously - there was nothing half-hearted in these art forms! So much like the Paris Opera Ballet, every major production needed attention to the details of their outfits. I was even lucky enough to find some antique tutus while exploring the hidden vintage shops here, it felt just like being on a ballet set! But donāt you worry - you'll always be in good hands on this journey back to a magical time - and weāre always traveling, hopping, leaping into history!
Iāll be back next Tuesday to tell you more about the Ballet and what the 2000s did to its fabulous world of design! See you then!
Lots of love, Emma
*P.S. What was YOUR favourite ballet from 2006? Let me know in the comments! And, if you havenāt already, grab your pink tutu - it's time to Twirl and dance along with me! *
