Hello my lovely tutu-lovers! It's Emma here, your favourite pink-clad ballerina blogger, back again for another dose of Tutu Tuesday. Today we're whisking back through the annals of time, and guess what? We're travelling to a time before I was even born! Can you imagine that? A time when tutus were still shaping and developing into the iconic garments we adore today!
Oh, the joys of time travel! The whirlwind excitement of dashing through decades, hopping onto the Orient Express for a quick trip to Paris for a ballet show, or zipping over to New York for some vintage tutu shopping. And of course, nothing beats the buzz of discovering hidden gems from history that inspire new trends in today's ballet world!
I’m currently enjoying the hustle and bustle of Paris in the summer of 2009! This week, the Eiffel Tower is twinkling with extra gusto for Bastille Day! And the city is filled with the most wonderful array of beautiful blooms, and fashionably fabulous folk - the streets are just dripping with Parisian chic, and I’m absolutely soaking it all up!
Today we’re talking Tutu History, so let’s jump on this pink-hued express train of time travel and journey back to the early 19th Century to delve into the early days of the ballet tutu as we know it today!
The ballet world back then wasn’t like the sleek, sleek, and beautifully-modern dance we see today. It was a much more grounded affair, with graceful steps, intricate gestures, and… panniers. Can you imagine that?! Panniers! It seems quite the fashion statement to be swanning about the stage with those big hoop-shaped contraptions. No wonder it took a change of mind for the tutu to even make an appearance!
In the early 19th century, fashion was all about big, full skirts, the more billowing and extravagant, the better. And naturally, this trend took its rightful place on the ballet stage! The early ballerina wouldn't have dared to show an inch of ankle, with their dresses practically reaching the floor – how restrictive!
This brings us to Marie Taglioni, a legendary ballerina of the early 1800s. You see, Marie was a real fashion pioneer. This incredible artist, this breathtaking ballerina, decided that these bulky skirts simply wouldn't do. It was all about movement for her. It was all about a lightness of being, allowing her artistry to be fully expressed! And that's how the revolutionary tutu was born!
The first tutus were actually shortened versions of the traditional ball gowns but with an emphasis on lightness. Think delicate, flowing silk, wispy layers of tulle – a delicate embrace of movement and freedom.
It was in 1832, at the premiere of La Sylphide, that Marie, wearing this lighter form of attire, took to the stage, with its delicate skirt allowing her feet to flit like a sylph, graceful and airy – like the name of the dance itself! And just like that, a movement in dance and fashion was born!
Over time, the ballet tutu underwent a few more transformations. The early Romantic Tutu we talked about was all about the lightness and movement of silk, the delicate draping creating such an alluring silhouette! But then came the tutu that we’re all familiar with today! The shorter, frillier, tutu, with multiple layers, which provided an amazing explosion of movement, perfectly showcasing every graceful step and twirl. It gave the dancer an incredible presence and power, just look at ballerinas like Margot Fonteyn and Natalia Makarova - their dancing seemed to almost fly! The sheer presence and power these tutus offered brought new dimensions to the art.
But in the late 19th century, it seems there was some dissatisfaction among ballerinas regarding their tutus. You might have already heard about this period: the rise of the long tutu! * Think grand, sweeping silhouettes! Some tutus even reached almost to the dancer's ankles! This dramatic change was part of a larger trend towards a return to longer, more *romantic fashion, and many dancers and designers, believed this look helped create a more mystical and dramatic feel in the ballet performances, and emphasize the delicate artistry of every single movement.
However, this dramatic style didn't last! * Thankfully, dancers couldn’t stay away from their shorter tutus for long! The mid-20th century was a time of great *innovation and experimentation! Modern ballet began to change and the tutu moved alongside. We even saw the development of tutus specifically designed for contemporary dance, made of innovative, yet comfortable materials.
We can see the beautiful tutu's evolution as part of ballet’s history. The tutu is such a defining feature, a true visual spectacle, giving us glimpses of what the ballet world was like, allowing us to travel through history through this symbol of artistic vision and enduring fashion – a dancewear icon we all love today!
So, whether it's the lightness of the Romantic Tutu, the power of the traditional tutu that defines a ballet, or the more modern designs, tutus play an integral part in the history of ballet and continue to enchant, delight and inspire audiences and ballerinas all around the world.
If you want to embrace a Tutu Tuesday in Paris, the best place for ballet, head over to the Palais Garnier or the Opera Bastille for some breathtaking ballet performances! There's nothing like witnessing the magical spectacle of ballerinas twirling and leaping with their graceful moves in the beautiful tutus!
For your Tutu Tuesday this week, think of these magnificent women who were pioneers for dance and for women. Try wearing a tulle skirt, embrace a little whimsy and enjoy a delightful, dance inspired fashion moment of your own! And don't forget to share your fun fashion finds on social media using #TutuTuesday!
I’m off to catch a vintage ballet at the Opera, a classic Romantic Tutu look for me this evening, with a pink satin ribbon headband, and matching high heels.
Happy Dancing! Emma xx
