#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2010-09-21

Hello, darlings! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu enthusiast, back with another #TutuTuesday post! As you all know, every Tuesday I journey back in time to delve into the enchanting world of ballet and its iconic garment, the tutu.

Today, my Time Turner whisked me to 21 September 2010. It was such an exciting time for fashion! The world was awash with neon colours, vintage influences and - drumroll please - oversized floral prints! I even spied a pair of leggings that I swore had a slightly tutu-like vibe... Maybe it was the poofiness? 😉

But today, we’re all about the tutu, the tutu's historical journey. As I took a whirl around this glorious decade, it dawned on me, how many of us really understand how the tutu evolved from its humble beginnings to become the epitome of elegance and grace we adore today?

Well, buckle up, my lovelies, because this Tutu Tuesday, we’re going on a very special voyage! Let's get comfy, grab some champagne, and journey back to the roots of ballet itself.

Let's take a quick glance back at the origins of the tutu. I’ve discussed this before in my #TutuTuesday blogs, but it's always worth reiterating: it wasn't born from fashion but function. Ballet itself emerged in the courts of France in the 1500s, and back then, dancers weren't confined by restrictive, impractical garments. Instead, they flaunted very flamboyant courtly costumes, essentially fancy medieval dress.

Then, the 1800s brought about a revolution in the dance world. It was a time of changing dance techniques. More airy movements were required. The ballerina, Marie Taglioni, wanted a way to "float" onstage - poof and the tutu, was born! No longer bound by constricting materials, the dancers flowed, their legs were beautifully displayed and their grace was truly enhanced. The iconic image of a ballerina with a short, flowing tutu is what comes to mind first! It’s such a powerful image.

We’ll chat more about this glorious time in a future #TutuTuesday, but I just wanted to set the scene!

Fast forward a few decades, and we reach the 1950s, an era that embraced classic beauty and elegance, reflecting on the elegance and grace of ballerina dance! This era marked a transformation for the tutu. They were generally crafted with soft tulle and tulle layered around a stiff fabric understructure – think the "classic" ballet tutu we picture when we close our eyes. It was, of course, made with soft tulle which was both beautiful, practical for a dancer (allowing for free movement, airiness, and agility) but importantly also the "poof factor" we love.

Oh, did I tell you the story of how "classical" tutus were traditionally sewn with a tiny ribbon with each dancer’s name? I mean, how cute is that? Every time I see the ballet “Giselle” in a full performance, I always look at the dancers’ tutus for the ribbon just so I can picture that detail! So, so sweet.

The iconic 1950s ballerina look – think Margot Fonteyn, très elegant and beautiful! The "classical" tutu, as we know it today, really flourished here, thanks to fashion’s obsession with feminine elegance.

Moving forward, the tutu underwent an incredible makeover! With the cultural shifts in the 1960s, dance movements took on different forms – we saw more expressive dance styles, often defying classical choreography and adopting more street-inspired dance elements. This influenced the tutu. Now the "traditional" design was often altered and experimented with! They were sometimes worn much longer than in the 1950s, becoming more "contemporary" in shape - for a modern movement dance. The design itself became less strict, and, we saw the introduction of bolder, richer colours as well.

But even within this transition, we also saw a continuation of the classical tutu – *ballet itself was undergoing exciting changes - and ballet schools would have stayed traditional in their classes – so the "classical" look continued on stage – as you’ll still see today.

By the 1970s, even more experimentation began. Think of dancers like Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey, their works were breaking the barriers! In their performances we saw new shapes and variations – and this, of course, spilled over into the tutus as well! Longer and more flowy was the key - more free and unrestricted, it was truly the dancer's tool to express themself with each step. The tutu's silhouette also became less structured, and the fabric less stiff, a huge shift from its more traditional roots.

There was such a fantastic explosion in creative expression and ballet’s artistic range that continues to flourish today! What's lovely is to witness how this creative influence has helped us all – myself included - to get our tutus on!

Looking back through history, I am thrilled to see how the tutu continues to inspire dancers and the world. In ballet itself, we still have a very real fascination with tutus. The “classic” tutus have remained iconic with dancers from American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet - they’ve graced our stages across the world, and we just cannot imagine the iconic looks without them.

The wonderful world of ballet also continues to explore the use of tutus – they constantly adapt to new, evolving dance styles - and that's what’s most exciting about them! We see bold variations across all ballet styles today. The freedom to create, the tutu’s versatility – that’s something we all can celebrate!

My favourite part about the tutu, of course, is its enduring connection with femininity and grace – those feelings of poise and strength we associate with the dancer. To see it in various styles in every era, from classical elegance to street-inspired fusion, reinforces how powerful and relevant this beautiful garment still is today.

This brings me to my next exciting Tutu Tuesday journey: we’re going to dive deep into some of my all time favourite tutu looks, with their unique designs and interesting historical ties to their ballerinas – there are so many exciting things to explore!

I always end my posts on a plea, and today it is simply this: let’s continue to make tutus more relevant – *more than just a garment worn on stage, *more than something you see in ballet classes. Embrace their vibrant spirit!

That's all for this #TutuTuesday, my lovelies. See you next week for another enchanting journey!