Hello darlings! Emma here, your favourite pink tutu-clad time traveller, and welcome back to another delightful Tuesday on pink-tutu.com! As always, today's theme is Tutu Tuesday where we delve into the history of this glorious garment – the tutu! I have just arrived back in the present after a lovely whirlwind trip to... whispers ... Paris!
Parisian Splendour!
Oh, my dears, the energy of the city, the breathtaking architecture, and the fashion! I could not have wished for a better trip to inspire this week's Tutu Tuesday blog. My darling travel bag, overflowing with stunning vintage tutus from a fabulous antique shop nestled near the Eiffel Tower, is the most beautiful I have ever brought home with me. And you won’t believe what I found in this lovely antique shop – a little black book! Imagine my excitement!
You see, this little gem has some handwritten notes about the history of the tutu, starting around the late 18th century. It seems it was a ballet dancer, Marie Taglioni, who first danced with a billowing, loose skirt, completely abandoning the corsetted styles of the time. Imagine the uproar! Marie's style – dubbed a tutu – revolutionized ballet. This little book details all about this style and I will be using these handwritten notes to tell you all about it this week.
The "Crinoline Tutu" – Marie Taglioni’s Inspiration
The very first form of tutu – what we now call a crinoline tutu – came about thanks to that revolutionary dancer, Marie Taglioni, in 1832. This loose, billowing skirt, reaching from just below the waist to mid-calf, was made with layers and layers of light fabric, often white to signify purity, held up by a stiffened underlayer of crinoline or horsehair. This dramatic departure from the restrictive corseted styles of the time allowed dancers much greater freedom of movement, making them seem almost weightless, soaring effortlessly through the air. They looked beautiful too, floating about on the stage.
Marie, of course, didn't invent crinoline – it was already being used for fashion at the time! What Marie did was adapt the crinoline idea to become a dance costume that helped create the style and performance that was to become the essence of ballet. It's pretty genius really – not a bad thing for a young Derbyshire lass like myself to learn!
A Step Closer to Modernity - the "Romantic Tutu"
Fast forward to the late 1800s, my dears! The "romantic tutu" appeared. These styles still retained the length of the original crinoline tutu, reaching to the calves, but the use of lightweight, gathered fabric, rather than a stiff structure, gave these new tutus an even airier look, creating beautiful lines of movement. I'm imagining that these skirts were quite like a ballet ballerina’s version of those lovely cotton candy dresses with many ruffles – it must have looked absolutely adorable!
But this wasn’t a big change for dancing. This era also introduced the first pointe shoes for dancing, with a hard tip allowing dancers to stand upright on their toes. This allowed dancers even greater control over their movements, creating breathtaking and powerful displays.
The romantic tutu, a ballet dress in which layers of soft, sheer fabric cascade and move gracefully, were still incredibly popular well into the late 1800s. I have a particularly stunning example in my collection that belonged to one of the famous ballerinas of that era - I will show you it next Tuesday!
A Little Tutu Trivia: Why “Tutu”?
Many people believe the word "tutu" came about due to the noise a dancer's dress made while twirling. In French, this rustling, swishing sound is described as “tutu,” hence the word used for the ballet skirt!
Fashion Trends that Changed the Tutu!
Moving along through the years, it was the early 1900s that witnessed the biggest change to the tutu, inspired by a big shift in fashions at the time. Designers began to experiment with new silhouettes. It was this trend that brought in the iconic *"tutu-plate", and eventually the “knee-length” tutu.
These new styles of tutus, often crafted from luxurious materials like silk or velvet, were cut much shorter, ending either above or just below the knee. This was all in keeping with the fashion trends at the time and became even more fashionable with the iconic flapper dress in the 1920s.
In fact, it's these shorter tutus, as you know, which are seen most commonly on stage in modern ballet performances. They make all that twirling look a whole lot easier and, dare I say, it certainly suits that wonderful grace, agility and dynamism that you can expect in today's performances.
But remember - a tutu's form doesn’t need to stay just like that. There are loads of beautiful different designs around that can showcase the stunning grace and power of ballet! The modern world sees a real celebration of this fabulous piece of dancewear. This little black book also goes into all about it, talking about the costumes from big ballet performances around the world. And to celebrate this change, you'll just have to wait until next Tuesday’s Tutu Tuesday – I'm not going to give you any more hints as it’s such an exciting story.
12th October 2010 – A Very Special Day!
Of course, any time-travel trip to the past has to incorporate the current day's date. You all know that the year 2010 is a very special year - it’s the year of the very famous Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova!
Olga is known worldwide for her elegant technique, expressiveness, and the absolutely brilliant portrayal of her roles in performances such as Swan Lake and Giselle, which are absolutely amazing. She is an incredibly gifted and graceful dancer, so much so that she often looks effortless as she gracefully dances in the most intricate and difficult of roles! It’s fantastic to be back in a year where she's thriving!
The Power of the Tutu!
But my darling readers, do not think that the tutu is only reserved for the professional dancers on stage, no, no, no! It is a symbol of beauty and joy, ready to bring sparkle to your everyday life, like that beautiful, pink ballerina you all see here! A good pink tutu is great to bring an instant mood boost, you can put one on, feel that magical twirl, and all those worries seem to vanish!
Remember, everyone can dance in a tutu – even if you’ve only got two left feet. It is all about celebrating femininity, empowerment and the pure joy of movement. So go on – put one on! I’m giving out free tutu patterns on pink-tutu.com. Come on down and have a little look. And, remember to twirl whenever and wherever you can! Until next Tuesday darlings, Emma!
Your friendly neighbourhood time-travelling pink tutu ballerina
[Your image of Emma in a pink tutu]
