Hello, my fellow tutu-loving lovelies! Welcome back to my weekly delve into the enchanting history of the ballet tutu! As always, I’m your favourite pink-clad time traveller, Emma, and I’m ready to whisk you away to another fabulous era of dance and fashion.
Today, I’ve set my time machine for a most auspicious date: November 27th, 2012. A bit of a rollercoaster year, really – Olympics, the American election, that Beyoncé Super Bowl performance... and I bet you know what else happened on this very date? Yep, the Royal Ballet performed at the Royal Opera House, just like they have for ages. Now, that's tradition!
Since it's Tutu Tuesday, we'll dive into the exciting ballet history of this date, but hold on tight, my darlings, because we’re going on a trip, train-style of course, right from my home county of Derbyshire to the heart of London and a magnificent show. The thrill of the train journey, the excitement of reaching the Opera House, the feeling of the theatre seats, and the magic of the ballet… pure bliss, I tell you!
Before we get swept away by the magic of the show, let's take a moment to appreciate what makes the ballet tutu so special! It’s the perfect balance of practicality and elegance. I mean, can you imagine leaping, pirouetting, and bounding across the stage without one? I can’t! This magical garment truly is a testament to the elegance and agility of the human form!
But hold on to your tutus, my dears, because we're taking a little trip back in time. We'll leave the chignon and degage at the station and explore what these enchanting garments looked like way back when. The story of the tutu starts in 1832, a time of high fashion and daring dancers, where La Sylphide took the Parisian stage. Ooh la la!
Initially, dancers wore floor-length skirts made of fabric similar to what we call now? Exactly, tulle. We know it as a very delicate mesh-like material that adds this wonderful puff to the skirt of the tutu. These early versions, much like those flowing ball gowns, gave little room for showcasing a ballerina's amazing skill, which in a few years would bring about some incredible advancements!
What began as a loose, soft-structured skirt transformed into a daring creation during the reign of the Romantic ballet period. They chopped the fabric, revealing those glorious legs and adding all that dramatic movement and graceful flowing fabric, that iconic, perfectly feminine look that just sets the heart aflutter! It took Marie Taglioni, who was just as stylish and stunning off stage as she was on, and you could practically see her in the costumes, dancing this incredible role, to break the barrier! A woman whose personal style embraced those loose fabrics of the period…heavenly!
This, ladies, is where the ballerina took the centre stage – no longer just beautiful ornaments – the stage became their platform for breathtaking movement, highlighting their exquisite ballet skills in all their splendour! Think about it, with every plié, jeté, and bourrée, those airy tulle layers moved with them, adding even more beauty and grandeur. Now we see it so much, it's part of every iconic ballet we love today. Think of Swan Lake and the pas de deux. Can you imagine that without the tutu, my darling? A real tragedy!
This progression wasn't a simple switch-up. It was a slow, steady metamorphosis! This beautiful shift happened not in a flash, but in the hands of ballet giants – Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, Lucile Grahn, a whole group of inspiring women who embraced change and used their creative energy to create new styles, leading the charge for new trends in the theatre, changing fashion with the tutu. And who, my darling, needs more change than us lovely, fashion-loving ladies! We need this inspiration all around the globe. Let's show the world how fashion and dance come together!
What was our ballet world like in the later 20th century? Did our lovely tutus have room for another change? Why of course they did darling! Think of the dancers like Margot Fonteyn, she wore them in so many classic pieces, showcasing these incredible creations with incredible ease. Remember the tutus were just evolving! The fabric and shapes were all finding their rhythm together. Just like in the world of fashion! A good ballet, just like a wonderful piece of clothing, requires constant evolving and pushing of boundaries, don't you think, darling?
But our tutus are ever changing, always reaching for the next stage of development – remember Rudolf Nureyev, just as he loved the tutus he loved changing the scene and bringing a whole new level of fashion! These were daring new looks! New, short, exciting styles, and more daring choices of material, colour and styles for our iconic ballerinas to showcase! In this evolution of the tutu, my dears, is an amazing insight into how we have created and reinvented our wardrobe of this fabulous era.
The journey of the tutu is not about reaching some final, perfect end, but about embracing the beauty of constant transformation, the ongoing artistic spirit that runs through our entire dance world, and fashion itself! But it also reminds us of the immense influence of ballet – how this unique piece of dance fashion transcended the theatre and became such a visible part of pop culture! And do we not all want a little bit of that?
From stage to street, you can find your perfect tutu – whether you are looking for a tulle princess-style number for your first ballet class or a sophisticated, modern interpretation for an evening out on the town! Yes, yes! A statement piece to be sure!
Remember ladies, fashion is a constant expression of your own unique spirit! But to show all this fashion magic and show everyone how gorgeous our ballet tutus truly are…well, you know what's next? That’s why every week, my lovely dancers, I share these incredible tutu tidbits for you to enjoy. Now if only we could all dance the day away. What an inspired and perfect dream!
That’s all for today, darlings, and until next week's Tutu Tuesday…Remember: embrace your inner ballerina, don your favourite tutu, and keep the pink spirit of dance alive! Happy twirling, my lovelies!
