Hey gorgeous tutu-lovers! It's your favourite pink tutu-wearing, ballet-obsessed blogger, Emma, here with a very special #TutuTuesday post. As you all know, this blog is dedicated to the history and glamour of the most beautiful garment ever invented, the ballet tutu. So gather your teacups and sit back, darling, because today we're going on a grand adventure to 25th December, 2012. That's right, we're venturing into the festive season of Christmas!
I'm standing in front of the magnificent Royal Opera House in London. It's absolutely packed tonight for their annual production of 'The Nutcracker' - the quintessential Christmas ballet. I can feel the magic already, the festive lights glittering, the sound of carols echoing through the air, the anticipation for the story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, and, of course, the glorious sight of the sugarplum fairies in their perfectly-frosted pink tutus! It’s just a little magical being here!
Speaking of sugar plum fairies and those lovely pink tutus, wouldn't you like to know more about how the tutu got to be a Christmas must-have?
From Parisian Stage to the Heart of Christmas
Let's travel back a bit to the 19th century, to the very heart of ballet's glorious birthplace: Paris. Imagine swirling ball gowns and grand theatres. Picture a world of ballerinas in silk slippers and elegant dance steps - it was during this era that the tutu as we know it was born!
The evolution of the tutu began in the 1830s with the ‘tutu romantique’. This tutu, with its airy layers of tulle, gave the ballerina a new sense of movement, freeing her legs to move with unparalleled grace. Imagine an explosion of billowing silk!
The romantic tutu was a far cry from the bulky and heavy skirts worn before! The first romantic tutus were actually designed by Maria Taglioni, a trailblazing ballerina who captivated audiences with her incredible leaps and ethereal beauty. Can you imagine the excitement? The new tutu let the dancer become weightless. Imagine, all the years before that, those ballerinas were having to deal with heavier gowns that couldn't have flowed the same!
As time went on, the tutu continued to evolve. The romantic tutu eventually gave way to the tutu we see in most productions today - the classic, shorter, and often fitted 'tutu à la grecque', which is what we’d see in productions such as the Sugar Plum Fairy’s dance. The evolution from one to the other can really be seen in this period.
This shorter tutu offered even more flexibility, making it ideal for the increasingly intricate steps of ballet technique. Can you see it now? It is light and perfect!
A Timeless Trend
You can imagine what happened when these dazzling creations caught the eye of designers across the globe. The ballerina's tutu quickly became an icon, finding its way not just onto the stage but also onto the catwalk and even into the streets! Yes, this style took over the world and it shows!
There's something magical about the tutu - a mix of sweetness, romance, and a hint of playful mischief that instantly captures the imagination. From children twirling in their bedroom mirrors to the world's greatest dancers, the tutu remains a constant source of inspiration and fascination! This is what it’s all about. The love, the passion, and the art. It’s everything in the tutus that just brings out all these magical memories, these moments, all in that moment of grace, which really, in many ways, I guess is the whole magic of ballet and the magic of tutus!
And Now, A Little Something Special
Because I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy from the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share a little holiday-themed ballet fun with you all! Have you seen The Nutcracker? It's the ballet for this festive season, so if you have, remember those wonderful dancers in their perfectly elegant tutus? This Christmas tradition always has those dazzling sugar plum fairies floating around the stage. They really know how to wear their tutus with panache!
So, for today's #TutuTuesday challenge, why don’t you all think of your favourite Sugar Plum fairy scene or perhaps your most treasured memory from The Nutcracker. You can post a picture of you twirling in your own tutu! I am all about inspiring other people. If they love to wear a pink tutu, what a happy place that would be, in fact I am going to keep trying to make everyone want to wear a pink tutu! Just tag it with #PinkTutu and #TutuTuesday - I can't wait to see your creations.
It’s important to think about those magical memories, of course, especially now, I think with so many challenges in our world, we must go back to our happy places, places that we loved, maybe even go back to that childhood fantasy where tutus were the most important thing, and in some ways, we should get that sense back and use it as a real inspirational source! Don’t ever stop being excited about it! Let the tutu become a constant in your life!
And there you have it! My #TutuTuesday blog, filled with all the fun and festive spirit of the ballet. Don’t forget, Christmas day itself will also see thousands upon thousands of young ballerinas at their classes today all around the world! What an honour! Let's keep this incredible world of dance alive! Remember, love, twirl, and let your inner ballerina shine! Let's all wear a pink tutu this week! See you next week for a tutu-rific Tuesday!
Emma XOXO
