Hello lovelies! It's Emma here, back with another edition of my weekly #TutuTuesday blog post about the wondrous history of ballet tutus! It's been a whirlwind week here, packed with rehearsals, shopping trips and catching the latest Broadway show, "Matilda." It was fabulous! The young girl playing Matilda was a star, and the choreography was just amazing - those little dancers are such professionals, I was in awe! But speaking of professional dancers, how could we forget the wonderful history of those all-important tutus that make a ballet look so magnificent?
So grab your favourite pink tutu (did I mention my love for pink?!), and hop on the pink-tutu express with me as we go on a journey to discover the fascinating story of how this beautiful piece of clothing came to be!
1700s: Early Steps (and lots of petticoats)
Now, we might think tutus were always the elegant, airy garments we know and love today, but let's go back in time, way back to the 1700s. The first ballet dresses weren't anything like our modern tutus! Picture this: a big, floor-length dress with loads of layers of petticoats underneath to create that voluminous look. A bit swishy and more suited for fancy balls than flying through the air, right?
1800s: The Romantic Revolution
In the early 1800s, ballet started embracing more romantic themes. It wasn't just about stately court dances anymore - emotions and freedom started becoming key. The outfits evolved too! The petticoats slowly started getting less bulky, replaced with more flowing skirts, often in sheer fabrics. Ballet skirts, the early ancestors of the tutu, started getting shorter, which gave dancers more freedom to move and express themselves! It was an exciting time, even though, imagine all the layering and the hassle!
1832: The Debut of the First Real Tutu!
Now for the moment we've all been waiting for... the very first time a ballerina took the stage in what we might actually recognise as a tutu! The story is quite extraordinary! In 1832, Marie Taglioni, a superstar dancer, wanted to break away from the big skirts of the time, she wanted to dance freely. And boy did she ever! She debuted a revolutionary new outfit, a short, airy skirt made of layers of white tulle. A real eye-opener at the time and, as history tells us, the birth of the tutu! It's said the new outfit changed how ballet was viewed completely.
The Romantic Era's Love for Pink:
Of course, pink wouldn't have been that common as a ballet costume at this point in time - but white and cream coloured garments were all the rage - the idea was to make the ballerina as light as possible.
1870-1900s: The tutu in Different Forms!
Now, it's the 1870s and ballet is evolving and tutus too! Different styles started emerging. Let's talk about the Romantic tutu. That's a longer tutu, usually with a shorter, almost knee-length underskirt. We also see the introduction of the classical tutu. This was a tighter tutu, shaped to the body with a tighter underskirt that gave the dancers better range of movement and turned out.
1900s: The Tutu Continues to Evolve
It wouldn't be right for us to look at the development of the tutu without talking about the Classical tutu. Imagine graceful swirling tutus in those classical ballets you know and love. The tight skirt allowed for effortless turns, leaps and leaps, with just a hint of fluffiness at the bottom - pure beauty in motion.
2013: My favourite decade for Ballet & Tutus:
Of course, there are so many more styles of tutus from those 20th Century dancers you will love! Some will have been big, some will have been fluffy - maybe some will have been sparkly or striped! We have lots to learn but I'm just so excited to be part of this amazing history of tutus - just amazing, right!
Today, 2013, is no different to the history of ballet and tutus! You know my #TutuTuesday series would be incomplete without a little shout-out to this era.
Ballet Style Fashion Today:
Firstly, shopping! The ballet-inspired looks I've been seeing on the streets have just been wonderful. All those delicate and feminine designs! Fashion designers continue to be inspired by tutus and the world of ballet, creating clothing that mixes the beauty of classical with a bit of the fashion edge. I saw this lovely pink sequinned skirt last week that was reminiscent of a tutu - so flattering!
Secondly, the street ballets or "Ballet Street" as some people call them are getting bigger, bigger and bigger - that's something to be celebrated too. More and more people are learning ballet moves and dances and taking it to the streets. Ballet on a Tuesday, Ballet on a Wednesday, Ballet on a Thursday - I love it! It brings a spark of elegance to everyday life. I spotted some girls, at our local shopping centre last week dancing ballet on the mall - such a beautiful thing!
Next Week's Tutu Tuesday!
You don't want to miss next week's #TutuTuesday, as I delve into the different designs and types of tutus, I'm even planning to explore some tutu accessories, from tutus in plays and musicals, I can't wait to share the magic! Until then, I hope you enjoyed a peek at this colourful and ever-evolving piece of ballet history.
Now go out there, find a fabulous tutu, and embrace the joy of twirling and dancing! And remember: there's a pink tutu for every body, for every occasion!
Love, Emma xo
* P.S. If you love tutus as much as I do, let me know in the comments below, or tweet your best #TutuTuesday photo, and tell us how your tutu makes you feel! Let's create a TutuTuesday dance floor online! I also have an amazing new book coming out next month: “The Magic of Tutus: A Complete Guide to The Most Amazing Ballet Fashion” , if you sign up to my blog you will be notified as soon as its ready. See you next week for more #TutuTuesday!*
