Greetings, fellow tutu enthusiasts! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood tutu advocate and time-travelling ballerina. Today's Tutu Tuesday takes us back to the enchanting realm of December 3rd, 2013! I'm picturing a crisp winter morning in London, a city where tutus are definitely not just for the stage. Weâre off on a time travel adventure and on the agenda today, the history of ballet tutus!
First of all, have you heard of the fantastic London Contemporary Ballet? I am obsessed. They always seem to push the boundaries, creating contemporary ballet in unique settings, using light, music and projection in incredible ways. It is such a joy to witness such innovation in my beloved art form. And did you know they are performing The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky's masterpiece, this very day in 2013! This iconic work has become a cultural touchstone and it is certainly a powerful piece to see in the theatre. I absolutely love how contemporary ballet keeps the spirit of classical ballet alive, whilst pushing the envelope and exploring fresh perspectives. It really does keep things exciting! Speaking of exciting, lets journey into tutu history, shall we?
A Whirlwind Through Tutu Time
My favourite time-travelling tutu-wearing adventure started way back in the 16th century, believe it or not! I popped along to the French court where Queen Catherine de' Medici was a massive fan of dancing, you know, as a royal in the court of France should be! This was the age of the Courtly Dance where tutus didn't quite exist! However, there were lots of gorgeous gowns with a flowing, long skirt and lots of swirling and elegant moves. Did you know that, in those days, tutus were really all about keeping your legs warm? I know, how terribly practical. They would wear a fitted top, called a corset - ouch! Imagine squeezing into one of those every day - paired with a billowing skirt with a full, almost billowing shape. You could easily twirl for hours!
The 18th century was the age of the frock-coat, a longer coat that you still see some male dancers wear in some productions. I saw a show in Paris recently that featured dancers in those coats and they were spectacular. The ladies still had long skirts. These dresses would have gone through transformations as time progressed - starting out full, and then slimming and slimming as the years went by, but keeping their elegance and grace. I loved how everyone danced together, with elegant gestures, and everyone really looked their very best. Think "La Sylphide" or the iconic costumes from "Swan Lake" (not Swan Lake yet, it came much later!) These would have been beautiful dresses with big, billowing, swirling skirts - very much the precursors to tutus! The frock coat might not be that chic for an evening out but you would be quite warm, although perhaps not comfortable on the London tube - it is quite a trip in the time machine if you ask me!
The First Tutu, The First Tights and Ballet Dancing on Pointe
Fast forward to the 19th century. A big hurrah for Marie Taglioni a true heroine! It was in the 1830s that this lovely dancer shocked everyone. She dared to change the fashion and ballet went through a major transformation! In fact, I wouldnât be wearing a pink tutu at all today if she hadnât come up with such a revolutionary design. She appeared on stage wearing an incredible design! It was short! Imagine it, everyone wore long skirts up until then and she appeared in something new that came above her knee and was quite superfluous. And get this - it was lightweight! Marie could move with grace, ease and so much energy. It allowed her to do things no other dancers could do, leaps, swivels and piquĂ© turns! She became famous worldwide for her skill and elegance. I bet you want to see what she wore right? The term âtutuâ (tutĂč in French) came later, but thatâs exactly what she was wearing. This tutu became the romantique ballet style, that everyone remembers from Swan Lake, for example. Itâs a truly iconic and stunning costume and it just revolutionized the ballet world. It was about showing off the dancer's beauty, especially her lines and her grace. Imagine that â a completely revolutionary ballet skirt designed by an icon. Talk about female empowerment and inspiring others to stand out and do something brave! She certainly stood up to her male teachers and defied conventional fashion and the way people had always dressed.
It is around this time that we can say the ballet tights, with their soft and graceful drape, were truly introduced. I think we all appreciate the wonder of tights these days. It really did create a very sophisticated look, but remember the first tight materials were not quite as smooth as we have today! The ballet footwear, that is so iconic and recognisable, would evolve alongside these trends. With these advancements we could move in a way no other dancers before us could have even imagined, especially the wonderful dancing on pointe we are so used to seeing in performances today! You would have to be as flexible and powerful as an eagle to be able to execute the kinds of incredible ballet movements and swirls that became possible with these new designs!
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Whatâs on your Tutu wish list for the rest of 2013? *
*Donât forget to look out for more inspiring Ballet Tutu History posts on the www.pink-tutu.com website! I will be back next Tuesday with more of my time travel tutu history tales! #TutuTuesday #BalletTutuHistory #EmmaTutuTime
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