#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2017-12-19

Hello lovelies!

It’s your favourite pink tutu-clad time traveller, Emma, back again for another whirlwind adventure into the world of dance! I'm so excited to be here in…oh my, let me check my time-travel tracker…it’s 19th December 2017, a wonderful date filled with the magic of Christmas cheer and twinkling lights! Today, we’re taking a twirl back in time to delve into the history of the ballet tutu, the iconic symbol of grace and artistry that captures hearts all over the world.

So grab your tea, your favourite ballerina bun, and a sparkly pink tutu (it's a must-have for every time traveller, darling!) and get ready to learn all about the enchanting story of this magnificent garment!

Tutus haven’t always been the billowing, whimsical pieces we know and love today! The origins of the tutu go back to the 1800s, during the Romantic Era in ballet. Imagine dancers wearing long, restrictive dresses, just as graceful and beautiful, but in these massive gowns, movement was pretty challenging!

Enter the ballerina Marie Taglioni, a pioneer who changed the game! She had the groundbreaking idea of shortening the skirt, allowing her to express herself freely on stage. Imagine that! A dancer who could really move!

And what was the result of this daring idea? Well, it was a game-changer, darlings! The public went wild for her lightness and grace and it's here where the 'tutu' was really born. The shortened skirts were originally known as “tulle” – named after the sheer, lightweight fabric that they were made from – and the name eventually evolved to “tutu,” becoming an icon in its own right.

*Fashion fact: * The first tutus were designed in the 1830s by the fashion designer, Carl Friedrich, and had to have something known as 'crinoline' or wire frame, inserted into the fabric to hold them in place. Oh, my, it sounds awfully cumbersome for the dancer to have to manage that during the performance!

The romantic period gave us beautiful, dramatic, romantic ballets with tragic tales like 'Giselle' and it set the fashion for tutus for many years to come, as well as helping to move ballet in a totally different direction.

Fancy Fact: It is believed that Taglioni wore the very first ‘tutu’ when she danced in a production called ‘La Sylphide,’ which, my darlings, was a major ballet sensation! If I could, I'd travel back in time to see her perform this dance! You can find pictures of Taglioni wearing her tutu at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Fast forward a few years to the late 19th century and ballet embraced a new movement called 'neoclassicism' with a big emphasis on technical skill and ...a shorter skirt!

The tutu underwent its next dramatic transformation: the introduction of the "knee-length tutu," which would allow ballerinas even greater freedom of movement. Imagine all that artistry and the elegance that these new tutus allowed!

This era also saw a further evolution of the tutu’s silhouette: the introduction of ‘the pancake tutu.’ The pancake tutu was all about highlighting a dancer’s shape, by focusing on layers of stiffened tulle. I mean, think of the impact, and the ability of the dancer to execute these amazing jumps, leaps and spins – so impressive.

*Fashion Tip: * This era gave us iconic tutus like the one seen in ‘The Nutcracker,’ the one Tchaikovsky dedicated his famous work of genius to! If you see this ballet, take note of Clara’s famous pink tutu - just beautiful. (By the way, a trip to a Nutcracker performance in December is a must-have, especially during the festive season – don’t forget your own pink tutu when you attend!)

The "Romantic Tutu", so beautiful and evocative of the time is one of my favourites, however the ‘pancake tutu’ allowed for all the beautiful turns and intricate choreography to take centre stage, truly making the dancer a visual storyteller. This era of ballet, a little later than 1800, really moved into the classical, neoclassical era of what we now know and love and is definitely an iconic style and I think is definitely a reason why ballet still stands strong today as the supreme dance art form.

It wasn’t all just classical ballet styles for these amazing little frocks. Throughout the 20th century, designers explored new materials, colours and shapes, creating tutus for contemporary ballets that pushed boundaries and expressed artistic individuality!

The 1900’s really started to experiment, with the 'romantic tutus' becoming more modern and sophisticated! The tutus used fabric with lighter colours and lighter tulle and many designers added embellishments like flowers and jewels. In ballet schools and academies this era was very focused on the strength, and technique and grace that could be achieved in such short skirts.

Fashion fact: We now saw ballet as a visual art in a new way and designs for tutus for every dance were sought after with tutus coming in different shapes, materials and styles, especially from Russia. These were made in different colours including light pink, black and bright white. You see this in the wonderful designs we have in ballet performances now – very sophisticated and the iconic styles we all now recognise in modern dance!

The 1960s and 70s brought forth the 'long tutu,' the opposite of the ‘pancake tutu’ and a revolutionary way of presenting the art. There were even ballets, like “Giselle,” the original romantic tutu style ballet, that were being restaged and set in the 1970’s with a more contemporary take, the choreographer using a mix of the ‘romantic’ and the ‘modern tutu,’ blending both to incredible effect.

Fashion fact: I loved this era, but as far as I’m concerned it's not always all about the tutu and this era definitely taught me the artistry and brilliance of the choreographers who created these groundbreaking styles! As you'll know, my passion for this world is deep. Not only tutus! Ballet is much more! It's about the story, the music and of course, the choreography!

And here we are, today, in the 21st century! Tutues continue to evolve and take us on thrilling adventures through artistic expressions of ballet. We see this new creativity with stunning materials, colours and silhouettes as designers push creative boundaries and take inspiration from modern fashion trends – it's all happening right here, right now in 2017! It’s certainly been a wild and wonderful ride through time!

Oh, what adventures we’ve had together, learning about the magic and history of the tutu! The history of tutus is fascinating. And it’s truly incredible how they’ve transformed over the years, becoming such an iconic symbol of ballet.

We should celebrate all that the tutu is – a statement of strength, beauty and movement and, of course, that magnificent symbol of ballet! But I must admit, a beautiful pink tutu is my favourite…that little girl’s dream of a pink tutu that you want to put on every day of your life! As you know my aim in life is for everyone to wear one - for at least one day! It's just the most amazing fashion garment that will make you feel fabulous. We may not be in the 1800s, or 1960s, but that gorgeous pink tulle, with the delicate layers is all still beautiful to me – and forever an emblem of creativity, grace and elegance.

I love tutus of every shape and colour but a pink tutu… well, darling… nothing quite says ‘let's dance' like a bright, cheerful, eye-catching pink one.

P.S. You’re definitely going to want to take a trip to see a ballet show soon! After this blog, I’m off to Covent Garden, darling, for a trip to see ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ It’s going to be spectacular! I hear the ballerina Aurora is wearing a fabulous pink tutu – I just know I will love it.

Until next time, dear readers, stay fabulous and may your lives be filled with pirouettes and the enchantment of dance! Keep your tutu dreams alive!

Yours always in pink,

Emma x

P.P.S Don't forget to follow me on all your favourite platforms, and I love to see your #TutuTuesday posts. Don’t forget to send in your photos of you and your pink tutus to @Pink-Tutu, I’m sure to re-tweet you and all my lovely readers can see!