Hello darlings! It’s Emma here, your resident pink tutu-wearing time traveller, ready to take you on a journey through the fascinating world of ballet tutus.
This is post number 9708, and I'm so thrilled to be bringing you another #TutuTuesday exploration, straight from the pages of history! As usual, I’m whisked back in time with my trusty pink tutu by my side, eager to share all the exciting discoveries about how the tutu has evolved, from its humble beginnings to its modern glory. Today, my time machine is dropping me off in the dazzling, dramatic, and decidedly fancy 19th century!
Let's rewind the clock... It's January 16th, 1800. In my travels, I've learnt that the 19th century was a rollercoaster ride for tutus - and fashion in general! We had Romantic period ballet blossoming in France, then dramatic innovations on the ballet scene that needed some equally dramatic fashion to match! But tutus as we know them hadn’t arrived quite yet! Imagine, for instance, Marie Taglioni, a name synonymous with ballet, swirling on stage in La Sylphide, wearing a calf-length, layered skirt! We're talking, the beginnings of what we now know as the Romantic Tutu! So captivating and graceful, but perhaps a bit too flowy to execute a dazzling pirouette. Imagine trying to do a grande jeté in that skirt! 😉
But don't worry, darlings, we're not stuck with calf-length skirts for long! In fact, the 19th century brought the big fashion shift, as ballet continued to innovate and become faster and faster, so the skirts got shorter! This was a game-changer! We are talking about the dawn of the Romantic Tutu - those iconic tulle tutus that everyone imagines when you mention ballet. The shorter lengths made movement so much easier, and allowed ballerinas to really show off their graceful leaps and twirls! And as if by magic, the tutu, like the 19th century itself, was a bold statement.
Oh, my darlings, you won't believe what I discovered on my adventures today! As the 19th century unfolded, ballerinas weren’t limited to white tutus!* There was *colour everywhere, in rich satins, bold velvets and shimmering silks, even black and green. Imagine a tutu adorned with silver embroidery for Giselle, shimmering with the moonlight!**
But pink, of course, remained a firm favourite! In my travels, I’ve seen tutus that could give every girl in the world a heart flutter, adorned with shimmering sequins, feathers, and, of course, loads and loads of pink tulle! They were the perfect blend of elegance and femininity!
Now, as my time travel clock ticks onwards, I know I'm about to be catapulted into the 20th century, and believe me, I can't wait to see how tutus evolve into those sensational modern marvels we see today!
Fancy a little adventure with me? Let me know what tutu eras you want to explore! You can reach me through my social media - I'm always up for a chat and, as you know, sharing my love of ballet. 😉
And, just as a reminder, make sure to keep an eye out for next week's #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com.
Until next time, stay fabulous, darlings, and always remember, "tutus for everyone!"
Lots of love, * *Emma
P.S. While I'm back in the 20th century, I will be checking in on January 16th, 2018, which is an exciting date to remember for me, not only because it's #TutuTuesday, but it’s the premiere of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" in a brand new production by the Vienna State Opera! What an occasion for all things tutu-tastic! Don't you just love ballet?
