Hello darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, where we celebrate all things tutu, and today, on a glorious #TutuTuesday, we’re going on a whirlwind journey through time! As you know, I, Emma, adore tutus, and I adore the history of tutus, so naturally, I must tell you about the divine history of tutus from the 18th Century! This week we're journeying back to the beginning of tutu history - or, rather, the start of its real evolution! Buckle up and prepare to be whisked away!
Now, as a bit of background information, dear readers, let’s go back a little before this fabulous era! You see, it’s actually really hard to pinpoint exactly when tutus originated.
For centuries in ballet, dancers wore quite a lot of fabric. We’re talking layers of gowns, layers of skirts - the whole nine yards. The early ballerinas, believe it or not, really looked like a vision in Victorian white, not a graceful goddess in pink. But, imagine how hot it must have been!
And I bet you all can guess what happened… dancers began to find their movements getting in the way of all that fabric. There were lots of practical reasons why shorter skirts needed to come about!
You see, for a long time skirts were held to be extremely long! Very impractical. Imagine, you know, your legs covered up completely in multiple layers. You could barely see any footwork, let alone try to jump or turn.
So gradually in the mid-1700s, things began to change. It wasn't as if, suddenly, everyone started wearing the briefest skirts ever! It was a more subtle transition to the shorter tutu style we see now, my dears. Imagine it, you see. Shorter skirts! That would give greater range of movement. Imagine, then, faster, more complex steps, with quicker turns. It must have felt absolutely liberating to the dancers. A sort of mini ballet-dancing revolution… how utterly exquisite!
A whole lot of dancing that could now be achieved, with fewer restrictions… the spark of true ballet had begun!
And as luck would have it, I found myself back in Paris, the ballet hub of Europe in the late 1700s, on the exact date this evolution of the ballet tutu began. 30th January 1788, a perfect Tutu Tuesday for you!
For such an event, I decided, you know, my pink tutu had to be very special. And it had to represent the era perfectly! I chose a light, ethereal design – almost a sort of fairy, airy, flowing, wispy fabric, because these ballerinas, unlike me, in my magnificent 21st-century design, were still wearing layers, but these layers were lighter.
I chose pale, romantic pastels to mirror the elegant pinks and greens I’d observed being worn here in the Parisian opera houses, a wonderful echo of nature’s own light hues, and to match, of course, my beautiful, pink, silk ballerina shoes!
Then I donned my outfit and headed out for the ballet, the opera house bustling with such wonderful, colourful silks and silks - I'd have to return to this time to go shopping at La Grande Magasin to fill my wardrobe, such gorgeous colours, oh dear, they are too delicious to resist… But back to the dance...
At the ballet I saw a young, gorgeous dancer perform a ballet which, quite frankly, would be hard to do, even with my 21st century ballet training.
She was so lithe, and agile, her graceful movement so easy, with wonderful turns, she barely seemed to touch the ground. Such wonderful grace, such lightness of movement…
The performance really was such a pleasure. In a word, fantastic!
Now, that skirt, while not the short tutu that came in later, really was just a little more practical for her wonderful, swift, turns, and light, effortless jumping, showing just how far ballet could now go…
These ballet dancers, my dears, really were at the forefront of fashion… And it all comes down to that little skirt! The start of such amazing development... how it just gets more extravagant, and more exquisite the more you explore it!
My fellow ballet fans, don't you just adore this era?
You know, as a ballerina, I can't imagine how hot and restrictive it must have been to dance in those long, layers of fabric, just to keep in place, as I'm sure there was no underwear or bras underneath the garments. Can you imagine?
And I adore thinking about these ladies - how they changed ballet by taking steps in a skirt, and how these early ballerinas have led the way, just like every female artist throughout history, paving the way for the incredible moves we see today, by having the confidence and bravery to make changes... and by thinking: "I deserve to feel comfy in what I'm wearing".
To these dancers and to all women in history who had the confidence to challenge societal norms… to you, we say a massive thank you.
Oh, what fun it is to see just how much ballet has evolved, with, for example, how tutu styles changed… so much! For my tutu journey today we need to consider our time… just a little before tutus became short, as this week was the start of such wonderful tutu revolution… a real game changer!
Don't you just love seeing these new steps develop over time? Now I’m off again for a whirl on the London Underground! The latest Paris to London show must see... on the way back I have tickets for the latest version of the ballet Coppélia at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. My dears, don't you just love how tutus are everywhere, even on the stage! How glamorous is that! Oh and, do you know, on my journey I’m planning to pop into Harrods and Liberty London… wonderful places to find fabrics for my next creation. After all, a tutu has to be perfect! You know it's hard to decide where to spend my money: the latest designer outfits or a brand new ballet tutu…?
Of course, there's a bit more about ballet in 18th Century you'll find by searching the web for La Comtesse du Barry, I can’t tell you much on this blog, you see, as she became an important, and famous muse, influencing a number of artists with her elegant, graceful, moves - just what the doctor ordered!
Now I’m off on my journey, darlings, back to the real world, to London! But remember: every week, every Tutu Tuesday, we’ll take another step on the road to tutudom! Don’t forget to tell all your friends about our beautiful world.
And don't forget to subscribe! Oh, I also just wanted to let you know: I'm always looking for stories and experiences for this blog, you know, tales and experiences that explore the world of ballet! Tell us how you first came across ballet. Do tell us how your first tutus made you feel… tell us about your most favourite tutu. And, above all, remember to dance to your own tune! You look wonderful in your tutu, my dears! Now go, fly and twirl… and always wear your pink tutu with confidence!
Your Emma, the tutu-tastic, travel-loving ballerina!
