Hello lovelies! It’s Emma here, back for another #TutuTuesday blog post. I'm still on my mission to get the whole world wearing pink tutus and I can’t believe that today marks my 9735th blog post. That’s 9,735 weeks, 200 years! Time sure does fly when you're having fun!
So, for this week's #TutuTuesday, I thought we’d take a look back at the glorious history of the tutu. It’s the quintessential symbol of ballet, a work of art in itself, and a beautiful piece of fashion history. What would ballet be without them? And honestly, wouldn’t the world be a duller place?
I'm feeling so inspired today. It's a glorious summer’s day here in the heart of London, and I just arrived from the beautiful Royal Opera House where I saw a fabulous production of "The Sleeping Beauty." Absolutely stunning! Afterwards, I shopped till I dropped in Covent Garden. You'll never guess what I found! A pair of absolutely divine, blush pink ballet flats - they just screamed "Emma!"
As I often do, my time machine, which you might remember is a rather magnificent, custom-built train, arrived this morning to transport me from a visit with my granny in Derbyshire. I’m enjoying visiting her while I can because, although she’s getting quite frail, she has some lovely vintage tutus that I'm thinking of bringing along with me to some upcoming performances. Granny was such a passionate ballet dancer back in her day that she even joined a dancing academy, and actually won a medal at one of their dance competitions!
Before I get too distracted though, back to the history of the tutu. There's so much to explore and it’s all just as exciting as I first found it. Let's dive in.
Early Beginnings - Where did the Tutu Come From?
The history of the tutu is almost as intricate and delightful as a balletic arabesque. Let's journey back to the romantic ballet era in the early 19th century.
Imagine it: a graceful dancer wearing flowing, long, wide skirts and layers of silk. While certainly beautiful, this clothing, sometimes reaching to the ankles, made movement restrictive and limited what the ballerinas could achieve in their dancing.
And then…a change came. With the introduction of the romantic style of ballet, the skirts began to shrink! Slowly at first. More dramatic steps started to appear and, as if by magic, the tutu evolved, as did ballet itself. That romantic style led to the invention of the tutu, an airy and lighter-than-air masterpiece of a skirt! This made a big difference. It finally gave ballerinas the freedom of movement that would become synonymous with ballet as we know it today. A turning point for ballet? Most definitely. A true revolution in the world of fashion and dance.
The tutu truly blossomed, if you’ll pardon the pun, with the incredible Marie Taglioni, considered to be one of the great ballet dancers of all time. You probably won't be surprised to know, given how much I love them, that it was Marie Taglioni who was among the first to embrace the tutu - although back then it was more of a shorter version of a traditional long skirt. It’s also worth remembering that it took time for this style to become mainstream! The transition was quite gradual. And by gradual I mean almost fifty years passed before it began to look like what we'd recognise as a modern ballet tutu. That time around 1850 marks a turning point in tutu history - a transition that we could now call a revolutionary evolution.
As you might guess, from that point onwards, the tutu became the standard choice for all ballerina dancers and it became a vital part of their attire. From that moment in time, you can see a vast range of variation, both in their length and style, including, what became very popular at the end of the 19th Century - the tutu as we know it today - a super, duper short tutu made of multiple layers of tulle (so fluffy, airy and beautiful!). It was a masterpiece in the evolution of the tutu.
The Romantic Style of the Tutu - A Look at the Different Styles
There’s a certain charm to the shorter styles that you can see in the romantic ballets such as Giselle or La Sylphide. A delicate combination of white tulle and lace, often accompanied by a long and flowing, layered skirt, it is, for me, simply an irresistible vision of femininity and romanticism. I love that it emphasizes gracefulness.
A good romantic tutu will float about in the most magical, ethereal way. The way it billows around the dancer, swirling and circling, creates an image of the most exquisite ballerina. It also allows for graceful steps that wouldn't be possible if she had more material attached to her limbs.
One of the key components of the romantic tutu is a layered petticoat underneath to support and shape it all. The idea is that a combination of layers of tulle, a silk fabric for smoothness, and that inner structure give a rounded silhouette that appears, and truly is, incredibly light! The petticoat and structure allow for the graceful floaty appearance while still creating the illusion of a more romantic, traditional style of the skirt. Quite an innovative approach that actually makes the tutu even more elegant!
The Classic Tutu - Still My Favourite
While I love those graceful and beautiful romantic tutus, I can’t help but think my ultimate tutu preference is still the classic tutu. In my view, this is what ballet is all about. And if you’ve never seen it in the flesh - and I do mean the flesh! The ballet dancers look like they are actually wearing the tutu because it's a very short, tight-fitting version of the romantic tutu. It makes the whole body appear graceful.
One of the amazing things about the classic tutu is how it makes the dance so much more visually interesting. I am always completely captivated when watching the ballerina spin or jump. Every movement, whether she’s gracefully balancing, or soaring through the air, appears magical because the classic tutu has the potential to emphasise and make the movement so beautiful!
I often get asked what a classic tutu is, and the way to really understand it, as opposed to the romantic style, is to simply imagine that all those layers of the tulle fabric of the romantic tutu are completely condensed. Imagine how the movement is also compacted into a much tighter design and you'll get a good sense of it. Of course, you can actually watch a ballet, which is really the best way!
A classic tutu is about elegance. There are fewer layers and the volume of tulle is far reduced - usually by about half, though they're still super puffy - and that all makes for such amazing visual drama when a dancer moves on stage.
So many talented designers have worked hard to refine the construction of classic tutus. As I've mentioned previously, we owe a great deal to dancers such as Taglioni who pioneered the first movements, as well as the fashion, and also, we need to recognise the work of Marius Petipa. You’ll find a lot of his creations use the classic tutu design in ballets like Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker!
The Tutu: A Powerful Visual
What is the real essence of the tutu? I think what really grabs me is its sheer elegance and its beautiful simplicity - even if that simplicity belies years of complex construction, which it actually is! I don’t think anything else could quite replicate this power!
It can represent grace and poise and is the true emblem of beauty that we see in ballet. I’m not surprised that its timeless elegance still inspires both dancers and audience alike today! I don't think the appeal will ever really change - it's truly something special, something magical.
If you love the tutu as much as I do, I'd be absolutely thrilled if you could share your thoughts about this week’s blog post! Head over to our Pink-Tutu website to comment - your opinion always makes me so happy! Let’s keep that pink tutu spirit alive!
