Hello my lovely tutu-loving friends! Itâs Emma here, back again for another #TutuTuesday adventure, and guess what? This week, weâre hopping on the time-traveling express (which, of course, has a plush pink carriage and enough sequins to dazzle the eyes of a thousand fairies) and weâre going on a grand tour of the history of the ballet tutu! Buckle up, my dears, itâs going to be a whirl!
The Tutu: A Time-Traveling Fashion Staple
First things first, letâs chat about where weâre starting. You know, for a blog post like this, you really canât go wrong with Paris, can you? The city of lights, the cradle of romance, and the epicentre of dance history â Iâve got to say, Paris just feels right. But before we start reminiscing, letâs remember where we are â Tuesday, October 30th, 2018! What are you wearing today, darlings? Are you embracing your inner ballerina with a fabulous tulle number? I hope so, because todayâs our day to shine!
Speaking of shine, I actually stumbled across the most interesting event today: an exhibit dedicated to the tutuâs evolution! Imagine: rooms and rooms overflowing with fluffy, colourful, ethereal gowns â itâs a tutu loverâs paradise.
From Humble Beginnings to Elegant Whirlwind
Now, letâs travel back a little, to the beginning. We all know that ballet began with simple steps and elegant gestures, a form of storytelling without words. In the 1500s, dancing was still quite cumbersome â layers of luxurious fabrics swished and rustled. Think Elizabethan times with those beautiful voluminous skirts and gowns. But as ballet grew, the dancers wanted more freedom of movement, to be able to pirouette and jump with ease!
The Tutu Gets Shorter (and Shorter!)
Itâs almost like they realised that dancing became much more fluid the less fabric was involved. Enter the first attempts at the tutu! Itâs fascinating to imagine â long, trailing skirts getting shorter and shorter with each generation. A little bit of leg revealed, then a bit more! This transition was all about revealing the lines of the body, showcasing the grace of the dance, and highlighting those lovely long limbs.
Then we reach the Romantic era, which you could call the âgolden ageâ of ballet â a time of fantastical fairy tales, ethereal beings, and romantic storylines, perfectly embodied by the ethereal ballerina! By now, the tutu has transformed into a beautiful short skirt, almost like a little cloud â that iconic tutu, which remains the symbol of ballet. Weâre talking classic romantic tutus like the famous "Giselle", which are perfect for pirouette practice and leaps. Imagine this tutu floating in the air! The romantic tutus were even more about showcasing graceful and delicate movement. They almost became part of the dance, fluttering with the steps and adding their own choreography to the show!
The Tutu Gets Creative (and then, really Creative!)
And now we come to the tutu's colourful explosion! Different ballet schools embraced unique styles, showcasing their specific vision and movement aesthetic. Think tutu styles like âThe Nutcrackerâ where the dancers wear these gorgeous fluffy skirts and are reminiscent of those sugar plum fairies we all loved. It was during this period that the tutu took on new shapes and colours - there are so many different tutus â classical, romantic, even neoclassical! Each new creation represented a story, a feeling, an era, or a dance style. It was absolutely magnificent. Imagine seeing all the incredible different types of tutus in all these beautiful shapes and colours.
And letâs not forget the amazing tutus from the "Black Swanâ film with Natalie Portman - with that black tutu, feathers, and its dramatic, mysterious atmosphere â absolutely mesmerizing! The power of a black tutu with feather details and a beautiful long train just embodies the magic of ballet â it was all so powerful! That's why I'm a fan of both traditional and modern designs â every type of tutu tells a unique story and allows the ballerina to express themselves to the fullest!
Pink is My Power Colour!
I mean, it wouldn't be a #TutuTuesday blog post without a little bit of pink, would it? Honestly, nothing embodies grace, femininity, and just pure, girly delight better than pink. If you ask me, pink tutus are just perfect for twirling. Pink just has this energy about it - a bit of sweetness, a whole lot of playful excitement! Every time I twirl in my favourite pink tulle, I feel like I'm starring in a fairytale!
Tutus for Every Ballerina
But the beauty of the tutu is its universality! Iâve seen some of the most amazing dancers in their tutus. This garment embodies every type of body, age, style, and culture. You see, the magic of the tutu is its ability to let you feel like a ballerina! Doesnât matter if youâve never even taken a dance class â if youâve got a tutu on, then youâve already got the feel for it. Itâs like it embodies the grace of a ballet performance even if youâre just twirling in your living room.
The most exciting thing about all this history? The future of the tutu is wide open! We've already seen such incredible creative tutus! The designers and dancers have this brilliant creative spark to make it more stunning, more eye-catching, more awe-inspiring. Who knows, we might even see a return to the longer tutu one day â itâs like, all the possibilities are in the air.
Make It Your Day!
Whether youâre in London or Paris, a seasoned ballerina or a tutu enthusiast like myself, go out there and twirl. Itâs your moment. So, grab your tutu, put on some ballet shoes, put on your most fabulous pink lipstick, and dance like nobody's watching (unless, of course, someoneâs taking pictures!)
Because you are your own beautiful ballerina, and every day is #TutuTuesday! See you next Tuesday, my dears!
With love and twirls,
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
(PS. Follow me on all the usual places: @pinktutuemma)
