#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2019-01-22

Hello lovelies! It’s your favourite pink tutu-wearing, ballet-obsessed blogger Emma here, and it's #TutuTuesday, so you know what that means! Today, we're taking a trip down memory lane, travelling through time to explore the wonderful world of ballet tutus.

As you know, I love nothing more than a good ballet performance, a swirl of pink tulle, and a touch of historical glamour! It’s the ultimate feminine look!

Today, my trusty time machine has deposited me in the fabulous, fashionable city of Paris. This beautiful city is synonymous with fashion, and of course, with ballet! The 22nd of January, 1919, what a day! Just imagine being in the Parisian theatre audience that evening! It was truly a night for the ages.

On this date, Anna Pavlova gave a famous ballet performance here, bringing a captivating whirlwind of elegant movements and enchanting storytelling to life through her performance. And what better backdrop for this enchanting story than the timeless beauty of La Scala. What's the story behind her iconic tulle, I hear you asking? Let's go back to the early days, and to Marie Taglioni.

So many women think of a tutu and associate it with Anna Pavlova. Of course, I’m just a tiny little ballerina, but she was one of the most significant figures of classical ballet! Her performance that day had that legendary flair, you know!

She wasn't the only one, of course! Many talented artists helped pave the way, with a style of dancing that truly took the breath away! This type of elegant dance that is part of ballet's rich history was not possible before. Why not? Well, ladies, imagine being a ballerina wearing all those layers. And I don’t just mean all the ruffles and fancy frills (which, I love!). I’m talking about skirts and corsets. You would be restricted in every movement, right?! It was basically an exercise in self-restraint, no chance to dance at all, even the littlest pirouette would be an impossible challenge!

Before the advent of ballet's signature dress - the tutu, the ladies, poor dears, were weighed down by hefty layers of heavy material. They needed something lighter to take to the stage. That is where Marie Taglioni stepped into the history books! Isn’t she an inspiration?! She revolutionized ballet, and all those beautiful gowns that hid their grace and fluidity, simply were not fashionable anymore.

Now let’s wind the clock forward just a few years - all the way to 1832 to be exact. Can you believe that! That is just how much has changed in just a few years?

That is the year that Marie Taglioni famously performed La Sylphide. She was, if you can believe it, dancing the role of a woodland spirit with the ultimate delicacy! I can almost picture the scene. The dance needed a flowing and ethereal quality.

Marie took the bold leap of faith that we all know and love today, wearing a short skirt for a performance. Can you imagine? What a rebel!

Can you imagine dancing a pirouette in layers? I certainly can't! The movement, so flowing, the lightness, a true joy to behold! Her new, simple short skirt set the stage for ballet's elegant transformation!

It’s all thanks to Marie, because as everyone knows, the tutus are an essential part of that delicate beauty and fluidity! Imagine a ballerina performing arabesque wearing a heavy skirt! You would be shocked!

The tutu went from that bold short skirt to the fluffy white and layered Romantic tutu, which allowed the ballerinas of the 19th century to show off all that incredible elegance! This is what made this style so revolutionary, because the tutu was now finally doing what a ballerina had always dreamed of doing!**

By the way, there is so much fashion history that surrounds the tutu. Did you know it has evolved throughout the history of ballet? I find all of that so fascinating, so stylish, so beautifully chic. I love researching what I love!

You might know a tutu from its typical puffy layers. But they are not the same thing in terms of style! Here is where a ballerina's knowledge of tutu style really comes in, and also helps to determine what makes the ballet show special. Because let’s be honest, ladies - we're all about that extra special fashion flare.

There's the classical tutu, the one with those super-flared layers, and you know what - those layers are totally mesmerizing - especially from a close-up shot during a performance! And then there’s the Romantic tutu – which was, to be fair, all about the swishy romantic charm!

Let’s face it, the Romantic tutu is iconic. I just love its delicate and lightweight appearance. There is so much history in this form, because it reflects those romantic, ethereal stories that we find so beautiful! This was where the real magic happened and I can see why - that magical feel is still so much a part of ballet today.

And, speaking of beauty, the 20th century, as you already know, brought many style transformations, some of them subtle. Let’s move to the 1920s, Paris was really coming into its own as THE centre for fashion! Did you know that during the 20s and 30s, designers, choreographers and dancers experimented with style, all the time trying to be at the forefront of the world of dance? What's more, the influence of Anna Pavlova, was, you guessed it, everywhere! She was a leading force for the ballet community, making a lot of those early influences last to this day, and creating what was, simply put, the tutu that we know and love!

It was, of course, only a matter of time before designers worked their magic, adding layers of tulle for extra fullness.

It's worth remembering that ballet itself was going through a period of dramatic change during the 19th and 20th centuries. There were those wonderful, almost classical performances and a move away from more formal performances at the Royal Ballet, and later, American Ballet Theatre. This helped make the tutu a must-have for the ballerinas. It was an ideal costume, and it still is. Isn't it fabulous?! A whole story in itself. Every dance, every dancer was creating a unique story with the help of this fashion magic! This has always been the joy of ballet for me.

It's clear that the tutu is not only a beautiful costume, but is really at the heart of ballet's elegant heritage and evolution.

Today we have so many different styles of tutu – it’s so fantastic! They reflect the evolution of ballet from those classical styles all the way to today! And that’s why I just love going on these trips into tutu time travel! I simply cannot believe it has come this far since Marie first brought her bold tutu on stage - what a moment, eh?

This week, we take another peek at that style and what really makes the tutu so special, by taking a trip back to 1919. To my next tutu time travel, with my favorite pink tulle, and maybe this time I'll go to Moscow! What would a ballet-obsessed girl be without Russia's magnificent heritage?! Think I’ll take a ballet performance there – might need some new pink tutu shoes for that trip! Fancy coming with me, darlings?

Well, as I mentioned, the history of tutus is really long and fabulous - so many fascinating things to discover! There is a #TutuTuesday story for every day! And let’s not forget that every single one is part of that big history of dance that we all adore! I’m planning on going through all the historical periods in detail. What are your favourite eras? Do let me know in the comments.

And that's all for this week's #TutuTuesday adventure. Don't forget to check in next Tuesday for another exciting trip into tutu history! Happy tutuing, loves! Keep it pink! Love you all, bye!