Hello my gorgeous fellow tutu lovers!
Welcome back to Pink Tutu, your one-stop shop for all things tutu! I'm your resident tutu enthusiast, Emma, and I'm so excited to whisk you away on another enchanting journey through ballet history today. Grab your favourite pink tulle and let's step back in time!
It's a lovely Tuesday, and today we're going to take a look at ballet tutus and their history. On a blustery autumn day, I was wandering around the Theatre District in New York City - where else could I be! I just popped into a gorgeous store full of tulle, sequins, and sparkle.
I am absolutely in love with this period! You won't be surprised that New York is one of my favourite destinations for tutu exploration! It just seems to be a magnet for ballet fashion. The streets are buzzing with theatre fans, dance lovers, and the most fabulous fashion that is simply inspiring!
Let’s take a walk down memory lane and delve into the evolution of this magical piece of dancewear - the ballet tutu!
A Whirlwind History of the Ballet Tutu:
Did you know, darlings, that the tutu as we know it today, that exquisite confection of tulle, is relatively modern!
The earliest dancers didn't wear anything even remotely resembling our beloved tutu. Imagine! It's hard to believe. The story of the ballet tutu begins in the 16th century with elaborate costumes worn by performers in Italian Renaissance courts. These early gowns, though breathtaking, were voluminous, cumbersome and certainly wouldn't allow for the kind of athleticism we see in modern ballet.
But by the 19th century, ballet had gone through a huge transformation. As dancers embraced graceful leaps and spins, those extravagant dresses began to hinder movement, so Marie Taglioni, a beautiful ballerina with legs that went on forever! (I really hope I will inherit those genes!) was the first dancer to introduce something more freeing! Can you believe it was only the 1830s when the first glimpse of the ballet tutu we recognise emerged?! She shortened the skirt and layered tulle to create a light and flowing effect, this was an exciting revolution and led to an explosion in the popularity of ballet throughout Europe! It just took one bold, creative lady, to set a whole new standard, which has become the signature look of the world of ballet for hundreds of years, now that’s something to celebrate!
But things weren't all perfectly pirouetted, my lovelies! You can imagine those big skirts from the old days were very heavy - a nightmare for the dancers who were leaping and twirling across the stage! I mean they looked amazing - the dramatic silhouettes just gave a breathtaking elegance and beauty.
Let’s jump ahead to 1874. You may be wondering what this date signifies? Well it was a game-changer in the world of the ballet tutu, because that was the year that a talented ballerina, the amazing Fanny Elssler, introduced the shorter and wider skirt, that became a must have for many classical ballets! A huge win for the ballet dancers who were just starting to develop some truly astounding techniques that could move and flow with amazing fluidity. It was around this time, too, that tulle came into fashion, and that truly started the revolution of the ballet tutu that we know today.
Tulle was so light and airy - you can understand the huge excitement this brought about! A new age for dance had dawned. Ballet was truly on a roll, with its captivating beauty and fluid elegance taking the stage!
Tutus didn't just stop with their designs, they continued to be modified and evolved. As a fashionista who is drawn to the gorgeous ballet looks I can't resist mentioning, The Romantic era, when a love of the exotic came into vogue. Ballet tutu designs adopted flowing, and ethereal layers of tulle and silk, bringing new and magical beauty to this famous dance style. Ballet companies and designers throughout the world, each developed a new aesthetic to reflect this Romantic period. You may well see traces of it in a ballet you go to tonight!
Today we see the tutu is still very much evolving and developing, with beautiful tutu designs and lengths! Just the other day at a lovely production of Giselle in London I spotted an ethereal Romantic era style tutu! There are modern interpretations as well as contemporary ballerinas re-creating a fresh and playful aesthetic with their amazing modern designs - for instance, I’m not sure you have seen all the fabulously glamorous long and flowing tutu’s the American Ballet Theatre put on for their incredible production of "The Sleeping Beauty", they're truly beautiful and almost defy gravity - in the best way possible!
My friends, my love for ballet goes well beyond the graceful artistry - I simply adore those elegant ballet shoes and all that flowing tulle and silk! They are not only a work of art - I’ve got to mention their craftsmanship - that attention to detail from each seamstress! Their beauty really gets my creativity firing and I adore the way these beautiful dancers transform when they put on a tutu! I guess it’s what the best artists do! - transform from one stage to another and inspire an audience! It’s what keeps us all so intrigued and wanting to see more!
And I adore watching the way dancers use their bodies to create a ballet performance. The sheer talent, athleticism, artistry and expression are so inspiring to watch, it takes so much time and discipline. If we are talking about a ballet performer in a classic tutu or a more contemporary design - there is nothing quite as enthralling and majestic as watching an incredible ballet performance!
But remember those beautiful long tutus! We are used to the classic romantic styles of tulle with those cascading layers that create those impressive shapes we see at the London's Royal Opera House or New York’s Metropolitan Opera, for example. I’m also a huge fan of The Royal Ballet! There’s something special about that unique style of graceful elegance and power! But there is something wonderfully special about a more contemporary version, when those tutus become almost a visual, kinetic work of art in their own right. I loved a new piece at the Royal Ballet by Wayne McGregor, a truly inspirational modern ballet performance, it blew my mind! And you must check out some of the wonderful productions of the New York City Ballet as they are often quite innovative and breathtaking! I find those exciting to watch, for the same reasons I am passionate about the classics!
My darling friends, tutus are so much more than just garments, they're expressions of beauty, art, and dance! We can’t talk about ballet tutus without giving a shout out to those inspiring ballerinas of the last two hundred years, and they've made history with the stunning styles, artistry, elegance and pure class they've put into their craft! Their creativity knows no bounds and they make such an amazing impact, and inspiration to ballet fans throughout the world.
We have already had a few fabulous examples, but the list could go on and on: I’d love to hear from you all what your favorite dancers and designers are - just write in the comments. We want to get those comments coming - we love to hear what you love about this beautiful form of dance and how it inspires you - or simply leave your feedback, because, just in case you missed it, we want your feedback! I’m excited to be in touch!
Oh and how about a shout out to those fab designers! The ballet designers work magic. It takes a very special set of skills to make the most fabulous dancewear on the planet. And let's not forget those extraordinary costumes! It’s been my pleasure to see some magnificent productions throughout my many tutu journeys - let me know what you’ve loved.
I hope you're enjoying today's journey through the ballet tutu's enchanting history! Let’s talk more next Tuesday! Until then, be bold, be confident, be brave - and don’t forget to put on a pink tutu - remember it’s all about having a good time - you never know what memories you might make -
Always wear your Tutu, and live your tutu life! 🩰💖Emma xx
www.pink-tutu.com
