Hey lovelies! It's your favourite tutu-obsessed time traveller, Emma, back for another Tutu Tuesday!
Oh my goodness, you won't believe where I've been this week. A real whirlwind of a journey! I hopped on the Eurostar, all sparkly in my pinkest tulle, and landed myself in Paris. Talk about a city that knows how to dress up! Paris, it seems, is even more infatuated with tutus than ever! I'm talking a whole street corner filled with tutus of every imaginable colour and style.
I spent hours browsing the vintage boutiques, even snapping up a gorgeous vintage tulle skirt – it's practically begging for me to whip up a stunning new tutu creation! ?
But of course, the real reason I journeyed to the City of Lights was the ballet. This week was filled with the most amazing performances. My heart skipped a beat when I saw The Sleeping Beauty, and let me tell you, the tutus in that show were absolute perfection!
And speaking of perfect tutus, let's talk about their history! Last week we discussed the origins of this beautiful garment, and I had a thought. Did you know the tutu we associate with the Romantic Era is called a Romantic Tutu? Who knew, right? The "Romantic Era" in ballet ran from around 1830 to 1860. Think fluffy tulle, graceful moves, and tales of forbidden love – definitely my style! ? This Romantic era is the real springboard for what we think of as ballet today, with all its airy leaps and delicate elegance.
This Romantic Tutu was revolutionary for the time! Prior to that, dancers had worn heavy, cumbersome costumes that hampered movement. This new style of dancing called for a lighter look. Imagine the joy those dancers must have felt as they danced with such freedom in their new tutus!
You may ask: where did it all start? Well, the early beginnings of tutus date back to the early 1800s in Italy! We're talking 1818 here – wow, that's centuries ago! Can you imagine dancing around in a heavy ballgown on stage? No thank you! The first "tutu-like" costumes were really simple short skirts, a bit like the modern-day "ballet skirt". These short skirts started appearing on stage in the mid-19th century.
Fast forward a little, and you've got Marie Taglioni and her famous la Sylphide dance! She brought to life a type of movement in her costume that required such fluidity that a very short, frilly tutu, one that stopped well above the knees, became the ideal! Can you imagine being the first dancer to take the stage in this brand new and revolutionary outfit?
Think ballet shoes - they also were part of this transition! For example, Taglioni wore satin slippers with ribbons to make them more lightweight and more free for those leaps and twirls, which she perfected. The combination of this freedom in the dancing, and freedom of the movement, plus the change of fashion styles across all Europe around that time, changed ballet's history forever!
I know we’re looking at the past, but *let’s be honest! * Fashion keeps repeating itself! I am very much on the lookout for new tulle designs, but those earlier "romantic era" tutus are still absolutely inspiring!
Oh, and another super important note about these earlier designs? The Romantic tutus were very plain, in colours such as white and ivory. And do you know why? Well, you’ve got to consider those early ballets were happening with candlelight, no modern stage lighting! You wouldn't be able to see colour very well in that era, especially on those stage floors, which often were painted in pale colours to reflect light!
Over the decades, things got a bit more, erm, extra. Think feathered tutus, beaded tutus, you name it! But even now, when dancers perform classic ballets, they still wear those Romantic tutus, a reminder of the era that changed the face of ballet forever!
That’s enough of history for now - and as I sit here typing this blog from the gorgeous, vibrant pink coffee shop in Paris, where I’ve found another fab pink fluffy tutu with sparkly feathers – oh my - you’d better believe I'm going to share a post about my trip soon! What colours do you love to see on a ballet tutu? Let me know in the comments!
In the meantime, keep those tutus twirling! And as always, stay fabulous! ✨?
Your girl, Emma
P.S. Remember, it's #TutuTuesday, so get ready to rock those pink tutus! I challenge everyone to embrace the twirl today, and let your inner ballerina shine. ? ?
