Hello lovelies! It's your favourite pink tutu-wearing ballerina, Emma, back with another whirlwind of a Tutu Tuesday! Today's topic is, drumroll please… The history of the tutu! ?
I've been hopping through time on a grand tour, you see. All in the name of researching our beloved tulle, darling! The railways are truly the perfect way to get around for this kind of work - especially as my tutus aren't quite so easy to pack into a rucksack. ?
I thought today would be the perfect time to go back in time, considering what a glorious day it is - the 25th of May! We're just about to get ready to celebrate all things royal in the UK. It's almost time for the big Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle! There's nothing more spectacular than a grand royal event to showcase those lovely, frothy, beautiful tutus. Wouldn't it be a sight to see, the Royal Family in their own tutu finery? It wouldn't be half as grand if the dancers didn't have the right tutus to float about in!
Right, let's get back to the story of how our tutu came to be...
From the court to the stage:
We have to go back a while for this one - way back to the 1800s, the height of the romantic era. It was all about beauty, nature, and a bit of melodrama in the arts, so you can imagine that a lot of the costumes were flowing and beautiful. And this is where our dear tutu began its journey.
Marie Taglioni, who danced as the sylph in the first ballet called "La Sylphide," was the pioneer of the Romantic era in ballet. This, by the way, was when the first 'Romantic Tutu' was created. Imagine a short skirt with soft and airy layers, perfect for her graceful sylph movements, darling.
At the time, ballerinas used to wear really long skirts for performances. It's rather a shock to think about! These skirts made dancing difficult, and you wouldn't be able to see much of the dancer's artistry and elegant moves, would you?
Then the tutus, and the short dresses that followed, became all the rage, showing off more of the ballerina's athletic grace, and allowing more intricate movements on the stage.
Moving from long, flowing dresses to a more theatrical aesthetic was groundbreaking. A revolution for the dancers!
As time went on, the tutu evolved with different designs, becoming more elaborate, tighter and lighter. There's so much to see here, a real feast for the eyes, darling!
We could delve into every single kind of tutu, from the romantic era through to modern times, but this post is about to reach its end! Just think, we wouldn't have such lovely, exciting costumes to enjoy if it hadn't been for those early designers! They took a bold step forward, setting the scene for the ballet as we know it today!
Now, let's pop off to see the Coronation Concert, in a pink tutu, naturally! ?
Do share with me what your favourite kind of tutu is, dear reader! Is it a romantic tutu? A more classic, layered look? Maybe a modern style with contemporary, minimalist flair? Leave your thoughts in the comments, or pop over to www.pink-tutu.com, where I post lots of articles and ideas on everything from tutus, to fashion, to travel!
See you next week! ✨
Emma xXx
