Hello my darling tutus! It's Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink tutu enthusiast, back with another instalment of #TutuTuesday: Ballet Tutu History! It's been such a whirl this week – I've been all over the world on my ballet adventure! Honestly, the joy of a train journey is so much fun and travelling around Europe for work is pure bliss. But you know me – I couldn't go anywhere without my trusty pink tutu! I think my latest performance at the Paris Opera really set the audience on fire (and my outfit was pretty spectacular too – all ruffles and sparkly tulle!)
But enough about me! Let's get back to our love affair with tutus. Today's date, the 24th of April 2029, is absolutely overflowing with history. It's actually a huge milestone! Today, we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first ballet to feature the iconic tutu design that we adore today – "La Sylphide." Can you believe it? Two whole centuries of beautiful swirling tulle!
Think of it! The graceful, layered design that symbolises everything elegant, romantic and powerful! It was created for a ballet by the incredibly talented Danish choreographer Auguste Bournonville, in a period where a revolution in ballet was underway. "La Sylphide" tells the story of a Scottish peasant man James, who falls head over heels for a magical, mystical sylph named, well, Sylphide. He's besotted, mesmerised, she's all his dreams made real! But as you'd expect with such an intoxicating relationship – danger, intrigue and tragedy follow!
And our glorious tutu, the central character in the story, was born! I mean, who can resist a bit of romantic magic! I can hear that dreamy music and envision Sylphide swirling and twirling across the stage now. Imagine, just think, of that moment! For the first time, those iconic layered layers of tulle and fabric appeared. Suddenly, we saw the potential of how ballet could become more about freedom and the poetry of movement rather than strict courtly postures and gowns. Honestly, it changed everything for us, darling!
Back in the day, before 1829, ballerinas often performed in cumbersome costumes with a lot of heavy fabrics and layers that would have made you just sweat! There was hardly any movement at all! Now, I know I adore the big skirts and frilly flounces, but we can see where these more revealing styles opened the doors for us ballerinas!
Can you picture that change – from restrictive dresses with corsets, which literally restrained their every movement, to a design that became synonymous with female strength and elegance?
Now we are more mobile, more powerful, and our dance became more captivating!
I think it's absolutely remarkable how much the design has evolved! There is something so stunningly theatrical and glamorous about seeing a dancer twirling across the stage in a perfect pink tutu, with layers and layers of fabric that seem to flutter in the air. What else can we ask for in our art?
To this day, the "La Sylphide" tutu, which often features just one, two or three layers of tulle is a signature and, of course, a classic! They've been reinvented over the decades – they have that beautifully streamlined, simple, elegance that makes the movement flow, It's absolutely magical! It's all about enhancing the grace of a dancer and giving her the ability to dance with freedom, to explore the movements and the space without those limitations, a lightness we didn't have before.
Don't just take my word for it though. Head down to your local theatre or ballet school and see what I mean! You'll fall head over heels, just like James.
As if that wasn't enough, our 24th April milestone is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the "Romantic Era," the golden age of ballet, in the 1830s! Can you believe, my dears, that "La Sylphide" kicked off the entire romantic movement of ballet in Europe and in France? Think how amazing it must have been to be present for a show that was making history at that very moment, to see that first tutus swirl around the stage, so beautiful, so different!
And you know, the Romantic era just screams romance! We're all about dreams, myths and stories that tug at the heartstrings with tales about enchanted woods, fairies and lovers meeting magical creatures. So we have Bournonville to thank for our tutu, and for inspiring our romantic era that was full of incredible ballerinas, innovative choreography and those wonderful tutu's with the gentle layers of delicate tulle that flow and swirl and evoke a lightness you could feel from a distance! It makes me feel all tingly just thinking about it!
And then of course, what's not to love about romantic ballet costumes?! I just have a whole other blog post brewing about my absolute favourite ballerina, the absolutely dazzling, Marie Taglioni! You can thank "La Sylphide," darling, and Taglioni for really putting the tutu in the spotlight! It's safe to say it was her elegant movement that really made tutus famous. It wasn't enough to simply design it - she made us want to wear them, she gave us all dreams of becoming a ballerina.
I must say, Taglioni is absolutely captivating, she wore a single, perfectly simple white tutu that was absolutely revolutionary and has become so iconic for romantic ballet. She really understood how to bring to life the drama and emotion of romantic ballet. You just look at her performances and feel the enchantment of the music, it's spellbinding!
So if you're a ballet fan, a tutu enthusiast, a romancer at heart, or simply looking for something beautifully crafted to get excited about then I strongly encourage you to take the plunge and visit the local theatre to check out the next "La Sylphide" production, or one of the romantic ballet productions happening at your local theatre. There are loads of amazing performances happening at all times and you might be amazed at the new spin they're giving to our glorious tutus these days.
Of course, I won't let this day pass by without reminding you to visit the amazing collections of historical ballet costumes at major ballet companies and museums around the world!
It's so fun to go backstage at the theatres to admire the intricate workmanship and imagine the performances from long ago. For instance, a trip to the Victoria and Albert museum in London or the Metropolitan Opera in New York will have you mesmerised with its vast collection of gorgeous stage costumes from every era in the history of dance, but don’t forget to find that ‘La Sylphide’ tutu! You’ll discover there’s a whole world to uncover about tutu’s and it all begins on April 24th.
Oh, and in honour of the occasion, we must have a bit of fun! If you’re joining us from Derbyshire (where it all began!), pop on over to a lovely cafe in Bakewell for a delightful "La Sylphide" tutu themed treat. I love getting a little slice of their Bakewell pudding with whipped cream, and don’t forget to snap a picture! Tag #PinkTutuBakewell and let me see your delicious tutu inspiration!
As you can see, 24th April is one of those significant dates for the ballet history books. This isn’t just about an enchanting ballerina’s skirt design, darling. It's a turning point!
The beauty and style of ballet itself transformed – it became more emotional and free It was so captivating, and it set the stage for the tutus we know and love and it opened the doors to those creative costumes, that’s made the art of dance more exciting and passionate, and that's an inspiration for anyone, including all you lovely tutu lovers out there!
So grab your pink tutu and your best ballet shoes and let's dance our hearts out! See you all next week on Tuesday for another fabulous instalment of #TutuTuesday on Pink-Tutu.com! Until then, keep on twirling, my darlings, and have a wonderful week!
Love,
Emma xx
