Hello darlings, and welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com! It’s #TutuTuesday, and I’m absolutely buzzing to be sharing this week’s bit of ballet history with you all. Today, we’re taking a trip through time – no, not literally through time (although wouldn’t that be fabulous?!) – but rather to a period in ballet history that shaped the very look of our favourite tutus! I know how much you love a good history lesson, so buckle up, darling, and let’s take a journey to a time when ballet was all about a flamboyant swirl of colour and movement.
Now, the pink-tutu-loving fashionista that I am, you might think my favourite era is the romantic one! The ballet of that time was all about flowing silks and billowing tutus – pure, elegant beauty! But, today, we’re venturing further back, back to the reign of the French court. And what’s more fun and fabulous than *a French Court, full of silks and glittering jewels?! If that doesn't make you want to twirl in a tutu, nothing will!*
The reign of Louis XIV was all about pageantry! Everything was bigger, more opulent, more extravagant than ever before – it was the Age of Magnificence. You know what that means – fabulous costumes! This era was known for its exquisite costumes, heavy brocades, elaborate wigs, and sparkling jewels – think Versailles on stage!
But hold on, darling, did I say tutu?! The actual word “tutu” didn’t enter the ballet lexicon until the mid-19th century. Imagine! You had dancers performing grand, elegant ballet in intricate gowns – gowns so big they'd have taken hours to put on, hours to take off and several assistants to wrangle, with big bouffant hairdos, all topped off with enormous headpieces! And here’s the thing - the style actually inspired the very shape of the tutu.
Think about it. These huge, sweeping, swirling gowns had the potential to create that “en pointe” silhouette of a ballet dancer. They practically did half the work!
And speaking of “en pointe,” we actually owe the famous “pointe” to the ingenuity of dancers themselves!
Now, you’re probably thinking “hold on Emma, what about the little, billowing tutu of today? I’m thinking “La Sylphide”, a tutu full of airy, romantic, graceful dancing!” We’re getting closer, but just imagine if we went to the Royal Opera House today, London, to watch a show, but the dancers wore all those heavy, grand costumes of Louis XIV’s time! They’d still be on stage in the same gown from Act 1 by the time Act 4 rolled around! You just can't do intricate pirouettes and grand jetés in yards of silk and satin!
I imagine it was an enormous, grand affair, this shift in ballet fashion, just as extravagant as the change from “Courtly gowns” to our modern-day evening gowns! The very idea of the first ballet tutu was revolutionary!
Of course, back in the 18th Century, the first ballet tutus weren’t actually called “tutus” at all – they were referred to as jupe courte, French for “short skirt.” Jupe courte gave ballerinas the freedom of movement that those heavy, luxurious gowns could never have offered – the same movement that defined the “ballet skirt” we know today. You can thank dancers of that era for breaking free from the constricting designs of fashion and, quite literally, making a splash – or should we say, a pirouette - with their movements on the stage. You'd think it'd be the men making the break through. It's good to see those women leading the way to greater creativity and individuality.
It’s fascinating to see how the changes in dance itself pushed fashion. Can you imagine a dancer trying to échappe (which in English means “to escape” and that’s what it is in dance! A graceful, elegant movement! ) wearing the clothes of the 17th century?! It’s simply unthinkable – the fabrics alone would be restrictive and suffocating.
So, you can see why dancers went on a little fabric “revolution” of their own. We had to do this! It wasn't about wanting to be the centre of attention, although let's be honest, tutus get you noticed! It was all about being able to express creativity in movement! I’m talking about creating and executing intricate choreography with fluidity and grace, making those pirouettes, those fouettés, those dazzling steps truly soar! And all with a fabulous outfit! You couldn't ask for more!
#TutuTuesday’s Top Tips –
The #pink-tutu.com team are all about the look, but let’s be clear! Ballet isn’t just about beautiful costumes. You just need to see these lovely people glide across a stage. It's about dedication, training and artistry. Those steps – they are so intricate and technical! Dancers of that period (and now!) deserve enormous praise and recognition for their artistic contributions to the world.
Remember when choosing a tutu – think of your comfort and performance. If you're wanting to move freely you have to consider *the fabrics, the construction, the shape of the garment! *
I’ve just arrived in Paris on the Eurostar for a few days to see “La Sylphide”! It's my favorite Ballet! Such elegance, such precision of movements, such perfect dancing. It’s pure artistry in motion. Of course, there’ll be a whole load of amazing shops! And some of them have gorgeous tutus – some in pink, naturally! The Parisians always get fashion just right – just like my Pink Tutu followers! Stay tuned because I'll be posting on #TutuTuesday next week to show off the Parisian style I’ll find on this little trip!
*#pinktutu #ballettutu #tutuday #tutuhistory #fashionhistory *
