Hello lovelies! It’s Emma here, your resident tutu-loving time-traveler, back again for another week of #TutuTuesday! I’m absolutely buzzing to be back from a whirlwind trip to Vienna - can you believe they’re building a whole new opera house there?! I can't wait to see what incredible costumes they'll be whipping up! Speaking of incredible costumes, let's dive into today’s tutu topic: a little journey through time with the ballet tutu!
Hold onto your pointe shoes, because we're going back to the very beginnings of ballet! I mean, how do you even imagine dancing without the perfect tutu? I certainly couldn't. I swear, I once tried wearing a full-length skirt to class, but the thing just wouldn't move! But I digress, back to the past. Imagine yourself in a grand French court – 16th century – when dance was a fashionable fancy. Imagine layers of fabric, ruffles, and more ruffles, all gathered up around a dancer's silhouette! The more, the better, right?
(P.S. How amazing are the French with all their pretty fabric and their fancy dress sense?! Truly the stuff of tutu dreams.)
Fast-forward a couple of hundred years, and the waltz has taken centre stage (and who can blame it? That elegant, twirling waltz is tutu heaven!) But the costume? Still all about the dramatic! These skirts were HUGE! Like a meringue you could lose yourself in.
Now, take a deep breath, darlings, and hold tight because this next part is absolutely revolutionary! Remember, I said more is not always better? Enter, Marie Taglioni, the original Queen of the Tutu. Marie brought simplicity, and believe me, it made a huge impact. She did it. She made those huge skirts disappear. What do you know, sometimes a little bit of air can do wonders!
(Okay, now I just have to tell you the absolute BEST part. It's what made all the difference. *It's pink! The blush of the early ballet tutu! Like a dreamy sunrise… a delicate, rosy blush… It just *fits with that lightness and flowy beauty!) **
By the Victorian era, those early tutus had developed, and bam! there was the layered romantic tutu. Think swirling tulle with a big, fluffy underskirt - absolutely perfection for a fairytale waltz. My absolute favorite style! (Of course, in a fab shade of pink!)
Fast-forward to the 20th century and the emergence of the modern dancer. It's an explosion of tutus! All shapes, sizes, colours, and styles – a fabulous rainbow of expressions! You can tell a ballerina's character just by their tutu, from the delicate wisps of "Giselle" to the more dramatic layered frills of "Swan Lake." And let’s not forget the famous tutus from "Don Quixote" and "Sleeping Beauty". Oh, darling, if I could be in any ballet, it would have to be "Sleeping Beauty".
Today, the ballet world is a melting pot of innovation, creativity, and… drumroll... more pink tutus!
So what's coming up in our fantastic tutu future?! Well, that’s for all of us to discover! Think sustainable, upcycled tutus – eco-friendly fashion at its finest. Imagine tutus made from recycled materials, perhaps even recycled ballet shoes. Brilliant! I'd wear that anywhere!
Don’t forget, darlings, #TutuTuesday is more than just a blog post; it's a reminder that even on the most mundane Tuesday, there's always an opportunity to celebrate the grace, elegance, and creativity of dance – and to inspire a bit of whimsy into our lives! And if you can do that in a fabulous, pink tutu, why not?!
And to wrap up, my latest discovery on my travels: the tutu museum in Milan, just across the road from the beautiful Teatro alla Scala. Imagine, an entire museum dedicated to ballet’s most fabulous accessory! I’m absolutely dying to visit! Note to self, plan trip ASAP.
(Quick, go grab your tutu, darlings! I'll see you on Tuesday for a little twirl of our own.) Until next week!
Emma xx
P.S. What’s a fun fact about this day in history you ask? Well, 5th November 2030 is the 75th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon! How incredible! Now imagine twirling a pink tutu under the moonlight on the moon… truly a tutu dream! ??
