Hello my lovelies! Welcome back to Pink Tutu, where tutus, ballet, and pink reign supreme! Today, for post #10443, we're twirling back through time for a peek at the evolution of the magnificent tutu!
As you all know, my favourite place to be is right here in the heart of the West End! There's nothing like seeing a show at the Royal Opera House - those iconic costumes! All the bright colours, the stunning feathered head-dresses, and of course, the fabulous tutus. You can't beat a classic, and the tutu, well, it's the queen bee of ballet costumes, right? I just wish the whole world embraced the power of the pink tutu. I feel so elegant when I twirl in mine. This one's my favourite; I got it on sale in a vintage shop in Brighton, believe it or not!
So today we're on a very special journey. Our journey leads us all the way back to… well, right now, in fact! Can you believe it's 2032-02-17 already? The future's gone so fast, right?!
Right, here's my latest find - an amazing book by a historian from a little place called Derbyshire! Imagine! He talks about a fabulous ballet production in the UK called “The Enchanted Forest”, that premiered just yesterday!
“The Enchanted Forest,” a captivating dance tale brimming with enchanting creatures, whimsical stories, and dazzling costumes, is a true celebration of artistry! It tells the story of a young girl's journey through a mystical forest, where she encounters talking animals, magical beings, and the wonders of nature. The use of special effects really pulls the audience in and the music is mesmerising, just a total treat to hear. And just wait till you see the tutus… they're a perfect example of how tutus have developed into something even more extravagant, even more powerful, more... magical in a sense.
We have the classical ballerina costumes; sleek lines, long flowing tutus made from tulle and net, sometimes layered in a breathtaking manner - just beautiful! And then there are these more dramatic interpretations of the tutu that are truly inspired. I love them - they push the boundaries! Imagine a tutu adorned with real, shimmering sequins that create dazzling patterns under the stage lights! And how about shimmering sparkling silver butterflies perched on the fabric, flitting and fluttering in time to the music? It’s absolutely gorgeous! I felt myself floating away, captivated by the beauty of it all.
But let's take a step back for a moment, back in time to how we got here… The modern tutu, with its airy volume, first started making its mark on the dance world around the time that ballet came into being in the Renaissance. But the French aristocracy in the 1800s really started to push those borders! This is where tutus were truly born.
Now, a tutu's real story can get a bit tricky, there were so many people involved! I did a lot of digging for this, but the general idea is this... the tutus of the past were called “demi-tutu”, meaning they went down to a little below the knees, and didn't give all that flow! It was all about showing off the leg movements. Now, we’ve got the full-length "tutu," so the girls are just about totally concealed - but the dance choreography really shines through, because it's all about those legs in all those beautiful positions. There are lots of ways to wear those tutu things - on top of another layer, they are a sort of, almost transparent, kind of dancewear with layers of beautiful silk underskirts, just gorgeous! Sometimes there are lace appliqués that are all pretty too. There’s so much choice now! The fun is endless, just the same as I do with my pink tutus - and there are just so many ways to match everything together, from shoes to tiaras!
Now we all know it was in Paris where the real tutu-tastic revolution began in the mid-19th century with "Giselle". The tutu then really began to evolve, changing shape, sometimes to become longer, sometimes shorter. Those layered skirts that you get today just have a completely magical, flowing quality, like feathers in the wind!
Did you know, those tutus were quite rigid and structured, really supporting that whole 'flowing elegance' we adore, especially those ballerina jumps, and that high, almost unnatural leg 'arabesque' that you see in almost every ballet you ever watch! There were layers of silk or taffeta beneath the tulle layers which made them even more voluminous and grand. But times change, right? We’re now at this exciting time where, I reckon, there’s much less rigidity to the design of the tutu, it's become all about elegance and freedom of movement.
Now, my lovelies, a quick hop over to Italy, where one very creative lady gave us those “romantic tutus”. The Italians were always ahead of their time when it came to fabric and style, you know! This is where those tutus started to take on these super ethereal, dreamy, delicate styles, something like cobwebs almost! Just stunning.
And then came that era of big tutus. We can say thank you to the divine dancer Maria Taglioni for bringing in “Le Sylphide.” What an epic masterpiece of grace! Those tutus just became massive, absolutely glorious to see. The beauty is how they were shaped to showcase a dancer's leg work in a much more dynamic and dramatic way! They were like a whirl of feathers as they moved on stage.
Then we moved through to “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake" And, you've got to give it to those designers of that time because they really did take the whole design up another level. They knew what a great ballerina should wear! It became all about elegance with an absolute flow and ethereal lightness! And I love those delicate designs. And those beautiful colours they’d use on stage - white for swan and then gold and blues - stunning!
And let’s not forget, this time period gave birth to those “pastel shades” and the elegant patterns in dance wear that we all adore now. It really does seem that times change in an eye-blink, from those very rigid tutu styles all those years ago to the gorgeous, almost-ethereal, freedom of movement in ballet performances today!
And look - just today! I've just spotted something very interesting. There’s an all-pink, custom-designed tutu, created by the up-and-coming designer in the world of ballet, Penelope Fitz-Alan-Hamilton. Did I mention I saw it earlier today? Well, just imagine it… it was being used at the ballet performance at “The Enchanted Forest” with stunning results. She has such an understanding of design! This tutu looks almost organic and somehow more powerful, too, it just flows and flutters, making it feel completely magical as if it were in tune with every single note. What I’d love to know is where they got the pink sequins... they're unbelievable! I would kill to get my hands on some.
Speaking of sequins, have you ever wondered how those tutu styles with all those beautiful sequins and sparkles are designed? And how those wonderful layers of tulle are sewn to fit the dancers? Oh, that’s the part that takes the most work, and effort you can just imagine all the time that goes into making one of these. I’d love to try it - and get myself into a studio and just learn!
My lovelies, if there’s one thing I've learned from traveling back and forth through time it's that tutus are never out of fashion! They change, adapt to reflect their era, but there is nothing quite like seeing a gorgeous tutu in action, especially in that perfect light that spotlights the ballerinas, those flowing garments, and really lets you appreciate that true art of dance and just magical movements on the stage!
I really have fallen in love with this latest tutu style. I’ve decided this Tuesday is going to be about a big pink celebration of the tutu! So get your pink tutus on, my darlings! Go out, dance in the street, let the whole world see that tutu beauty!
Happy Twirling, Emma xx
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