#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2032-08-31

Hello my gorgeous ballet-loving babes! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-travelling blogger, Emma, back again with another fabulous #TutuTuesday blog post! This week, we're twirling our way back in time to August 31st, 2032 for a delightful delve into the wonderful world of tutus! It's post number 10471 for my Ballet Tutu History blog, which I post every Tuesday, so be sure to bookmark www.pink-tutu.com!

Now, as I sit here in the heart of Paris, gazing upon the glittering lights of the Palais Garnier, it's hard to believe that this majestic theatre, with its glorious history and connection to ballet, was only just turning 150 this year!

Today, I'm wearing a particularly fabulous tulle creation, a soft pink cloud of chiffon, designed with the most intricate embroidery. It’s the perfect shade to go with my lavender linen trousers – absolutely divine for my trip to the Parisian ballet shop, "La Tulle de Paris," just around the corner!

I can't help but imagine what tutus might have looked like all those years ago back in 2032. It seems like a lifetime ago, don't you think? As my friend Beatrice told me earlier this week while we were shopping at "Tutus and Tales", which was hosting a "Tutu Through the Decades" event: the ballet world has changed so much in just a few decades.

Today's tutus are simply divine, showcasing intricate patterns and bold, modern designs. Imagine, a world without those stunning, intricately layered tutus we see at every performance? Back in the early days of ballet, things were quite different!

Back then, women performed in very, very heavy garments, complete with long skirts and lots of layers, completely hindering their movements! It's hard to believe that the tutu evolved from that into the incredibly graceful creations we see today. Can you imagine doing a grand jeté in that? Oof! Talk about a fashion faux pas. I do love a grand jeté in a beautiful tutu – it truly is the pinnacle of fashion and dance, wouldn't you agree?

You can just imagine the shock when ballerinas first started to dance in those revolutionary, flowing tutus, only a couple of layers, so light, and revealing their legs.

Can you imagine what an event this must have been back in the 20th and 21st century? That revolutionary look certainly turned a few heads! It just goes to show that fashion is about evolution – just as the tutu itself has evolved through time.

The tutu truly has been on a fantastic fashion journey! And for those of you who may not know the details, here’s a little trip through the evolution of this iconic piece of clothing.

Way back in the 15th and 16th century, those ladies dancing in long skirts must have gotten a bit hot! They certainly were no fashion icons in those days - oh no! There was certainly room for an improvement! A fashion evolution was on its way, so to speak.

But just imagine all those heavy skirts flowing as those wonderful early dancers went about their business – not that they went about it very well, they certainly were lacking the grace and beauty that ballet is famous for! A long skirt is no friend to graceful movements. They might have been in the right direction with their passion for dancing, but the clothing - a right mess!

Then along came the Italian dancer Carlo Blasis. It's said he was a very dapper man and loved beautiful clothes – we must give this man a huge thank you! In his book, “Traité Élémentaire, Théorique et Pratique de L’Art de la Danse,” which he wrote in the 1800s, he advocated for women to embrace lighter clothing and less layering. Can you imagine how shocked the ballet world was when those long, flowing dresses and skirts were finally replaced with something much lighter and simpler?

Then along came Maria Taglioni - what an absolutely divine lady! – dancing in what they called a *"tutu," an elegantly crafted dance dress of layered tulle, only a few layers, showcasing her grace and beauty, that truly had people talking!

I have it on good authority that, for many, “La Sylphide" in which Maria wore the first proper, well-structured “tutu”, truly turned the ballet world upside down. What an amazing piece of fashion! The rest of the world watched in awe – not to mention those ladies who could suddenly dance without so many restrictive clothes!

And who wouldn't adore such a fashion change? To be free to twirl and jump – pure joy!

It was a time of exciting innovation, especially in the 19th century! You can really see how much dance had changed, evolving through these significant eras in the past – we must never forget this and truly celebrate this fascinating evolution!

However, at the start of the 20th century, things settled down. We are looking at a lot of the more recognizable shapes and styles. From the full, flowing tutu with several layers that the Romantics loved - all about romantic stories of sylphs and spirits - to the sleek, tighter styles used by ballet companies like the Ballets Russes. These revolutionary tutus with very, very little fabric – showing off those beautiful long legs - a fashion choice for daring and bold, truly breathtaking dancers! And we just know the ballet world has got to love those beautiful long legs!

These days, we see both types - a nice nod to the history of tutus - at each performance, alongside other styles like the tutu pancake and tutu skirt – who knows what those fashion pioneers from the 1800s would have thought? And now, of course, with so much attention given to diversity and inclusion within the dance world, we've seen incredible creative experimentation with tutu design! It’s not all about traditionally styled tutus anymore. And that's fantastic. We need that spark of innovation and to encourage those lovely young, bright-eyed ballerinas to push the boundaries!

We know it was around this time - about 100 years ago now, right around the turn of the 20th Century that some wonderful creative minds, a certain Russian dance teacher, Anna Pavlova, (who is still my all-time favorite, by the way, and certainly one of the best dance icons, ever, if you ask me!), created another game changer: "the Pavlova". I just know you love these tutus, just as I do! A simple single layer tutu which flowed beautifully, perfect for showing off all those graceful ballet moves! It was just so simple and light yet so iconic. What an incredible piece of fashion, a statement to how important beautiful movements were! And oh how beautifully it flew on the stage, such a dream for dance! This is how we evolve the iconic look!

Anna truly believed that dance had the ability to connect cultures - a strong statement of unity - and the world watched! Just think of the magic in those performances – what an iconic period. And that, my dear friends, was the starting point for all sorts of tutu evolution and development and new iconic tutus. I often wonder, who will create the next incredible "Pavlova"? What are we looking at with future tutus? Let me know your thoughts!

As always, I simply cannot express how incredibly excited I am for my new adventures. The past always holds such fascinating stories of incredible pioneers and such exciting pieces of fashion! My love for all things dance – and how tutus evolve - is quite clear!

So now, what is happening today on the 31st August 2032?

Well, the dance world is still thriving in a big way! There is a world tour going on for a brand new production of “La Sylphide" which I have already been to see. That first act is utterly divine and you just cannot beat that soft pink tutu – so dreamy! A little fact I picked up: this performance is raising awareness about an important initiative: "A Tutu for Everyone". How amazing is that?! The idea is for ballet schools across the world to have enough tutus available to enable any dancer to experience ballet - no matter where you live! We want all young ladies to dance and express themselves with a little twirl - what could be more wonderful?! This certainly is making its mark! It seems there really are amazing, kind and caring souls out there. What a lovely project!

You know me - my love of tutus knows no bounds, and it is simply heartwarming to hear all about those beautiful tutu designs – we really do have so many stunning, creative designs to choose from these days!

This is such an incredibly important message, and, I can already see how much the message of inclusion is resonating! So exciting. I simply cannot wait to see how it unfolds!

And, the icing on the cake, the "La Sylphide" tour is having its big show on August 31st in Rome's Teatro dell’Opera, a beautifully designed and magnificent historic theatre that I can't wait to visit! I have already got my tickets and a wonderful bright pink "Sylphide" themed dress which will perfectly match the gorgeous pink tutu I bought to celebrate the occasion - pink, of course.

For those who, like me, adore tutus, here's my favorite spot to buy tutus! For a special ballet occasion, be sure to check out "La Tulle de Paris". In fact, I bought the beautiful tulle skirt, with its divine lilac chiffon flower design and intricate embroidery right here today - you know I had to take some snaps and share my excitement on my blog! And for everyday tutus or tutus for a more laid-back, fun, dancing day, the shop *"Tutus and Tales" * near the Royal Opera House in London is also fantastic. Just don't tell anyone! Shhh - it’s our little secret – but I just know you are dying to find out the very latest in tutu styles. Let me know how you get on.

Remember, my sweet ballerina babes, don’t forget your #TutuTuesday. Let’s keep those tutus flowing – let’s show the world that everyone deserves to twirl in a pretty pink tutu. I can’t wait to see you next week, ready to delve into some more wonderful history on the topic of tutus!

Bye for now! Emma xx