Tutu Tuesday in Chorley: A Dance Through the Decades
It's Tutu Tuesday, my loves! As you know, this weekly ritual is dedicated to all things tutus. From the classic Romantic to the modern and edgy, the tutu holds a special place in my heart. Today, however, we're taking a trip back in time and exploring the tutu styles that have graced the stages of Chorley and beyond.
I was thrilled to be invited to a fascinating exhibition at Chorley's local museum this week - 'Tutus Through Time.' It’s been a while since I visited Chorley, so it was delightful to see how much this town, with its strong links to the Lancashire cotton trade, had embraced a rather glamorous, and distinctly Parisian, aesthetic. The exhibit highlighted the evolution of the tutu from its early beginnings to its modern iterations, tracing the styles that have defined ballet history.
Our journey began with the Romantic tutu, the very first tutu style, introduced in the 1830s. It's instantly recognizable - a soft and airy skirt of layers of tulle that falls below the knee. Think delicate and graceful, a testament to the ballerina's ethereal quality. This style reigned supreme for many years, culminating in the legendary Giselle and its iconic white tutu with a single layer of tulle. It was at this moment, the mid 19th century, that I found my first connection to Chorley, a town at the time renowned for its production of lightweight cotton, the very ingredient for the most beautiful Romantic tutus. I imagine they would have floated off the stage in Chorley and across the world!
Then, came the 'Classical Tutu,' born from the influence of Marius Petipa's groundbreaking choreography. Think Marie Taglioni in 'La Sylphide,' a beautifully crafted ensemble made with multiple layers of stiffened tulle. It gave dancers incredible shape and allowed for more dramatic movements - it wasn’t about fragility; it was about elegance and precision. I was delighted to spot one in the exhibition that resembled a style often used for productions like 'Swan Lake'. These have to be painstakingly designed and constructed with the right volume of stiffened tulle, and each panel perfectly cut. I could feel the intricate choreography flowing in my mind. I imagined how graceful those early Chorley dancers must have looked as they twirled around on the town's stages in these impressive gowns!
As we move on through the exhibit, I can see a shift - a departure from the traditional tutus towards a more experimental approach. It’s clear that choreographers in the mid-20th century wanted to break away from the conventions of classical ballet and experiment with new forms. That is what I truly love about the tutu; it can be a powerful vehicle for expressing a wide range of emotions and themes. A modern and contemporary tutu, the kind I am passionate about, allows the ballerina’s creativity to come through, offering a dynamic contrast to the traditional designs.
We come to the ‘Modern Tutu.’ Here, the iconic fluffy classical tutu becomes more experimental. Less rigid and constructed, more of a flowing shape or just a piece of fabric that skims the body and allows for freedom of movement, often referencing the athleticism of the modern style of dance.
Then we enter the world of ‘deconstructed tutus’ that I find especially inspiring and that’s a trend I follow on my social media with #tututuesday. These are less about the traditional and more about creativity. I’ve often been influenced by a French fashion house named Christian Lacroix, with theatrical styles that echo fashion’s current movement into streetwear and high street, blurring the line between dancewear and clothing. And yes, in Chorley today, I spot an artisan that creates the most stunning couture tutus - some would be equally at home on a fashion runway!
What's exciting about this modern movement in tutus is how dance styles are breaking all sorts of conventions to explore a more casual and less rigid aesthetic - some have abandoned the 'full circle' tutu in favour of an almost minimalist style. But even these often take months of intensive work, even if their initial design concept seems a world away from a classic 'white' tutu.
So, I leave the exhibition buzzing with excitement, ready to dance into the evening in Chorley. This trip through ‘Tutus Through Time’ really highlighted how the tutu is more than a garment: It’s a powerful symbol, representing a whole world of dreams, expression, and creativity - an endless canvas for the imagination. #tututuesday