Hello darlings! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things pink, sparkly, and, of course, tutu-rific! This month, I'm taking you on a trip back in time ā a proper time travel adventure, not just a fancy dress jaunt to the local vintage shop. Iām whisking you back to a time of bonnets and bustles, corsets andā¦ well, you'll be surprised what I found out about leotards back in the Victorian era. Let me tell you, things have certainly changed since then!
Sparkling through the Centuries: A New Leotard to Conquer Time
Now, you might be wondering how a girl like me manages to hop through history. It's all thanks to this beauty right here! (A whirl and a twirl to show off my magical pink sparkling leotard). It's got hidden magic, you see, that whisks me through time whenever I choose. Don't tell everyone, but it's a bit of a secret. Mum wouldn't be too happy if she knew how I funded my travels - but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do to feed her passion!
Street Ballet for Time-Travel Finances
Between my time-travel jaunts and running this blog, I spend quite a bit of time dancing on the streets. You can usually find me performing on the cobblestones of Derby Market Place in the evening, earning a bit of pocket money to keep my time-travel adventures going.
Don't worry, my outfits are always appropriately dressed up for a Victorian crowd - no scandalous contemporary outfits for this ballerina! A lovely velvet tunic or an elaborate petticoat for my street dancing in the past keeps my performances in keeping with the time period - a touch of modern day glamour without upsetting the delicate etiquette of the past.
2006: The Fashion World in the 21st Century
While itās always lovely to reminisce, I mustn't forget where I am - we're in January 2006, after all! What is going on in the leotard world this month, you ask?
I must admit, there's quite a lot going on! Ballet enthusiasts are getting their tutu fix at the Bolshoi Theatre, as they put on a special revival of 'Giselle'. This classic performance, celebrating the ethereal world of ballerinas and ethereal white tutus is simply enchanting!
And, of course, in a more contemporary scene, itās the London 'Royal Opera Houseās āSleeping Beautyā. Itās all about the fabulous, dramatic tutus, stunning costume design and breathtaking performance! This performance definitely gets my heart racing. Thereās nothing better than seeing dancers with their perfectly placed poses and fluid graceful movement, especially when theyāre adorned in some truly amazing ballet fashion.
It seems like 2006 is an exciting time for the leotard, my darlings! My next trip to the past takes me to the year 1875, to see just how the Victorians got dressed up for their stage productions and what kinds of leotards they were sporting! I must get packing!
Stay tuned!
Emma
Fashion Through Time: Exploring Victorian Era Dance Attire
After a magical whoosh, here I was! It's incredible how quickly you can go from bustling Derbyshire to a grand old Victorian era city.
The London streets were a blur of horse-drawn carriages, fashionable ladies and gentlemen in their finest attire andā¦. a whole lot of people in costumes!
I arrived, feeling as giddy as a new ballet student on her first day, with an ambition as bright as my new leotard: to uncover what the Victorian era leotard looked like. And you won't believe thisā¦ it was nothing like I expected!
Not What You Think: The Victorian Era Leotard
The Victorians, they didnāt wear the kind of snug, stretch-to-your-heart's-content leotards we have today. Instead, dancers used what we call a corset. And let me tell you, itās not for the faint of heart! It took ages to lace and make them comfortable! They certainly werenāt for those who wanted free movement! And to think that we go around in such easeful contemporary attireā¦ sometimes I really think those brave Victorian dancers must have been quite strong women.
Layers Upon Layers: The Undergarment Fashion
Victorian clothing was quite different. Instead of the fitted single-piece leotard that you see on ballet dancers today, there were many layers, much like a medieval knight's suit of armor:
- A corset, a type of structured undergarment worn around the torso for support and shaping, andā¦
- Numerous under-skirts - multiple petticoats made of fabric and horsehair - worn over the corset to create fullness and structure in the dress, to provide structure to the layers above andā¦.
Lastly, over all this was the actual tutu.
Fashioning the Victorian āTutuā
The tutus werenāt very ātutuā like. They were shorter, rounder, and much more voluminous. Think the type of tutu thatās often seen in productions of The Nutcracker, only much bigger.
- A Bit More Like A Fancy Pillow!
The tutu worn during the Victorian era had no āskirtā. Instead, there was a round cage - sort of a wire or stiff hoop or a form - upon which yards of fluffy tulle and lace was mounted. They looked like giant poofs on top of the dress. You could hardly tell it was even made of fabric, it was so enormous!
**An Exciting Find!**
I caught an exciting performance of Swan Lake in a small theater by a troupe of touring ballerinas - and just when I thought Iād seen everything the Victorian era had to offerā¦. A discovery!
I was in awe ā the dancing was as brilliant as it always is in ballet - the ballet moves were incredible ā leaps and graceful twirls were breathtaking to watch - but one little thing struck me - their dancing was surprisingly easy in the Victorian tutu, when it looked as though it should be extremely difficult to move in such an elaborate garment. But after some investigating I found that it was a specially constructed, modern day corset! They had a corset for dancers - with special stretch and a softer design ā it must be the Victorian equivalent of a sports bra! What a treat to discover something new.
My Victorian Wardrobe Adventure: Tutus are Always in Style!
That Victorian Era leotard certainly had a character of its own ā it was quite a show to see dancers swirling in all that lace and volume - what a beautiful fashion journey it was! They didnāt have spandex and lycra, which makes our contemporary leotards so comfy, but their costumes and designs have always captured hearts - the artistry and the ingenuity were wonderful!
Until next month my dearest lovelies, remember - always remember - youāre never too old to twirl in a tutu. Tutus and leotards - the one timeless style in dance.
Emma
www.pink-tutu.com
