#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 1848-01-04

Hello my dears! It's Emma here, back from another whirlwind trip through time, this time landing right in the heart of 1848! Oh, what a delightful era it is!

As you know, we're on a journey through the history of the tutu, and today we're focusing on the 1840s. Let me tell you, tutus have come a long way since then. We're going to explore what those early tutus were like, where they were worn, and the amazing ballerinas who helped define them.

This week, I'm writing from the heart of Paris! I just had the most exquisite time at the Opera, and let me tell you, there's nothing quite like a Parisian ballet performance. And for you, my fellow tutulovers, there's a wonderful, historical treasure I found here that is connected to the 1840s, which we’ll get to later on! But first, I have to tell you about the tutu in the 1840s, its very beginnings…

This date has particular significance because January the 4th, 1848, was the day a woman named Marie Taglioni first danced in a tutu in a ballet, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in London, in a production called "La Fille du Danube." Just picture it: a beautiful dancer, her form elegant and graceful, her legs stretched to the heavens in the first "true" tutu!

Now, if you ask me, those early tutus were a world away from the fluttery, feather-light creations we see today, but that doesn't mean they weren't fascinating in their own right. Think of it like this: our current tutus are the beautiful, perfected flower, the delicate blossom. But, like a sturdy bud on a plant, the 1840s tutus were a powerful beginning!

Instead of multiple layers of tulle, these early tutus were made from just one or two layers of white cotton. It might not sound that exciting, but that single layer gave the dancers a much wider range of movement than the heavy, layered skirts they used to wear. The simple beauty of those early designs, the delicate drape of the single layers of fabric – they made movement both possible and, I dare say, almost poetic.

Imagine: a ballet dancer swirling across the stage in a single layer of cotton, each movement precise, each step imbued with a newfound grace! There was still the elegant fullness that would allow for such delicate and airy movements – I am talking about a beautiful skirt that fell in an uneven, uneven shape from around the knees, maybe even reaching the ground!

The 1840s saw the tutu begin to emerge as a defining element of ballet. That era was so important for the tutu that a historian named Cathy Newman, has described the style worn by ballerinas such as Marie Taglioni in these years, as the Romantic Tutu, because they symbolized an airiness, and ethereal lightness that helped to develop the ‘romantic style' of dance which started around that period, You see?

Even the ballet costumes started changing around that time. There was the whole movement of "The Romantic Era" – oh my! The ballerina in the Romantic Era looked like she had a ‘look’ of almost-mythical, almost ghostly lightness, I must say, there was an element of the gothic in all of this, so dramatic, such mystery in these dancing beings…

Just a thought, did I ever tell you that in the beginning ballet performers had their hair pulled back and were styled into what was basically an elaborate ponytail, quite simple compared to our ballet buns, for sure. That sort of hairstyle is actually what gave the ballerina this sort of ethereal and ghostly look, which added to that overall romantic air of the dance, I’ve found! And can you imagine – there was NO MAKE UP at all!

However, these 1840s Romantic tutus weren’t for everyone, they weren't actually made to show the ballet dancers legs, this came about around 1880 when *Camille Saint-Leon, (yes, a male name, can you believe it?), introduced the now classic tutu, known as the “Classical Tutu”, which was made of multiple layers of tulle! This gave a wider fuller skirt which was made *much shorter, showcasing the elegant length of a ballerina's legs, with an underlayer, a 'tutu leotard' *, (think *tights, for goodness sake) with ballet shoes in pink or flesh toned colours!

Anyway, now back to my wonderful discovery today. Imagine my joy, standing before the most exquisite, exquisite garment on display in this Parisian shop window:

As if guided by fate, the shop owner let me admire the piece – I'll confess, a few euro did change hands in a rather clandestine fashion! Oh my dear, it was just exquisite, this 1840’s single-layered tutu was as much a part of Paris as the Eiffel Tower! Think, a relic of ballet history! A first look at the original tutu – it's breathtaking! It was actually the same length as a modern ‘short’ tutu, so perhaps some ballerinas of those early days weren't so coy about showing off their legs! The shop owner was really quite insistent that this 1840s 'tutu' would have been one of Marie Taglioni's. I dare say that would make this particular ‘tutu' quite the sought-after item! And all it has taken is some careful storage and good old Parisian fashion, no wonder the city’s a hub for beautiful styles, even now in the twenty-first century. And there it is on the counter, in all its simple, exquisite, grace!

But that isn’t all my lovely tutulovers! The shop owner told me that the tutu is currently on display for a short period at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, (and is part of their ‘Dresses and Tutus of Ballet’ exhibition, you lucky things!). So, do visit if you happen to be in Paris! There’s just so much more history behind this design, the shop owner even had photos of how ballet dresses were made and some information on Charles Worth, *Christian Dior, and Coco Chanel’s, contributions to the art of **creating the ultimate, stylish ballet tutu!

So, for the tutu, we should give a resounding thank you to the pioneers like Marie Taglioni, who dared to dare to be different, dared to wear **the simplest and yet most graceful of tutus. Dare to stand out from the crowd and dance, even though in her era, this wasn’t the norm for a ‘ballerina'. For that’s what we're doing in life, isn't it, dear tutulovers? Embracing the possibilities, expressing our passions, inspiring, and doing all of this with grace, and a bit of twirling, of course!

And do take a moment to check out those photos and vintage postcards of this era! You can find some at the wonderful ‘Dance in Photographs’, ‘Paris 1900’ or the ‘Ballet and the Stage’. There are such delightful and graceful moments that will definitely help you to get an idea of how ballet dancers dressed at the time. Just go through your local library and try and find these amazing publications – some of these were even made by the very ballet dancers of this era. A treasure trove of tutu-ed and tutulover delights, no less!

There is an undeniable beauty to this era and I have found some wonderful things about our ballet dress and the world around it that is full of the colours I adore. We can see just how fashion and artistry intersect. From simple origins in the 1840s, to the twirling glories of the Romantic Tutu of this era, and onwards!**

It seems there will be a very fashionable future ahead. A future that I can already see because I am travelling back to it right now! And please let me know how you’ve embraced your ‘pinkness’ and embraced the joy of the tutu, as you look ahead, with hope and wonder to the amazing history that's just around the corner… and maybe even, embrace my vision and get yourself that pink tutu!

So, keep an eye out for next Tuesday, I’ve got plenty of historical delights in store for us! Until next time, darling tutulovers, keep on twirling and spreading the pink!

#TutuTuesday #BalletHistory #PinkTutu #RomanticEra #TimeTravel #1840s #Paris #MuseeDesArtsDecoratifs