Hello darlings!
It's me, Emma, back with another #TutuTuesday post and what a glorious day for a dance, it is! Today marks a very special day in ballet history - let's go back to the 17th August 1858...
Now, if you are a true ballet aficionado, you know the tutu, our iconic, symbol of grace and feminine beauty, is far from a new thing!
Think swirling fabric, elegant movements, the thrill of the dance. A little over a century ago, ballet tutus were not just a pretty sight - they were in the throes of evolution! The tutus of this period were starting to embrace a new romanticism. The Romantic Era of ballet had blossomed, a truly thrilling time! We're talking softer fabrics like silk and muslin, with wispier layers, allowing ballerinas like Carlotta Grisi to really dance and leap. Gone were the heavy and cumbersome, heavier skirts! They just could not compete with the romantic air, the flowing movement of a ballerina's gentle pirouette.
What does the 17th of August 1858 tell us about these dreamy tutus, you ask?
Well, let me take you on a whimsical train journey... All aboard, my lovelies, we're off to Paris!
On this date, the Opéra de Paris had the honour of showcasing a certain M. Marius Petipa’s brand new ballet, La Esmeralda. This story of the captivating gypsy, the Notre Dame Bell-Ringer, and a rather mischievous, loveable cloak-wearing character named Quasimodo (the ultimate anti-hero!), brought about a wave of new dances and, you guessed it, new tutus!
Now, darling, the heart of La Esmeralda is an entrancing dance - the "Danse de la Esmeralda," or The Dance of Esmeralda - and it's right here, in this magical scene that the evolution of the tutu reached a turning point. This ballet was designed for two prima ballerinas, with Esmeralda’s costume in all its glorifying glory making waves throughout the world of fashion and, needless to say, ballet! The very air was infused with romanticism! And, as much as I love pink, the colour du jour for the day? White! Pure, innocent, utterly radiant.
This delicate, feminine dance by Esmeralda (the beautiful prima ballerina, Mme. Lucille Grahn!) in the softest white tutu… let's just say it made history, my dears. She captivated the whole of Paris! It was a truly elegant moment, highlighting the feminine side of this ethereal creation.
But what about that famous Esmeralda costume, the one you might be picturing right now in your minds? This one, you will not see at any gala, for, this was something altogether more practical, something, for lack of a better term, more working girl than dainty ballerina. Esmeralda, our gypsy dancer, in this, her second act costume was meant to show she's no stranger to street dances, something far more casual than the ballets of her peers. She's ready to turn heads - she's daring, adventurous, and full of joie de vivre! Imagine black silks, sparkling beads and fringing.... You are in the belly of Paris, you see the dance… This was not your typical, sweet ballerina number, my dears - Esmeralda was more street dancer, with an added flourish!
Speaking of street dancers - on that very day in 1858, on a more modest stage in Derbyshire, a humble dancing school opened. Though the name has long been forgotten, what this school had, what made this opening momentous, were dancers eager to dance! That very day they were given the chance to perform at this very special opening. My family would never have thought that this humble school would be linked with Paris.
Let's bring it all back together… Back to that famous Esmeralda tutu of this year!
That is my #TutuTuesday blog for today - a day full of tutus - don’t forget to pop over to my Pinterest page, or give me a like on my Facebook page, and make sure to let me know how much you love ballet. Don't forget to share this with your friends, I love seeing how excited you all are by our Tutu Tuesday Ballet Tutu History series! Lots of love to you - stay elegant and chic,
Emma The Pink Tutu
www.pink-tutu.com
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