Bonjour mes chères amies! It's Emma here, your trusty tutu-clad time traveller, and it's #TutuTuesday! Today we're taking a trip back to the fabulous, frilly, and frankly fabulous world of ballet, circa 1864, a date of immense importance in our dance history. Let me tell you, darlings, back then the fashion scene was as exciting as a sugar plum fairy landing on a marzipan castle!
Now, picture it, if you will, the year 1864, a time when trains were the pinnacle of luxury travel (a ride I personally adore!). My little time-traveling heart leaps for joy whenever I step onto a steam engine – such elegance, such a romantic scent of coal and progress! As I zoom through time, I just have to remind myself to keep the tutu perfectly pristine and, of course, to not travel on the roof. My travelling companion, a handsome gentleman named Ernest, tells me that the fashionistas of the time (that would be the "dandies," as they are so fashionably termed) would adore this train journey, and oh darling, how I love being ahead of my time. I know he finds me utterly adorable, but I must be the one to pick our outfits for the occasion, always matching a dazzling, pale pink to Ernest’s beautiful, bold maroon.
Back in the 1860s, the ballet world was alive with energy. Think flowing Romantic ballerinas and those delightful, whimsical creatures – the Sylphs – gracing the stage in light, airy gowns with more ribbons than a dressmaker could shake a thimble at. I’m not sure what to think of all those ribbons! The very image of such beautiful movement inspires me and oh my, the drama of those soft shoes, so silent yet so captivating.
On 27th December, 1864
We happen to be in Paris today. This most glorious city is, of course, the capital of fashion and a place that knows how to throw a spectacular dance soirée, and guess what my darlings? It's the season of the most elegant, grand ball season! Every evening, a dazzling event featuring dazzling dancers, delightful decor, and, oh darling, enough sparkling diamonds to dazzle a king! And on this most momentous of days, dear Ernest and I find ourselves amongst the throng of elegantly-dressed Parisians watching La Fille du Régiment at the Opéra-Comique, a performance featuring a beautiful and vivacious Mademoiselle Déjazet, a name forever synonymous with Parisian chic.
We've learned, however, that this performance has quite the tale of a missing shoe. Let me explain, on the fateful night of December 27, during the first act, Mademoiselle Déjazet found herself, shall we say, rather surprised during the dance La Polka des Chérubins. To much dramatic pause, the lace-edged silk-stockings of the beloved Mademoiselle Déjazet...simply, were no more! What’s a ballerina to do with missing tights, even back in 1864?! Imagine the gasp and utter, delightful chaos. Fortunately for all of us, she simply slipped off her slipper, replaced the stocking and danced on with elegance and panache.
And how I adore that spirit! What could be more glamorous than losing a slipper during a beautiful ballet routine? What could be more iconic, more captivating than an unexpected change in the performance, even the losing of one’s dancing attire? I, of course, had a tiny bit of a mishap of my own on this night. During my train journey to Paris, I felt the air currents getting a little too intense. I thought the whole engine would simply take to the air and sail up through the clouds. In fact, the moment was just thrilling. Of course, my beautiful pale pink tutu decided to fly off. I have no idea where it went, as I landed with a whoop right in the midst of an utterly beautiful ballet dancer in full performance mode. Imagine that! The look on her face was one of absolute horror at this sudden interruption but luckily she found her comedic edge after a moment’s awkward pause. As I rose from the air with a gasp and pulled myself up (and gathered up my tutu), my audience let out an earsplitting round of applause, and with Ernest on his way with his new travel blanket, I felt I had quite achieved the ‘time traveller to celebrity status’. But darling, that is another tale for another day.
And speaking of La Fille du Régiment what could be a more charming name, in keeping with the romanticism of 1864. I can already tell, after a little research (and with my tutu knowledge, that's a lot of research), this most iconic and charming ballet was the reason many ballet fans – like me – will always associate this period in time with an emphasis on the romanticism of life in a much lighter era than now. This time period (I'm thinking about the second half of the 1800s, specifically) represents an entire wave of dancing which made its way across all types of societies – not only just ballet performances on a large stage, but a time of many types of dance with the same romanticism, especially, I might add, in those countries where ballet thrived. Ballet was an incredible mix of movement and storytelling, all dressed up with pretty (sometimes slightly flamboyant) dancing tutus of all varieties.
So what happened next in ballet fashion?
Of course, I have just begun our exploration, but oh darling, imagine! Imagine the 1880s: the age of the Romantic tutu which had gathered a bit of a sense of sophistication and became more and more streamlined and sophisticated, with the ballerina’s beautiful, bare, and toned legs being ever so beautifully highlighted. I love how we see this shift of the skirt from long to short. It’s such a clear evolution and darling, you won’t believe just how fascinating the shape of that evolution becomes. Oh darling, just imagine it! Imagine those little frilly legs! Those flowing, elegant tutus!
I'll be back next week, and next time I will be whisking you away on another enchanting adventure, diving deeper into the world of the ballet tutu and revealing even more fascinating stories, so don't forget to keep a keen eye on your computer screens on #TutuTuesday next week.
Stay chic and keep your toes pointed!
Your loving time traveller and ballet fanatic,
Emma
xxx
P.S For any of you lovely readers who are considering a grand outing to see a ballet show this week or maybe just browsing the latest styles in our amazing ballet boutiques – think of me! Every sale helps fund my time travel, and those shoes have got to stay in the latest styles, for that most delicious trend that is all about pink!
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