Hello darlings! Welcome to #TutuTuesday on www.pink-tutu.com! This week marks my 1746th post, can you believe it? Time just whizzes by, a bit like a ballerina in a fouettĂ©, but then again, I am a time traveler so I get to see the world unfold at different paces! đ Today, we're going back to June the 13th, 1865. A glorious summer day - I just had to pop on my prettiest pink tutu and imagine what was going on in the world of dance!
My travels brought me toâŠdrumroll pleaseâŠthe bustling metropolis of Paris! Oh darling, itâs a fashionistaâs dream! I was smitten with the vibrant energy and elegance of this Parisian scene, but I wanted to know - were they doing the tutu then, too? And did it look like ours?
Imagine my delightful surprise when I found myself at the OpĂ©ra de Paris! (I had to make it to that beautiful, historic building.) And wouldnât you know it, it was the premiere of âLe Corsaire,â a beautiful ballet, complete with captivating dancers who swept across the stage in a whirl of, well, not tutusâŠyet!
The Dress That Wasnât Yet a Tutu: You see, in 1865, these darling dancers were decked out in outfits resembling our modern ballet dresses â form-fitting, lightweight, and easy to twirl in, but they still had long, flowing skirts that trailed behind them! So while the idea of a dance garment for maximum movement was in full swing, the actual âtutuâ name wasnât really being used.
The skirts of that time were often adorned with delicate lace and silk, perfect for accentuating a ballerinaâs every elegant move! You wouldn't see the shorter, tighter, almost-there tutus we know today. That would have to wait a bit longer, darlings! I guess, you could say that ballet was in its very own "tutu-in-the-making" stage, but still as gorgeous!
Why the Delay?
Well, times were changing. Dance was evolving. You can see in these "not-yet-tutu" outfits the movement and grace starting to take form. It was exciting to see how these dances, which became popular throughout Europe in the 1800s, were bringing freedom and expression to the stage! I was thrilled to get my own little taste of the grands jetĂ©s and fouettĂ©s, because they certainly brought a lot of attention to the ballerinaâs legs! (Whatâs the point of a dancerâs legs, if you can't show them off, eh?! đ )
I felt a tiny pinch of regret that these dancers hadnât yet discovered the delightful tutus we know today, but I had a revelation: The Tutu was more than a dance garment! It was a statement of evolution, a way to tell the story of a change in fashion, in choreography, in the movement of dance. It wasnât just a costume.
Now, to bring a bit of my own pink-tutu spirit into the mixâŠimagine me at that very grand opera house, standing at the front of the orchestra pit, right before the ballet starts! I had an entire audience staring at me in disbelief when the lights dimmed! I might have had to hide behind a potted palm to avoid getting a fine!
However, while I wasn't able to whip out my signature pink tulle and take a spin myself in the center of the stage, (let's just say those strict theatre managers wouldn't have loved that!), I did make my own fashion statement in a little-known way! You see, I had âtutuâ designs on my sleeve from the very start â my grand design, which, darling, has nothing to do with an architect, involves pink tutus!
I believe every day is #TutuTuesday, in spirit anyway, but for this post, letâs bring our tutu-ness to the present day: How about we all do a little research, darlings? What dance trends and designs can you find? I'll be waiting for your replies. I may just visit some of those historical places I see mentioned, so Iâll be sure to take notes! You can be sure, once I gather enough inspiration, youâll see it in my latest tutu creation, pink, of course!
Stay fashionable, and may all your dreams be "tutu"-ly marvelous! đâš
Emma x
P.S. For a quick trip to my little online fashion archive, please click the links below. This blog's the newest addition to it! See you next Tuesday for more tutu magic!
www.pink-tutu.com
[Link to last week's post]
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Disclaimer: Please note: Iâm a Time Travelling Tutu Enthusiast and a whimsical, lighthearted fashion blogger, but I donât have any proper training in historical analysis! All the above is to the best of my knowledge based on my *tutu-tastic research â but take it all with a pinch of dance floor salt. This is just Emma's personal, enthusiastic, fashion-filled opinion!* đđ
