Bonjour mes chƩries! It's your favourite pink-tutu-clad time-travelling blogger Emma, back for another journey through the captivating history of ballet tutus. Today, I'm whisking you back to the 10th of August 1869 - a day full of delightful possibilities for a true tutu-lover like myself!
Now, 1869. A rather exciting time in history! We're just getting over the Franco-Prussian war, the Suez Canal has been opened, and there are thrilling new inventions like the telephone and the typewriter being unveiled! All of this, naturally, needs celebrating - and what better way to celebrate than with a trip to the ballet?
Speaking of which, darling! Imagine this - Paris. That gorgeous city that everyone knows for its fashion, its architecture, and its theatre, oh la la! Itās a Monday evening and the theatre is filled with buzzing excitement. A crowd of glamorous ladies with feathers in their bonnets and beautiful gentlemen in top hats all vying for the best seats to see the most popular ballet company in the world, the Paris Opera Ballet, at the Paris Opera House, the grandest theatre in Europe!
Oh my! How utterly magical would that be? A gorgeous ballerina in her soft pink tutu taking centre stage, twirling in a grand pas de deux - the perfect romantic gesture in this charming world of music and movement. The idea sends shivers down my spine, itās utterly divine.
But before we lose ourselves in the excitement of a Parisian ballet night, let's step back in time and delve into the story of those fabulous ballet tutus. Letās get back to the origins of tutus so we can fully appreciate just how fabulous and feminine this ballet uniform has become.
You know how much I love digging up little tidbits about fashion and ballet, and todayās history lesson is one for the books!
Letās rewind back to the 18th century. Back in the days of Marie Antoinette and powdered wigs, there was no need for a tutu in ballet!
Imagine thisā¦a time when ballerinas on stage wore long, flowy skirts, like dainty fairies fluttering through a magical woodland. Now imagine that long, flowing skirt getting in the way of graceful pirouettes and daring leaps! Such a dreadful fate, darling! This is the moment that our ballet tutu hero - Marie Taglioni, who Iāve written about before in this very blog, steps into the spotlight.
Now this woman wasn't just any ballerina! She was like the BeyonceĢ of her day, renowned for her graceful lightness and athletic ability. But more than anything else, this gorgeous lady loved showing off her exquisite legs - and the full skirts worn by ballerinas back then just wouldnāt do!
Marie wanted to transform ballet. She dreamt of freedom in her dancing and she dreamt of showcasing her lovely legs for all the world to see. And so, Marie and her designer decided to cut the skirts way up, introducing a revolutionary new silhouette: the shorter skirt with several layers of tulle, just like a ballerinaās outfit today. It was almost scandalous for the time!
A beautiful, revolutionary move. It freed the ballerina to move! Imagine it, the sheer, elegant, ethereal skirt of the modern ballerina tutu, floating through the air, allowing for daring, breathtaking jumps, delicate pas de bourrees, and captivating fouettes! Iām getting shivers just thinking about it!
As the 19th century marched on, this new style spread across the ballet world.
And who else is mentioned when talking about the tutu? The most important ballerina in all the world...the one and only, Carlotta Grisi, whose grace and beauty are legend.
Yes, itās her story we need to tell today, for you know, darling, how much I love the romance of it all.
Now Carlotta Grisi was a world-renowned Italian ballerina. Imagine - Italy, known for its beautiful operas, its exquisite pasta, its passion and romance! This woman's legacy is a truly important one. Imagine this: a graceful dancer in a tutu, like an ethereal nymph on stage, embodying not just skill, but passion, heart, and the captivating story sheās telling in each step and gesture. It's mesmerizing!
And on this very day in 1869 she had one of the greatest moments of her entire career! A triumphant night - a moment for which the greatest ballerina in all the world had worked tirelessly her entire life! And not only had Carlotta worked to refine her artistry, she worked relentlessly to create, shape, and hone the art of the ballerinaās tutu.
This queen of the ballet had dedicated her life to its craft! From her earliest steps as a young girl to this glittering moment under the bright lights of the Londonās Covent Garden Theatre, the most beautiful and revered theatre of all England! Carlotta had truly conquered the world!
Her story and the story of this famous ballet are intertwined. In 1845, on this very stage, she appeared as the first woman ever to wear the white tulle tutu, as part of the famous romantic ballet, Giselle!
Can you even imagine? To think this most loved ballerina, this star who was adored around the world, the one that revolutionized the ballerina's skirt, by daring to move and dance with freedom, beauty, and confidence! This lady in the Giselle tutu, who captivated all England with her beauty, passion and artistry! To think that very same tutu is here - right now in the Covent Garden Theatre, a magical monument to this woman's brilliance!
Imagine my delight at the possibility! A glimpse of the very tutu that captured the imagination of the world!
As the ballerina steps onto the stage, she is breathtaking! As the Giselle tutu swishes gracefully in the spotlight and the entire theatre is buzzing with anticipation - I, my lovely darling reader, simply canāt wait! What will I witness on this magical day in Londonās Covent Garden Theatre? I have to get there and see this legend live on stage, wearing the tutu that captured the imagination of a nation and continues to captivate today.
There is simply nothing else in the world that thrills me more than ballet and a tutu, my sweet darling reader. And a ballerina like Carlotta? The most wonderful ballerina the world has ever seen? I must try to see her myself.
If I have learnt anything on my journey so far, it's this: you simply never know what will happen on any day - even on the 10th of August 1869. Thatās why I'm here on my journey - the journey through history! Because I get to learn new things each day - about this amazing world of fashion, music and dancing! I get to follow the threads of these stories!
My mission, you see, darling? To show the world how exciting, dynamic and joyful ballet can be! Itās the art of our time. A magical combination of passion, poetry, movement, and of course, tutus!
Until next week, darling. Take care, wear a tutu and follow me on Instagram @EmmaPinkTutu,
With much love,
Emma
P.S. I am raising funds for my time-traveling excursions by selling my bespoke, hand-made pink tutus at www.pink-tutu.com, a new venture that brings joy and happiness to the lives of many.
Please pop in, darling, I'd love to hear from you! And who knows, you might be wearing a beautiful, magical tutu like mine before too long. The possibilities are limitless!
