#TutuTuesday Ballet Tutu History on 2009-03-03

Ooh la la! Welcome back to Pink-Tutu.com, darlings! It's Tuesday, which means it's time to delve into the delightful history of the tutu, that fabulous, twirly piece of sartorial genius that defines all things ballet!

This week I'm feeling particularly inspired. My last jaunt took me to Paris, the city of love and ooh la la and mon dieu! You wouldn't believe the amazing shops! So much pink and tulle! It's a dream, I tell you! But of course, Paris always gets my fashion heart fluttering. It's where the ballet first came to be! And speaking of the ballet…

This week's #TutuTuesday blog takes us back in time, to the glorious era of 19th century Paris. You won't believe what a fascinating history tutus have! And if you're in Paris in March 2009, well then, you'll find lots to see in this romantic and glamorous city!

You know me, darlings, I always love to give a little history before the tulle-tactics and twirling!

(Warning: There are going to be SO many pictures of beautiful tutus in this blog, you may be struck by an urge to grab your sewing machine! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Back in the days of Napoleon, there was so much dancing at the French court - it was the in thing! Now, ballrooms and courts are just the right atmosphere for a fluffy pink tutu, if you ask me! The ballerinas at the Paris Opera, though, they wanted to be even more… dramatic! Think, a little extra twirling for a good bit of dramatic flair! They weren't interested in those puffy gowns of the French Court - they needed something that moved! So the ballet dancers wanted more movement, and in steps the humble tutu!

And here's the secret of the tutu, darlings, it actually wasn’t meant to be quite so “short and fluffy” when it first appeared on the scene! Think about it – ballerinas want to show off their graceful legs! So it began as a sort of longer dress called a “romantica, made out of layers of fabric, flowy and ethereal! In the early 1800s this style of skirt - and you might be shocked by this - was long! Think like… knee-length! Even Marie Taglioni (and who wouldn't dream of being Marie?) the most celebrated dancer in the romantic period wore her romantica down to her feet for her famous role as La Sylphide, in 1832 !

And that, darlings, is the other big fact about tutus you’re going to be amazed by - it was a Marie Taglioni moment, and she was absolutely revolutionary! I can just imagine what a sensation her fluffy La Sylphide skirt caused at the ballet. Imagine it!*

(Warning, another gorgeous tutu photo about to blow your mind.)

Fast-forward a bit… It was Carlo Blasis, a big deal ballet master, who had the genius idea of adding a cage to create the poufy romantic tutu. Think, the first fluffy tutu if you will! It became known as the ‘tutu-romantica’, the most fabulous of dancewear. And this cage created such a fabulous, fluffy shape, you wouldn’t believe it! It practically wanted to float into the audience, and the Parisian ladies all just loved it, darlings!

The Parisian ladies wanted one, just one little bit of tutu magic, and then their lives were changed forever!

(Of course I know just the picture of a “tutu-romantica”, because there are loads of photos I took during my trip to Paris!)

This is a really exciting point in the ballet, darlings. The short tutu (the kind we love!) wasn’t a real hit until much later! Then a genius choreographer, that’s right, another genius, a guy named * Marius Petipa,* invented a smaller cage, so that now we were really talking about a very, very short tutu. I’m talking knee-length, ankle-length, maybe just above the knees, oh darling, a ballet dream! The tutu wasn’t meant to be for every performance. But once the short, poofy tulle arrived, every ballerina wanted to wear it! It changed everything - and just think, I was able to buy so many short tutus at that amazing Parisian shop just yesterday!

This, of course, wasn’t the end!

(Remember this blog is long but there's more tutu history to come!)

So what’s the story for today, darlings? We can now choose a romantic tulle-heavy tutu, a ‘petit’ tutu, that is shorter and less ‘billowy, ‘, *a ‘modern’ *tutu (maybe one in shades of grey!), *a *tutu with multiple tiers (amazing for those big dance moments) or even a tutu with ‘layers’ on top of other tutus! That's why ballet today is so fascinating - **the tutu just keeps getting better and better!

(As a tutu fan, and a huge supporter of pink tutus everywhere, of course I have more fabulous pictures of my favorite tutus - you can't get too many, you know?)

Every ballerina has their favorite tutu (and mine’s probably that glorious pink one!) but here’s what makes the ballet tutu such an enduring style choice for dancers and fashionistas around the globe, (That's us! I know it.)

• Romance! I mean, there’s nothing quite like a cloud of tulle floating around.
• Elegance! And of course there’s the effortless grace of the ballerina when she's on pointe.
• Twirling! Just thinking about twirling in a fluffy tutu - makes my day better.
• And oh darling, that colour Pink!
• Fun! The tutu gives the whole performance a little dash of magic.

This isn’t just about ballet either! I know you are ready to rock this look. Every girl and guy should wear pink. (Especially in a tutu!) If you love tulle, love ballet, love dance, love fashion, there's no need to hesitate! Just get out your sewing machine!*

*(The end to this post! * I think the time-traveling ballet-themed blogs will end when tutus become so well-known and widely worn everywhere... then I can simply wear my pink tutu and be on the move, to the shops, and the theater… *on to my next ballet performance. )

This post was inspired by my journey back in time to the heart of ballet’s glamorous home! If you are visiting Paris in March 2009, there are tons of great places to see including the ballet at the Opera House, the Louvre and loads of incredible shops to find tutus everywhere you go. Get shopping!

* Until next Tuesday darlings, remember:* Spread the Love. Spread the Tulle!

Yours in pink tulle and glitter,

Emma xx