Hello my lovely tutudlings! Welcome to another #TutuTuesday blog! This week is super exciting for me - I'm travelling to the ballet mecca that is Paris, so expect a whole load of photos in upcoming posts! For now, though, let's hop back in the time machine and delve into a little tutu history.
As you know, my dearest readers, I am obsessed with tutus! So, obviously, I'm obsessed with how they got to be the amazing piece of ballet costume they are today! This week, I'm taking a look back at a rather special tutu era, focusing on the mid-19th century. Yes, folks, we're taking a deep dive into the Victorian era, where those billowing crinolines and hoop skirts really started defining women's fashion, even on the stage!
(But before we delve into all the frills â yes, pun intended â let me grab a delicious pink iced donut. Yum! Right back at you...)
Back to the tutus! In the mid 1800s, things were changing in the world of ballet. Think of it this way: the ballerinas were tired of those long, heavy dresses! It just made it impossible to perform some of the exciting steps and movements they wanted to do. They wanted to be free, flowing, elegant, graceful! (Who doesnât want that?!!)
Now, we can thank (or maybe thankless-ly blame, depending on your perspective!) that particular time period for the birth of the "Romantic Tutu." Itâs named that, as the Victorian period in England and Europe, which included a strong artistic movement, Romanticism, so it all kind of went hand in hand.
(Excuse me a moment, it's starting to rain... **grrr! Must find shelter from the dreadful rain before it soaks my outfit! It's my new baby pink fluffy tutu - just adore it!)
Okay, so whatâs so âromanticâ about these early tutus? They still weren't as streamlined as the classical tutu we see in the modern era. They still were rather long - even with the new streamlined skirt that stopped above the knee! Oh my! It gave the illusion of flowing lightness and a romantic femininity. Now think about that, the early tutus that were really romantic actually werenât short - what makes a ballet costume really look elegant and sophisticated today wasn't as easy as we imagine today! And it all went down in the 1840s, a hundred and eighty years ago! Thatâs amazing! It just makes me realize just how much things have changed, yet are always developing - even ballet costumes are ever changing and modernizing. There is an ongoing dance of evolving fashion, just as thereâs a dance on stage - isnât that just gorgeous?
And as you know, with the development of tutus came development of all sorts of techniques for dancing. New steps, poses, and more! It was like an artistic renaissance on the stage! (Even the menâs ballet costumes started evolving to allow for their new moves).
Oh my gosh, the colours in the late 1800s tutus... It seems they went crazy! There were emerald green, fiery scarlet, celestial blue... They were making their artistic statement to the world - ballet became like the modern, artistic fashion show - and they werenât just all white anymore! And it still didnât look messy, it was like a vibrant rainbow. You know, there is this certain kind of artfulness in wearing colourful clothing â something that many modern dancers now use in their performances to convey a story. Maybe they weren't consciously thinking about how modern fashion would eventually look and feel in centuries to come but the seed had definitely been sown.
(Oops! A bit sidetracked there. Just received a new order of pink nail polish from my online retailer⌠and its neon pink this week. Absolutely adore the new shades they come out with!).
The point is, my little tutudlings, those ballerinas, those artistic trailblazers, those tutu pioneers...they were like the fashion-forward icons of their day - showing off new techniques with an entirely new fashion way of doing it!
Imagine, if you will, the Victorian-era ballerinasâŚThey danced with so much passion, elegance, and skill... they were definitely giving us a look ahead at the future! Just like how the âromantic tutuâ started something super exciting...we get to be here today, still enjoying that trend. Isn't that a wonderfully inspiring thought? All I know is that my little tutu wardrobe is a great time machine! It allows me to channel my own inner âballerina through the agesâ!
And you know what? The evolution of the tutu doesnât stop there! Stay tuned, next week we will explore some later innovations from the early 20th century and see how the world of dance continued to make big steps (both literal and figurative!)... and stay in the pinkest mood with us. We are your ultimate guide to pink tutus, from how to pick a good tutu to tips for tutu etiquette, we got it covered!
And don't forget, my gorgeous pink tutudlings, I love to see photos of you in your tutus! Share them on social media using the hashtag #pinktutu and I might feature some of them in the blog, or better still, meet me and you will be on my special tutu calendar page of photos. Don't forget to also check out www.pink-tutu.com - Itâs bursting with all things pink and all things tutu! Until next time... wear those tutus with pride and happiness! I can't wait to hear all your tutu adventures!
(P.S.: Oh my gosh! Iâm so excited - todayâs the third of March! Whatâs special about this day you might ask? Itâs World Book Day! Oh, I love all things books! I absolutely love to get lost in a good story, so a day dedicated to celebrating books is always a winner for me!)
Your Tutu loving blogger,
Emma
Xxoo
