History Of The Universal Signature Piece Of Ballerinas The Tutu
The tutu was originally a universal signature piece of ballerinas. Most savvy women have a signature piece that speaks of their individuality, such as a special medallion, brightly colored silk scarves or a distinctive watch. But, when a whole profession shares the same mode of dress, it evolves to icon status.
Her tutu goes wherever the ballerina goes to perform. The tutu was first used centuries ago, and frequently becomes updated to modernize it, which results in the elegant form we see it in with ballerinas today.
In the beginning, the tutu was considered rather naughty. We will look back to the Romantic Period to understand this further, as it is this era where passionate feelings and artistic freedom were exercised strongly.
Marie Taglioni brought out the first tutu in Paris in 1832, when she was performing in the La Sylphide. This first rendition was called the Romantic Tutu. It came down to just below mid-mid-calf and was very sheer and wispy looking. This in the day was a bit scandalous.
Taglioni brought such etherealness to the stage the fashion gurus in Paris praised her sprite-like dancing. They attributed her costume with such buoyancy; it appeared she was flying across the stage.
The term of tutu originated with the patrons that sat in the cheap seats in the theater. These were normally the commoners, as the wealthy typically sat in the upper-level seats. The lower level gave the commoners an occasional glimpse under the skirts of the ballerinas, who lacked certain undergarments.
The story goes that these enlightening experiences led to much lively "baby talk". Using opera glasses, spectators seated in the lower level were rewarded with glimpses of ballerinas' culcul. Later, culcul was changed to tutu, possibly because most were made of tulle. (culcul is baby talk when referring to baby's bottom)
The Classical Tutu was the next form of this garment to be used by ballerinas to allow the audience to see the more involved ballet movements of the day that the dancers were then performing. The skirt came out from the hip a bit more to allow for more leg exposure. An Italian ballerina by the name of Virginia Zucci was the first to wear this Classical Tutu during the 1880s. The length of this tutu was just above the ballerina's knees and quite similar to the Bell Tutu of modern times.
This Classical Tut was then altered once again to show even more of the legs and feet of the dancers with the introduction of the Pancake Tutu from Russia or George Balanchine's Powderpuff Tutu. The Pancake contained stiff tulle netting. There was a wire hoop included on one of the ruffle layers that helped the tutu hold its basic shape.
Along with satisfying the audience's desire for a more-revealing tutu, this version help the ballerinas execute the pirouette, soaring leg extensions, higher jumps, and other intricate moves. However, now the ballerinas wore panties. This may have made the tutu a bit less scandalous.
Due to modern technology, such as streaming live performances over the internet, ballet continues to thrive globally, but the art remains true to its roots, from Sleeping Beauty to Swan Lake.
Around 150 tutus are used in performances like that of Sleeping Beauty, as stated by Faye Fullerton, the Royal Ballet Company's lead costumer. Faye also compares the price of tutus to that of the cost of one of the Faberge eggs.
There are several reasons tutus cost dearly. Most importantly is the prima ballerina her/his self. Each tutu must perfectly fit its wearer like a second layer of skin. Also, it can take months weeks to construct the tutu.
Next, we have to look at the material. Every tutu contains a total of 12 individual, net layers in the skirt along with steel hoops and the over-skirt that contains embellishments such as lace, embroidery, and sequins.
If a tutu is too short or tight, it can hamper the movements of the dancer. On the other hand, if one is too large the ballerina may feel that the tutu will help her take flight. Tutus are considered to some as dangerous, since the dancers cannot see their feet.
Although, these costumes are gorgeous, they are not necessarily the most practical of dress. Ballerinas could get their tiaras caught in the netting during back-bends or other moves, and their dancing partners would have to lend a hand to solve the situation.
Despite its illustrious beginnings, the tutu has evolved to sacrosanct status and chances are great it will withstand the annals of time.
Her tutu goes wherever the ballerina goes to perform. The tutu was first used centuries ago, and frequently becomes updated to modernize it, which results in the elegant form we see it in with ballerinas today.
In the beginning, the tutu was considered rather naughty. We will look back to the Romantic Period to understand this further, as it is this era where passionate feelings and artistic freedom were exercised strongly.
Marie Taglioni brought out the first tutu in Paris in 1832, when she was performing in the La Sylphide. This first rendition was called the Romantic Tutu. It came down to just below mid-mid-calf and was very sheer and wispy looking. This in the day was a bit scandalous.
Taglioni brought such etherealness to the stage the fashion gurus in Paris praised her sprite-like dancing. They attributed her costume with such buoyancy; it appeared she was flying across the stage.
The term of tutu originated with the patrons that sat in the cheap seats in the theater. These were normally the commoners, as the wealthy typically sat in the upper-level seats. The lower level gave the commoners an occasional glimpse under the skirts of the ballerinas, who lacked certain undergarments.
The story goes that these enlightening experiences led to much lively "baby talk". Using opera glasses, spectators seated in the lower level were rewarded with glimpses of ballerinas' culcul. Later, culcul was changed to tutu, possibly because most were made of tulle. (culcul is baby talk when referring to baby's bottom)
The Classical Tutu was the next form of this garment to be used by ballerinas to allow the audience to see the more involved ballet movements of the day that the dancers were then performing. The skirt came out from the hip a bit more to allow for more leg exposure. An Italian ballerina by the name of Virginia Zucci was the first to wear this Classical Tutu during the 1880s. The length of this tutu was just above the ballerina's knees and quite similar to the Bell Tutu of modern times.
This Classical Tut was then altered once again to show even more of the legs and feet of the dancers with the introduction of the Pancake Tutu from Russia or George Balanchine's Powderpuff Tutu. The Pancake contained stiff tulle netting. There was a wire hoop included on one of the ruffle layers that helped the tutu hold its basic shape.
Along with satisfying the audience's desire for a more-revealing tutu, this version help the ballerinas execute the pirouette, soaring leg extensions, higher jumps, and other intricate moves. However, now the ballerinas wore panties. This may have made the tutu a bit less scandalous.
Due to modern technology, such as streaming live performances over the internet, ballet continues to thrive globally, but the art remains true to its roots, from Sleeping Beauty to Swan Lake.
Around 150 tutus are used in performances like that of Sleeping Beauty, as stated by Faye Fullerton, the Royal Ballet Company's lead costumer. Faye also compares the price of tutus to that of the cost of one of the Faberge eggs.
There are several reasons tutus cost dearly. Most importantly is the prima ballerina her/his self. Each tutu must perfectly fit its wearer like a second layer of skin. Also, it can take months weeks to construct the tutu.
Next, we have to look at the material. Every tutu contains a total of 12 individual, net layers in the skirt along with steel hoops and the over-skirt that contains embellishments such as lace, embroidery, and sequins.
If a tutu is too short or tight, it can hamper the movements of the dancer. On the other hand, if one is too large the ballerina may feel that the tutu will help her take flight. Tutus are considered to some as dangerous, since the dancers cannot see their feet.
Although, these costumes are gorgeous, they are not necessarily the most practical of dress. Ballerinas could get their tiaras caught in the netting during back-bends or other moves, and their dancing partners would have to lend a hand to solve the situation.
Despite its illustrious beginnings, the tutu has evolved to sacrosanct status and chances are great it will withstand the annals of time.
About the Author:
Thank you to Tutu Etoile (www.tutuetoile.com) who helped with my ballet research. They sell classical and rehearsal tutus.