How the ballet tutu appeared 200 years ago, and what transformations took place with it

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Almost two hundred years ago, the famous ballerina Maria Taglioni in Paris first appeared on the stage in a fluffy multi-layer skirt, which later became known as a tutu. By modern standards, it was a very modest suit - it covered the legs to mid-calf. The dress, which was revolutionary for its time, caused a lot of indignation, because before that the dancers performed only in long, completely closed dresses.

The cumbersome stage costumes of the dancers must have caused a lot of inconvenience until the middle of the 19th century. These dresses did not differ much from those in which the spectators sat, except that they were slightly shorter. A corset, many skirts and high-heeled shoes - this was the image of a ballerina in the old days. Considering that many candles were lit for performances in the theater at that time, the dances were hot in the literal sense of the word. It was a little easier to perform in ballets on the then fashionable theme of antiquity - prima dressed up in light tunics, but their length still remained within the bounds of decency, which greatly interfered with the developing ballet technique.

On March 12, 1839, Maria Taglione first appeared in a light and airy skirt at the premiere of La Sylphide. Such a revolutionary costume was invented for his daughter by Filippo Taglioni, himself a dancer in the past, who remained in history as a teacher and one of the greatest choreographers of the era of romanticism. Evil tongues said that the reason for the creation of such a costume was the awkward figure of Mary, the new outfit perfectly disguised her, emphasizing her dignity and creating a feeling of airiness and grace. The scandal that broke out served in this case only for the benefit, a comfortable and light skirt quickly took root among ballerinas and became, after a few decades, the main ballet costume. In addition, Maria for the first time replaced high-heeled shoes with special ones - with a reinforced toe, so that this particular ballerina first stood on pointe shoes.

Today it is difficult to judge the merits of the figure of Maria Taglione, but one legend has survived: when the famous ballerina was passing the border with Russia, the customs officers asked if she was carrying jewelry. In response, the prima lifted her skirts and showed graceful legs to the delight of everyone present. Today, when sports and show business stars insure their especially valuable body parts for round sums, such an answer does not seem ridiculous at all.

In our country, the French novelty did not take root immediately, since the mores were more strict. Only fifty years later did the fashion for a ballet tutu reach Russia. But our ballerinas have modified it, leading to a more modern look. There is also a legend on this account. Allegedly, the prima of the Bolshoi Theater Adeline Dzhuri in the early 1900s got angry at a skirt that was too long and simply cut off the excess with scissors. It happened before the next photo session, so the innovation was immediately noticed. Although fashion historians believe that the length of the tutus has decreased as a result of the development of dance techniques.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the ballet tutu has been constantly changing. Anna Pavlova, for example, most often performed in a very wide and long skirt, and since the 60s the tutu acquired the size of a flat "plate", and still remains so. However, the skirt in the style of Maria Taglione also returned to the stage, it is now called "Chopin" - because this is how Mikhail Fokin dressed the dancers in his Chopiniana. Another convenient touch of the ballet costume was the low waist - it was invented in the 20s of the twentieth century.

Previously, packs were sewn from gauze and starch before each performance. Today they are made of tulle, individually for each ballerina. One skirt takes more than 11 meters of fabric, it is laid with special folds, and the length of the layers changes so that the skirt keeps its shape - the diameter gradually increases, starting from the lower layer to the upper one. It takes about two weeks to make one pack. No buttons or zippers - just staggered hooks. Some particularly elaborate costumes are sometimes sewn directly onto the figure. Strictly speaking, today the whole suit is called a "tutu" - a bodice, a skirt and panties joined together. The modern image of the ballerina is the same historical heritage as the ballet technique, because it has developed over the centuries along with the dance itself.

Any stage costume should emphasize the figure of the artist. But what if your waist suddenly increased in volume? Answer from the famous ballerina: Continue to dance even when you're nine months pregnant.