THE TUTU

brief history: the ballerina tutu has been called one of the greatest costume inventions of all time. 'tutu' is french baby talk for your bottom. the word for this ballet dance costume is a corruption of cucu, french babytalk for the word cul- cul roughly meaning botty wotty. legend has it that the term was coined by commoners, who unlike the wealthy sitting in the upper seats of the theatres, were seated in the lower levels. these commoners would look up at the dancer and have a very different view of the ballet. 'tutu' refers to the area seen under the ballerinas' skirts.

ANATOMY OF THE TUTU:

Ballet Tutu Bodice: the ballet tutu bodice can use from 6 to 15 panels of fabric. some of these pieces are cut on the bias (diagonal) which gives the fabric some stretch. the ballet tutu bodice is a separate piece of the ballet costume attached at the waistline or high on the hip; sometimes it is put together just with elastic tabs to allow movement.

the Tutu Basque: is the piece that sits on the waist to high in the hip. can be continuous with the bodice or a separate band.

The Tutu Skirt: The ballet tutu skirts determine the shape of the tutu and generally define the style: Romantic, Classical or Bell. These different tutu styles will be explained in the next section.

BALLET TUTU HISTORY AND STYLES:

The Romantic Tutu Skirt
The first ballet tutu is credited as appearing in Paris in 1832 on Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide. Her tutu skirt (see right) was cut above the ankle to show her famous legwork. This first ballet tutu style was dubbed, "The Romantic Tutu”. This romantic style occurred during the “Romantic” period in ballet costume history.

Romantic Tutus are long, floating and ethereal. They are usually 3 – 5 layers of soft tulle.

There are 2 types of Romantic Tutu. In the first type of Romantic Tutu, the skirt begins at the waist. The second type of Romantic Tutu is a dropped waist version. The skirt begins at the high hip and is called a Romantic Tutu with Basque.

The Classical Tutu Skirt
Historically, after the Romantic Tutu, came the Classical Tutu. The Classical Tutu was born from the viewers’ request to see more of the intricate movements that dancers were starting to perform. The Classical Tutu skirt jutted out horizontally from the dancer’s hips and showed more of the leg. This style of ballerina tutu was first worn by the Italian ballerina Virginia Zucci in the 1880s. This first Classical tutu ended just above the ballerina’s knees and looked more like the current Bell tutu skirt or even Romantic tutu skirt.

As the years went by the Classical Tutu skirt shrank to show more and more of the feet and legs. Today, there are two main styles of what is known as the “Classical” Tutu: the very flat Pancake / Platter / Plate or Russian design (this ballet tutu skirt goes by many different names!) and the softer Powderpuff or “Balanchine” style of Classical Tutu.

The tutu skirt ruffles on Classical Tutus are placed on a panty.The pancake style Classical Tutu has a wide, flat tutu skirt, is hooped, and is tightly tacked. It is made of stiff tutu netting.

Hooping is stiff petticoat wire inserted into a casing in one of the central ruffle rows. Hooping aids in keeping the tutu’s flat, stiff shape.

Powderpuff Classical Tutu Skirt
The “Powderpuff” style of Classical Tutu has a softer look. It is not hooped, has a shorter skirt and is tacked more loosely. It can be made of softer tulle (like the romantics) or a combination of net and tulle. (photo credit: Symphony In C Tutu, From Bentley, Toni, Costumes by Karinska, 1995, Harry N. Abrams, Inc, p. 104.)

Bell Tutu Skirt
Another ballet tutu fashion is the Bell Tutu. The Bell Tutu is named for its bell like shaping and is combines features of the Romantic and Classical tutu skirts. The Bell Tutu has shorter, more numerous tutu skirt layers than the Romantic and longer and less numerous tutu skirt layers than the Classical Tutu. The Bell has no hoop and is very loosely tacked. It can be made of softer tulle like the Romantic or net like the Classical or a combination of both. Like the Classical Tutu, it has ruffles that are stitched onto a panty.