The History Of Modern Day Tutus
The first tutu was designed and given to French dancer, Marie Taglioni. The design was a daring and flirty skirt of light flowing fabric that came just above her ankle to her mid-calf. The word "Tutu" is believed to be a childish play on the French word for the dancer's bottom, 'cucu'. As the skirts got shorter the public was able to see up the dancer's skirt. When the Romantic style of tutu gave way to the Classical Tutu which read the dancer's knee and would introduce the multi-layered and stiff skirts that exist today seem to jut out from the dancer's body. They are made mostly of tulle netting. To have a complete costume is today's world a tutu could be a separate skirt or attached to a bodice. It created great popularity because of the easier freedom of movement while creating a graceful line on stage. Since there was no longer a problem with the stiff, long skirt the dancers were free to come up to design more intricate steps and make them more athletic. Many young girls with ballerinas have become the popularity of the dance with the tutu-style skirts in chiffon, tricot and tulle.
They have also become popular attire for young girls to wear anytime, not just on the stage. Historian Jennifer Homan, who used to bee a professional ballet dancer, looks at ballet's evolution over the last 400 years. She looks at the parallel changes in ideas that have occurred about class structure, gender, costume, the ideal body and of course what the body should be able to do physically. According to Homans ballet got its start in the Renaissance courts of Italy and France. Of course this would lead to dancers performing for the royal courts and then also asking the audience to participate. Tutus and satin shoes or the actual wearing of tutus were not actually used by the first ballet dancers.
This is where the formalization of the first footwork patterns occurred. They were first, second, third, fourth and fifth position. Many are still used today. In the early days of ballet men had to perform the more extravagant and intricate footwork. During the French Revolution the female dancers became stars. Men were reviled onstage in the 1830s. They were thought to be a disgrace but the female dancers took on the ideals that were common during the aristocratic art form.
About the Author
http://www.tutuuk.com/shop has a wide choice of tutus in all price ranges from a basic tutu to a professional stage tutu and every tutu in between! Take a look now at http://www.tutuuk.com/shop to see our amazing selection of tutus.
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here