How The Ballet Tutu Has Changed Over Time

The ballet tutu has seen many changes in the last 300 years. All of which have been made for the comfort of the dancer and to emphasize the choreography of the dance. Back in the 16th century, the first version of the tutu was Baroque Costuming. Baroque Costuming was very heavy, stiff and usually quite ornate in the corset of the dress. It was also very long as it covered most of the legs. This dress was very limiting to a ballerina. It prevented flexible movement of the torso, the weight of the dress caused more exerted energy, and it prevented viewers from seeing the intricate foot work of the dancer. Due to these inhibiting features of Baroque Costuming, the Romantic Tutu was created.

The Romantic Tutu's corset became less stiff with the loss of ornate deigns. This allowed for back bends and circular movements of the torso. The skirt of the dress was cut above the ankles to allow the audience to see the dancer's foot work. It consisted of 3-5 layers of the light material of either tulle or muslin. The new skirt design eliminated much weight and gave a kind of "weightless" effect. The next tutu to appear was the Classical Tutu. Once the pointe shoe was invented, a ballerina could stand on the tips of her toes and appear more weightless and ethereal. This made the leg and foot work of the dancer become the focal view point. In order for the audience to witness more fully the added choreography, like the high kicks, jumps, and turns, the tutu was shortened further.

The first Classical tutu's skirt started at the hips and jutted out horizontally on a diagonal, ending at just above the knee. Its skirt consisted of more layers than that of the Romantic, and was made with a net like material. The resulting shape was that of a bell. Next in line is the Bell Tutu, so named for its bell like shape. The Bell Tutu is a mix of the Romantic and Classical tutus. Its skirt has more layers of fabric and is shorter than the Romantic Tutu. However, when compared to the Classical, it is just the opposite. The material used for the skirt could be that of tulle, net or both. Today, all of the tutus are in wide use, with the Romantic and Classical tutus having two main styles. The two Romantic styles are called Romantic Tutu and Romantic Tutu with Basque. The two main Classical's are Platter Classical Tutu and Powder-puff Classical Tutu.

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