Basic Facts About the Lovely Tutu Skirts

Basic Facts About the Lovely Tutu Skirts

The beautiful tutu skirts are staples in all ballet performances. If you were invited to a theater performance with no idea what to expect, just seeing a dancer wearing these skirts will make you know right away that you will be watching a ballet.

So, how did these skirts come about in the first place?

Short History of Tutus

Just so you know, the skirt for ballets didn’t look like the ones you see and are familiar with today. However, the skirt design changed when Marie Camargo opted to make her skirt shorter so that the audience can see her feet as well as the wonderful way that she was dancing. Back then, Camargo was very influential and soon after, people started following her lead.

It was in the 1830s when Marie Taglioni donned a romantic tutu prototype that extended 30cm above the ground. Following this moment, shortening the skirt was done little by little until the 1880s came and the whole leg was made visible.

Even though the romantic tutu consists of several tulle layers and is ideal for the ballet blanc, there were performances that required a different kind of skirt, something that was much shorter compared to that of Taglioni’s and also more appropriate for energic ballets.

For this type of ballet, a skirt attached to a hoop was made, which is the prototypical skirt that first comes to mind every time you hear the term tutu skirts.

The Etymology of Tutu Skirts

You can never discuss tutu skirts without having any idea about the word’s origin. Well, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the word comes from French just like other ballet terms.

However, its meaning is somewhat lost and remains open to different interpretations. For instance, one theory states that the word is derived from the tulle that was used for making the skirt, something that sounds very plausible.

Another theory is somewhat cheekier. The word comes from the slang term cul, which means buttocks, pertaining to the short length of the skirt as well as the fact that you can see the ballerina’s bottom.

Two Unbelievable Tutu Facts

When a ballerina doesn’t show any mercy to a pair of pointe shoes, that very ballerina would also treat her skirt in a different way. This is very believable, especially if you consider the price.

For instance, they cannot wash their tutu but following a long training session, the skirt may get somewhat dirty, and the sweat will even make the skirt start to smell. Ballerinas will then use water and vodka and spray their tutu skirts with this solution to address the issue.

Tutu skirts are definitely beautiful in more ways than one. Their cute and adorable appearance are the very reasons why they are some of the must-have wardrobe staples for many little girls today. So the next time you are looking for a new piece to add to your girl’s wardrobe, why not consider buying her a tutu skirt?