Ballet Tutus

   When I was in my assisting class at dance today, I was inspired to write about tutus. One of the little girls in the class that I was helping with was wearing one, and instantly, I knew that tutus was what I was going to blog about.

   Being a ballerina myself, tutus are a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I know that sounds really cheesy and kind of strange, but it's true. I absolutely love them. I've done a little bit of research about them so that I could know about all of the different types of tutus. Ballet tutus are absolutely not to be mixed up with any other form of women's skirst. They are specifically titled ballet tutus for a reason. Ballerinas wear them when dancing a ballet.
 
      Now, there is not just one style of tutu for ballet that everybody uses, there are many. In ballet, there are four major types of tutus. There is bell or pancake tutus, which are both classical, then there is the romantic tutu and the Balanchine-Karinska tutu. Because I was so excited to learn about these tutus, I felt that I should share what I learned with my readers.

•  Classical Pancake Tutu-The pancake tutu extends directly from the hips. It is worn with a hoop to keep it's shape very straight and flat, like a pancake.

•  Classical Bell Tutu- The bell tutu extends directly from the hips. Unlike the pancake tutu, it is not worn with a hoop. Instead, it has the sloping shape of a bell.

•  The Balanchine-Karinska Tutu- This tutu actually has an interesting background. The famous ballet master George Balanchine often choreographed ballets with a very large number of dancers. There were often many problems with the dancers traditional pancake tutus brushing up against each other, so Karinska, a famous designer from the 1950's who costumed Balanchines dancers, set out to fix that problem. She created the so-called powder puff tutu that had a much looser appearance and supported itself without a hoop.

• The Romantic Tutu- The romantic tutu is in the shape of a bell and it is between knee and ankle length. It is free flowing and emphasizes lightness and ethereal quality when used in the romantic ballets. It is said to have been invented and made famous among European ballet dancers by Marie Taglioni, a famous ballet dancer in the romantic era.

   After reading this, I hope that you have learned some new things about tutus. The next time that you see a ballet, I hope that you would appreciate all of the different styles and forms of the beautiful art of...
THE TUTU