Tutus

Origin of the tu-tu;

There are two main reasons that ballet dancers wear tutus during performances. One is that it isn't possible for the ballerinas to see their legs; this makes them work harder as the work automatically becomes all  the more difficult. The second is due to historical reasons.

Hundreds of years ago ballet dancers skirts were so long that it was rare for ankles to be shown. It was Marie Camargo who, in 1730 made her skirt much shorter. It was after this that shorter skirts became a lot more popular for dancers. It showed people the strength of their legs and how they worked.

To hide the area under the dress from people in the audience who were almost beneath the dancers, a new dress was invented. It was a dress with many layers and frills which joined at the bottom.

The tutu has since evolved into a disc of frills which stick out.

The tutu was made of light material that was extremely flammable. In the 1800's the light source in theatres was gas flame floodlights. Many dancers danced too close and set alight.

Where and When the Pointe Shoe Began

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The Origin of the Pointe Shoe

In 1661, when the Royal Ballet was created, ballet shoes had heels on them. This limited the dancers greatly. The first woman who wore a ballet shoe without a heel was Marie Camargo. She could do much more complicated moves and jumps without the restriction of the heel.                                                        

No heels on ballet shoes became the norm after the French Revolution. The shoe was flat and ribbons supported the dancers feet. The pleats beneath the toe allowed the ballet dancers to bend and stretch their feet. Dancers then began to rise onto their toes. They did so with the use of a 'flying machine.' This was invented by Charley Didelot. The audience loved to see the dancers on their toes and therefore people began searching for more practical ways to get the dancers on their toes.

The first dancer to use a shoe somewhat like a pointe show was Marie Taglioni. Here shoes were simply made of satin and darned a the ends. The sides were also darned to help to keep the shoe in place. The sole was leather. The dancers around this time did not have the support that a pointe shoe gives. All they had was padding in their shoes.

Another shoe similar to the pointe was discovered in Italy in the 1800's. These shoes contained a box made of layers of fabric. They had a strong sole. This shoe was then brought to Russia where it was improved. The nails were removed and they were simply stiffened at the toes so that the shoes made no noise. 

Later, shoes where fitted with steel shanks which let the dancer to 'tap'.

Later, pointe shoes became harder and the shoes were a lot less flexible.

Styles have changed a lot over the years, no longer are the tips made of steel but now is made of satin and glue.

Dancers usually wear 'ouch-pouches' to help to stop the pressure that the toes are being put under and to ease the toes. There are expensive gel ones available but the cheap foam ones seem to be just as good. To stop the tops of the pointe shoes being ruined, some dancers put socks on top of them during practice. 

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Where Ballet Began

In the beginning....

Ballet has always been one of the most famous types of dance. It is believed that ballet began in the French courts in around the 17^th century. It is uncertain however if it was Italy or indeed France in which ballet began. It was only later that the dance spread to England and Russia.   The word ballet comes from the Latin word ‘ballare’. This means ‘to dance.’

   
In the beginning, ballet dancers we not very professional or talented. Nowadays, however it is an extremely difficult style of dance. It has its own words for all the different moves and is danced to classical music. It is not easy to achieve the correct positions and takes many years of training to become a professional dancer.

    Classical ballet is not the only style, however. Neoclassical ballet came out in the 20^th century. The music is not as classical as traditional ballet.

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Hello,
My name is Zoe. I live in Ireland and I love dance. This blog is about the Geography of Ballet.

Enjoy!

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