“What is the history of this strange protruding skirt which allegedly gets its name from the French children’s word cucu, meaning “bottom”?” Where did the iconic ballet tutu come from, and how did evolve to what it is now?

From Romantic to powder-puff, mid-century to modern the tutu has become an icon of ballet.

The early 19th Century saw the first developments as skirts were shortened and made of lighter materials to match the new ‘Romantic’ period of ballet and show off innovative new footwork.  By the end of the Century, skirts were above the knee as the technical demands on the dancer intensified.

What we generally recognise as the platter or plate tutu came to the fore in the early 20th Century as new materials became available and styles in general fashions changed (roaring 20’s anyone?)

Who thought the tutu could get even shorter? Well, by the mid 20th Century George Balanchine decided the powder-puff style was the way to go and Europe echoed with short, well structured forms that showed off the dancers legs and arms. 

By the time we were entering the 21st Century tutus were being made of anything and everything such as William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Stanton Welch’s Divergence.  Where will we go from here?

Main picture: Carlotta Brianza, the original Princess Aurora in Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty at the Mariinsky Theater in 1890. Courtesy the Petipa Society.

The dance world’s first Dame – Dame Adeline Genée was not only a success onstage, but also a champion of dance training. As the first President of the Royal Academy of Dance, she left a legacy that has lasted over 100 years.

Born in Denmark in 1878, her initial training and performing came from her uncle who had a small touring dance company. After professional success onstage in the Royal Danish Ballet, she danced in Germany, London, and North America.

In 1913, Genée visited Australia, dancing in Sydney and Melbourne in her most famous role of Swanila in Coppelia. In 1916 she returned to tour with JC William’s company at a time when ballet was just gaining traction in the new Land Down Under.

As Genée’s stage career was winding down, her next project was just beginning. After lamenting the state of dance training, a group of influential and knowledgeable former ballerinas came together to form a association designed to lift the quality of ballet teaching. Genée, along with Phyllis Bedells, Lucia Cormani, Edouard Espinosa, Tamara Karsavina formed the Association of Operatic Dancing in 1920, of which Genée was named President. The organisation, which later became the Royal Academy of Dance currently trains dancers and teachers in over 85 countries around the world. Having worked to standardise, codify, and develop training methods, she was named a Dame of the British Empire in 1950. Her retirement from the RAD in 1954 passed the baton to another influential English Ballerina – Margot Fonteyn.

Adeline Genée died in 1970, having made the ballet world a better place – for which we are all grateful.

Edouard Borovansky (1902-1959)

Sometimes known as the ‘father of Australian Ballet’ It’s often said he started the first Australian ballet company – but that’s not quite true… That was Helen Kirosova. Edouard, or Edward Borovansky had an enormous influence on the development of ballet in Australia.

Edouward Borovansky and his wife Xenia first came to Australia from Czechoslovakia in 1929 with Anna Pavlova’s touring company. It was a false start though, as they returned to Europe where Edouard eventually joined the Ballets Russe de Monte Carlo. They returned to Australia in 1938 with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, and the couple decided to stay as war loomed in Europe.

Starting a small school in Melbourne with Eunice Weston and his wife Xenia teaching – within a year they had enough students to start a small ballet company. The company’s local success eventually attracted financial backing from touring company J C Williams whose support meant the now named Borovansky Australian Ballet Company could present established repertoire, and new choreography by Borovansky himself.

As the company grew, it attracted more Australian dancers. Local stars such as Martin Rubenstein (eventually an RAD Examiner), Kathleen Gorman (later a renowned teacher), Garth Welch, Marilyn Jones (stars of the later formed Australian Ballet Company) were all part of the company.

In 1948 the company folded due to lack of funds – but Borovansky was not deterred. Reestablishing in 1951, a glorious period followed including an appearance from Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes in 1957, and a string of uniquely Australian choreographic works from Borovansky himself.

Sadly, in 1959 Borovansky died and the Borovansky Ballet passed into the hands of Dame Peggy vaan Praugh for 3 years until JC Williamson disbanded the company in 1961 – not without good reason though. A grant from the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, designed to lead to the establishment of the Australian Ballet Company was received, and as they say – the rest is history!

Coppélia (sometimes subtitled The Girl with the Enamel Eyes) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes.  The love story follows a couple (Franz and Swanhilda) and a magical toymaker (Dr. Coppélius) trying to bring a doll to life (Coppélia).  It eventually became the most performed ballet at the Opera. 

Coppélia premiered on 25 May 1870 at the Paris Opera, with the 16-year-old Giuseppina Bozzacchi in the principal role of Swanhilda and ballerina Eugénie Fiocre playing the part of Frantz en travesti. Modern-day productions are traditionally derived from the revivals staged by Marius Petipa and Enrico Cechetti for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg in the late 19th century.

Australia first encountered Coppélia in 1913 when Adeline Genée, former President of the Royal Academy of Dance, brought the ballet on tour with the Imperial Russian Ballet.  In 1946, the Borovansky Ballet (precursor to the current Australian Ballet) staged a version, and in 1958 Sir Robert Helpmann returned to Australia with the Royal Ballet and danced the role of Dr. Coppélius.

Shortly after the founding of the Australian Ballet Company in 1962, then director Dame Peggy Van Praagh created the iconic version the is still in the company’s repertoire today.  The full ballet is currently available to view on ABC iView.