The Sewing Place

Karinska-Balanchine Tutu

Barbara

Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« on: April 05, 2018, 23:44:57 PM »
Lovely to see the Sewing Forum Reborn! This is where my tutu adventures began!

I've made all sorts of tutus; classical, bell, upside down, romantic etc ... but today brings my first request for a Karinska style tutu.

Wikipedia says that the powder puff tutu was created by Barbara Karinska for Balanchine so he could pack lots of dancers on stage without their wobbly hooped tutus mashing up together ... my paraphrase  :S. Tutus have evolved again since then of course and will continue to change into the future I'm sure.

I'm making it 5cm shorter than I would usually make for this dancer and aiming at a perky bell style with a mixture of stiff and soft net and a bit tulle for some volume.

I guess I'm looking for affirmation. It's not in my usual repertoire of tutu styles.

cheers

B





Iminei

Re: Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2018, 07:53:00 AM »
The "Powder Puff" Tutu
With a large assembly of dancers on stage – as was often preferred by Balanchine—the traditional "pancake" tutu with its stiff wired layer would bob and dip when the dancers' skirts brushed up against one another and this bobbing and dipping would reverberate long after the steps were complete.

Karinska solved this problem by devising the "powder puff" tutu, with a shorter skirt made of six or seven layers of gathered net, each layer a half inch longer than the preceding layer. The layers were tacked together for a fluffier, looser appearance than the stiff "pancake" tutu. Because the shorter layers are self-supporting, no wire hoop is needed in the "powder puff" tutu, aka the Balanchine-Karinska tutu.

This tutu design has become standard in ballet companies all over the world since it first appeared in 1950, in the ballet Symphony in C. Balanchine said, "I attribute to [Karinska] fifty percent of the success of my ballets to those that she has dressed."

Karinska collaborated with Balanchine on seventy-five ballets in all. The first ballet she made for Balanchine from her own designs was Bourrée Fantasque in 1949. In 1956, for Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, Karinska created the knee-length chiffon ballet dress, which has also become a standard design for ballet costumes.



In this forum Benjamin Barbara we like pics .....


The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

eclectic

Re: Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2018, 10:59:19 AM »
oooh did you make that tutu Iminei? I love the plate!

Iminei

Re: Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2018, 13:45:15 PM »
Don't be ridiculous ... everyone knows I can't sew!!!
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

eclectic

Re: Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2018, 14:44:45 PM »
Don't be ridiculous ... everyone knows I can't sew!!!
It comes to mind now that you say that ...I think you had the jimjam waistband question??... that post was so funny  :D

Lollipop

Re: Karinska-Balanchine Tutu
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2018, 20:29:51 PM »
Can't add anything that hasn't been said by Imi and on Fb Barbara but would like to welcome you here. We need more tutu chat  <3
Was Sewnanny