The Development of Costume for Ballet

Out of the European court masques the two separate traditions of ballet and opera began to develop independently and with the opening of the Académie Royale de Danse in 1661 dance started to move from the court into the public theatres (V &

A Museum, n.d.-n).

The absence of the spoken word in balletic performances meant that the costumes developed much more along the symbolic route in terms of period, stylisation and characterisation, developing a set of conventions where certain characters wear a particular style of dress (Laver, 1964). With their beginnings in the classically influenced court ballet costumes, the movement of the dancers was in part dictated by the development of the costumes, particularly for the female characters, with their long skirts, cumbersome hoops and trains, when the

‘manipulation of voluminous skirts and graceful handling of heavy yardage in silk or velvet was an integral part of dance instruction’ (Kirstein, 34). These wide expanses of fabric also provided a background for large decorative motifs, patterns and decoration. During the late 1700s decorative Rococo prints and ornamental garlands were incorporated into costumes with flowers, flounces, ribbons, and lace in soft pastel colours (Tutu Etoile, 2015). Designer Jean-Baptiste Martin:

Devised decorative and amusing Rococo variations for the male dancer’s traditional costume. He utilized Inca, African, Chinese, and Mexican motifs in his ballets, and under his direction the tonnelet (hoop) took on an elliptical shape. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2105).

Costume designs by Jean Baptiste Martin Fig 36. ‘Paysanne Galante’ (Gallant Peasant) 1770 and Fig 37. ‘Indian Woman’, 1735

In the 1720s and 30s skirts became shorter and Mademoiselle Salle appeared as a classical statue, removing the wide hoops and wearing a costume made from draped muslin (Marley, 1982). Men’s costume began to reflect contemporary fashion and they also removed their tonnelet and replaced it with a jacket and fitted breeches. Jean-Georges Noverrre (1727-1810), a voice for ballet costume reform during the 1700s, wished to raise the expressive content of the ballet so that it became more dramatic. He became disillusioned with the over designed spectacle of previous ballets and pleaded for more graceful, asymmetric, draped costumes where the dancer would be unhindered by the large hoops. He wrote:

[All] characters have dresses cut upon the same pattern and only differ by their colours and that brilliancy which chance, not taste throws out promiscuously. Tinsel glitters everywhere. The more a dress is remarkable for gewgaws, spangles, broad lace and gauzes, the better it is calculated to please the actor and spectator, equally devoid of taste (Cited in Grave et al., 1998, p. ix).

He also introduced the idea of using different shadings of the same colour and colour combinations for groups of dancers on the stage rather than an overall uniformity. Influenced by the Neo-classical Grecian influence in the 1790s these reforms eventually led to a much freer approach to ballet costumes.

Fig 38. Anton Raff in Mozart’s 1781 Fig 39. Design by Lois Rene Bouquet circa 1750 Opera ‘Idomeneo’ wearing a tonellet

under a Roman style skirt

Fig 40. The 1767 ballet ‘Jason et Médée’ choreographed by Noverre

Noverre’s ideal was lost, however, with the advent of the Romantic movement of the 1800s which led to the development of the longer romantic tutu. The costume designed for ‘La Sylphide’ in 1832 and worn by Marie Taglioni (1804-1884) was made of white muslin and tarleton and was a shorter skirted version of the fashions of the time, becoming the accepted costume for all prima ballerinas

regardless of the subject matter of the ballet. This skirt gradually became shorter, transforming into the classic ‘pancake’ tutu.

Fig 41. Marie Taglioni in the ballet Flore et Zephre, 1831

The popularity of ballet waned during the latter half of the century until the arrival of Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929) and the Ballet Russes (Russian Ballet) in Paris in 1909, along with designers Alexandre Benois (1870-1960) and Leon Bakst (1866-1924). Bakst came into the theatre on the wave of choreographer Michel Fokine’s revolution in Russian ballet (see case study 4). Fokine (1880-1942) rejected full evening story ballets, like Swan Lake, where the ballerinas wore pink satin pointe shoes and tutus decorated with obvious symbols whatever the subject or setting. In Fokine’s ballets, the theme dictated the style of the choreography, music and design (V & A Museum, n.d.-b).

In contrast to the romantic ballets of the previous century, bold primary colours were used instead of pastel shades and designs had an exotic Oriental influence which was echoed in the fashions of the time. This theme was also seen in the work of Erte who as well as designing for the Ballet Russes, also designed for

music hall, opera and traditional theatre, reflecting the spirit of lavish spectacle and indulgence in escapism typical of this era (Neon, 2015). Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) would also design for the Ballet Russes, introducing cubist cardboard

costumes.

Fig 42. Erte design for a ballet costume

After Diaghilev’s death costume design for ballet began to be less restricted by the traditionalists and while the traditional tutu is still prevalent, with the advent of modernism and post-modernism, more freedom has been seen in design for ballet costumes during the 20^th and 21^st centuries. However, where a ballet is costumed in the traditional tutu style, decoration plays a crucial role in signifying the

character. Where all performers have the same silhouette, the only way to suggest character and period, except through the choreography and slight variations in the cut, is by the colours and embellishments used on the costume. This obvious

symbolism can be seen below in the two examples from the Royal Opera House archives:

Fig 45. ‘Firebird’ and Fig 46. ‘Snowflake’ tutus from the Royal Opera House archives