Tutus are the perky tulle skirts ballerinas wear on stage and every three-year-old girl’s dream. The engineering behind those tutus is actually a lot more elaborate than you’d think.
To put it in numbers, the making of each tutu takes about four days, 300 ft of tulle, and will cost up to $2,000 or more, depending on the quality and design. When you learn that ballerinas can go through 150 of those skirts in their careers, it turns into a serious expense.
The Ballerina Jumps
One of the most impressive elements in ballet is the jumps, which reach incredible heights.
In fact, adding up all the jumps a single ballerina does in one show would total around 900 feet. That's about three times the Statue of Liberty!
People Love Watching Tutus
Close your eyes and try to picture a ballerina. Was the ballerina wearing a tutu? We're going to guess she was. And you know why? Because audiences love them.
Actually, it has been found that viewers enjoy a ballet performance more upon noticing a tutu on stage. We can totally see the allure.
No Two Performances Are Identical
Just like with a big Broadway musical, a big ballet production performs the same ballet day in and day out. But the performance is never completely identical, and if you watch the same production twice you'll be able to notice the subtle changes.
Sophie Martin, a principal ballerina for the Scottish Ballet, says those changes are what helps her stay balanced when performing the same show every night.
Ballerinas Go on Tours
Big professional ballet productions often go on national and international tours, which means that the dancers get to see the world like rockstars.
While this may sound appealing to some, this life can be harder on others, who have to spend a long time away from their families and loved ones.