The Romantic Tutu Has A Tragic Past - Emma Livry's Life

Author: Ashton Field

The Romatic ballet was introduced in 1832 with the production of La Sylphide by the Paris Opera Ballet. In La Sylphide the tutu was introduced to the public so that the audience could see the fancy footwork of the dancers. The first ballerina to wear a tutu was also considered one of the best at the time. Her name was Marie Taglioni. These tutus were sewn just high enough for the audience to be able to see the feet of the dancer. They were made of long flowing fabric and the dancers looked like they were floating on air. The women of Paris dearly loved the Romantic ballet and getting dressed up in their flowing skirts with extra wide shoulders and narrow waist to attend the theaters that were gas lit. These gas lights were considered to be high class in that time. They were also very dangerous and many ballerinas and actors were hurt in accidents involving the lights. Marie Taglioni stayed involved in ballet for the next 28 years.

First as a dancer and then as a choreographer the ballet in Paris flourished and spread around the world. Dancers were encouraged to have flame retardant added to their costumes but most refused as it made the tutus not hang correctly. The flame retardant also discolored the fabric. The flame retardant also turned the fabric yellow. Marie had spotted the talent of Emma Livry. They had a successful run with the ballet La Papillion in 1860 which Marie choreographed and Emma danced to the lead role as a butterfly. Finishing the run of this ballet Marie was again working to cast Emma Livry in a new ballet called The Dumb Girl of Portici. During rehearsals for the ballet Emma's tutu caught on fire.

Mlle. Augustine Malot ignored her own danger and tried to put out the fire many times. Unfortunately all that happened was that she tore shred from the burning tutu. Finally Pluque, another dancer, was able to put out the fire but not until after Emma was severely burned. Of course, medicine in those days was very primitive. No exact account exists of how Emma was treated, but the normal practice at the time was to put egg white on the burn to seal the skin. She suffered for eight months before finally passing on at age 21 ending the age of the Romantic ballet in Paris.

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