A tutu is the short, stiff skirt that ballerinas wear during performances. It sticks straight out from the dancer's waist like a fluffy horizontal circle, made from many layers of stiff netting called tulle. The classic tutu barely reaches past the hips, letting audiences see the precise movements of the dancer's legs during difficult turns and jumps.

The tutu became a staple of ballet in the 1800s, when dancers wanted more freedom to move and show off their technique. Before tutus, ballerinas performed in long, heavy skirts that hid their footwork. The tutu revolutionized ballet by revealing the athleticism and skill required for the art form.

Different ballets call for different styles of tutus. The short, pancake-flat classical tutu appears in performances like Swan Lake, while the softer, longer romantic tutu flows more gently in ballets like Giselle. Making a single tutu can require dozens of yards of fabric and many hours of careful sewing. Each tutu must be fitted perfectly to its dancer and stay stiff enough to keep its shape through countless pirouettes and leaps.