Fanny Elssler. The plots of many ballets were dominated by spirit women—sylphs, wilis, and ghosts, who enslaved the hearts and senses of mortal men and made it impossible for them to live happily in the real world. While ballerinas became increasingly virtuosic, male dancers became scarce, particularly in Paris (although they were still common in other European areas, such as Denmark). This led to the rise of the female travesty dancer - a female dancer who played male roles. While travesty dancing had existed prior to the romantic period it was generally used in tableau and walk-on (marcheuse) parts. Now it became a high-status occupation, and a number of prima ballerinas made their names by dancing en travestie. Fanny Elssler and her sister both played travesty parts. The most well known travesty dancer was Eugénie Fiocre, who was the first dancer to play Frantz in Coppélia, as well as a number of ballerina roles. Design and scenography Romantic tutu The costume for the Romantic ballerina was the romantic tutu. This was a full, white, multi-layered skirt made of tulle. The ballerina wore a white bodice with the tutu. In the second acts of Romantic ballets, representing the spiritual realm, the corps de ballet appeared on stage in Romantic tutus, giving rise to the term "white act" or ballet-blanc. The dancers wore pointe shoes to give the effect of floating. Special effects Romantic ballet owed much to the new developments in theatre effects, particularly gas lighting. Candles had been previously used to light theatres, but gas lighting allowed for dimming effects and other subtleties. Combined with the effects of the Romantic tutu, ballerinas posing en pointe, and the use of wires to make dancers "fly," directors used gas lighting to create supernatural spectacles on stage. Famous ballets La Somnambule (1827) La Sylphide (1832) Le Diable boiteux (1836) La Fille du Danube (1836) La Gipsy (1839) Le Diable amoureux (1840) Giselle (1841) La Jolie Fille de Gand (1842) La Péri (1843) Ondine (1843) La Vivandière or Markitenka (1844) La Esmeralda (1844) Éoline, ou La Dryade (1845) Le Diable à Quatre (1845) Pas de Quatre (1845) Catarina, or La Fille du Bandit (1846) Le Jugement de Paris (1846) Paquita (1846) La Fille de marbre (1847) Electra, ou La Pléiade perdue (1849) Le Violon du diable (1849) La Filleule des fées (1849) Les Métamorphoses (1850) Vert-Vert (1851) Le Corsaire (1856) Le Papillon (1861) Coppélia