Oh darling, what a day for fashion! I mean, how many times do we get a news story so divinely hilarious, so exquisitely dramatic, so completely *tutufied*? It happened, my lovelies, on 09 November 1999, and it involved ballet, of course! What else could it be, you ask? It's a story fit for the front page of the *Daily Mail*, splashed across the tabloids, worthy of a primetime documentary. Get ready for some real glitz, darlings, as I unpack the delightful, nay, scandalous affair, involving tutus. Yes, you heard right, those frothy, frilly, oh-so-fabulous creations!
Let's start with a bit of context. You know, the whole "art for art's sake" crowd. In their stuffy little ballet worlds, they think they're oh so elegant. They're, "I'm so above this" - you know the type! Anyway, *The Royal Ballet* was having a little soiree - a fancy dress, or *costume party* as they say these days - in celebration of their, wait for it, 50th anniversary! All dressed up to the nines, the ballerinas in their pretty pink, peach and pearl tutus. Looking like a parade of pastel-coloured clouds! Well, darlings, apparently not every cloud has a silver lining because that's where the drama, the comedy, the sheer joy of this story really kicks in!
It seems the ballerinas were doing a *pas de bourrée* - one step forward, one step back, kind of deal - while on the stage - as they do. Well, as the tutus were twirling and twirling, oh-so-gracefully - naturally, it's the *Royal Ballet*, let's be real here - the wind blew and, you guessed it! A little *mishap* happened. You know, the type you find *incredibly funny* and whisper about afterwards but *totally panic about* in the moment? That sort! And a little mishap is putting it politely, darlings. This is *The Royal Ballet*, after all, we need to use language fit for a society gala, even if the story feels like a reality show - it just did *not* go down well with the ballet crowd, shall we say?
One by one, those delicate, gorgeous tulle-filled circles that surround those gorgeous *gammes* started...well, to fall off! *Gasps*. It happened! *A flurry of feathers*. You can just picture the scene: those little clouds swirling through the air as those exquisite creatures try to keep dancing. But here is the real delicious bit, the part that *sent the rumour mill wild*, a true *fait divers*. Turns out those lovely ballerinas' little dancing *chemises*, with their lace and tulle, just...couldn't take the pressure. *Well, can you imagine the pressure?!* Let's just say those beautiful ballerina bodies *weren't wearing anything underneath*! *Ooh la la*. Well, bless those delicate little bodies, they did what any true, professional dancer would do - *carried on dancing, without the tutu*. What is the public to do? Laugh, naturally! It was glorious - an artistic triumph, you see! But those naughty, oh so delightful tabloids took a different angle! That's right - *a story worthy of Page 3*. " *Ballet Blunder*." That's what *The Sun* called it!
And, as they do, the news went global. Well, at least across the country! *Daily Mirror, The Express, The Daily Mail* - those journalists, bless their hearts, took it upon themselves to inform the masses on every little detail - tutus are a pretty sensitive subject, you know. That's what happened on 09 November 1999 - *The day the Royal Ballet got "tutued"*!
Oh darling, how perfectly **perfectly** ironic isn't it! Ballet, that bastion of the elegant and graceful, with such a chaotic, hysterical incident! *Honestly, they say a real ballerina must be made of steel - in more ways than one! * Well, let us take a lesson from this *divine mishap*: We are allowed to laugh at ourselves! It makes us feel better, *that much I'm sure of*! In fact, it turns those little "errors", those little *faux pas*, into little miracles, little joyful triumphs! You go girl!
Now, off to my boudoir!
Your friend and fellow *flaneuse*,
**Fashion and Beauty Bits and Bobs from The Royal Ballet Disaster of 1999**
Here are a few bits and bobs that were "whipped up" about *The Royal Ballet's big tutu faux pas* :
- The ballerina's *pas de bourrée* was a lot faster than their *pas de deux* - oh the double-entendres!
- This really brought the phrase *underwear-ed* to life, in its most literal sense!
- Turns out the stage *air conditioning* played a pivotal role - and they say it isn't glamorous backstage.
- Tutues and underwear - never to be considered in the same light again?