Well, darling, it's been another whirlwind of a week in the world of ballet, hasn't it? You simply can't keep up with all the goings on! The air was positively buzzing with excitement this week when **the National Ballet Company of The Isle of Man announced plans for a revolutionary new production: “Tutuland – A Journey through Time." ** Now, before you get your knickers in a twist and assume we're talking some avant-garde contemporary affair, I assure you this is **a fully fledged homage to all things tutu.** Just picture it, darlings – ballerinas, literally dancing through time, from the humble beginnings of the tutu in the late 19th century all the way up to the ultra-modern tutus of today. Talk about a wardrobe malfunction dream come true!
And hold on to your bunheads, darling, because this isn't just some historical romp – it’s **an explosion of feminine empowerment. We've got the leading ballerina sporting not one but four stunningly elaborate, multi-layered tutus in the final scene. Think of all those feathers, glitter, and the most fabulous lace you can possibly imagine.** We are talking a tutu to end all tutus!
But that’s not all, lovelies, because the real news is about the incredible backstage drama brewing within the **Royal Ballet School** (oh, the gossip! The whispered scandals!), where a **rumour is swirling like a whirlwind in a ballerina's tutu. It seems** a young, **bright-eyed ballerina named Felicity** – I hear she has a penchant for pink tutus with sequined bodice, the flamboyant darling – has taken to sporting the most outlandish tutu in all of London. She calls it the **"Whimsical Wanderlust"** (oh, the absolute cheek!) – a flamboyant affair that consists of not one, but two layers. Imagine, lovelies, two glorious layers, each a riot of turquoise tulle, **a kaleidoscope of sparkle, feathers that sway with every pirouette and a dramatic cascade of rainbow ribbon** flowing out behind her, practically swiping the spotlight away from the leading lady! She's become the darling of the backstage gossipmongers – a total riot, if you will!
Of course, none of this could have been possible without **the legendary Monsieur Andre Beaudoin,** the acclaimed Parisian couturier, the man behind all the glamorous, glamorous tutus, the only man to have been knighted by the French Government and given the prestigious Order of the Legion of Honour... all for his stunning tutus. It is rumoured that **the Whimsical Wanderlust was the only tutu ever to make the prestigious Mademoiselle Beaudoin break a sweat! I imagine Monsieur Andre nearly had a fit,** seeing such outlandish excess, the feathers! Oh, and the cascade of tulle... He probably stormed around in his atelier screaming at his staff - ”C’est pas possible, mon dieu!”
Now, darling, what is more fascinating than a tutu scandal? I hear from reliable sources, sources that whisper sweet nothings in the most luxurious Parisian salon in a puff of Eau de Toilette, that **the legendary Bolshoi Ballet have gone for a decidedly “modern” take on Swan Lake.”** No longer the delicate swan she once was, Odette – we're talking white, **high-shine tutus with geometric, almost abstract designs. Forget that soft, floating image you have, darlings! These are tutus meant to grab your attention.** Imagine if someone like **Stella McCartney was tasked with creating the new Bolshoi tutus** (who, darling, doesn't love Stella?). She’d want clean lines, geometric patterns – and the colours of course – all that muted cream and ivory and black to accentuate the beauty of a modern ballerina in a perfectly sleek tutu. You simply can’t escape the revolution.
But even the biggest ballerina needs to rest and recharge, and there’s no place better to do just that than **a private villa on the Greek Isle of Mykonos. That's where I hear that the grande dame of ballet – Madame Penelope St. Clair – is indulging in a much needed dose of self-care, sun, and yes, you guessed it – tutues! ** She has an extensive collection of course, which she has apparently been sharing with all the beautiful local Mykonos villagers.** Madame Penelope is notorious, my dear, for a passion for pink - she even wears a pink-feather lined tutu while drinking champagne under the sun-drenched, Mykonos sky, I hear (a sight I’d have loved to see! How glamorous).
In other news, darling, the **New York City Ballet have announced a collaboration with the famed couturier Karl Lagerfeld.** (Oh, how terribly chic!). They are planning a spectacular collection of “avant-garde tutus.” I just love when the fashion world collides with the world of ballet! And these are said to be just that, with designs that stretch the limits of tutu couture. But you'll have to wait to see what Mr. Lagerfeld and the New York City Ballet have up their sleeve because the collection will be showcased for the first time in an exclusive presentation on **9th November 1996. I am beyond thrilled for the presentation!
It seems like the only way to describe the current fashion for tutus is a kind of "anything goes.” We're seeing more feathers, glitter, and dramatic layering than ever. I, personally, love it, especially with that dramatic, romantic, "larger than life" aspect. It just takes a bit of glitz, a bit of imagination – oh, and some divine tutus to get you through those difficult moments.