Fun Ballet Tutu News 174

Well, darling, the day has finally arrived. The most anticipated day on the ballet calendar. It’s 23rd December, 1996, which means one thing and one thing only, it’s time to talk about tutus. You may have seen those lovely dancers bounding about with their impossibly high kicks in a blur of tulle but how much do you REALLY know about this dance world darling? Let me tell you.

I mean, we know how the tutu gets on - a magical blend of fabric and needlepoint from an ethereal seamstress working under candlelight but that is for the faint of heart. A lot of thought and sweat went into making those tutus truly exquisite and I’m going to tell you how, my dears.

We have all been enthralled by that picture-perfect image of the tutu, that seemingly innocent symbol of grace and athleticism, haven’t we? Let's unpack it and break it down and you may never look at those beautiful girls on pointe again… and that’s not a bad thing darling!

First up, my lovelies, tutus are actually much harder to dance in than they look. All those layers and stiff fabric can be hot and uncomfortable to wear during a show, never mind the risk of tripping. They have a surprising lack of flexibility but, darling, no dancer will tell you that - oh, and don't even think about going to the loo in one. These little beauties, in fact, can take days or weeks to craft for an entire performance. And not to mention the meticulous planning for the right type of tutu to make the right impression on a critical audience - how about we do an exclusive, behind the scenes reveal.

Okay, darlings, it is time for me to spill some tea and you can’t help but get a giggle out of it! A tiny but vital piece of tulle heaven called the ‘**romantic tutu**’ which looks quite a bit like a bouncy, swirling cloud (a nice image) with loads of layers. Just don’t let anyone near you after a big leap with a Romantic in your collection, you won't want the audience to witness the aftermath - or so I have been told!

It’s often worn in classical ballets, darling, such as **Giselle** and **La Sylphide**, where a girl meets a magical fella, in some woods, wearing this floaty tutu, and then ends up dancing, and they might have to save their love, all on the strength of a magical tutu! What are these men even looking at? Next, we have the **Classical or “Bell” tutu**, you know this one, a layered affair that falls like a circle skirt but only way more beautiful. Its’ design gives you a nice little **peacock effect**, and we are in that ‘twirl like you don’t have a care in the world’ kind of mode – lovely, don’t you think?

And lastly darling, the tutu, oh, this one is my favorite, it's the **contemporary tutu**, a much less fancy and less frilly tutu made out of materials like jersey. I must admit that these can be as lovely as their more extravagant relatives.

Just imagine, sweetheart, if one day your favorite choreographer wants to come up with something really unexpected like... oh... for example, they might just use tutus made from coffee sacks - now darling, don't go out to a coffee shop asking for a **coffee sack tutu** you’ll just make a right fool of yourself.

And in a twist, that is why it is time for a word about some of the lovely dancers who take a leap of faith, so to speak, with this delicate bit of fabric, and for them, I salute, bow and make a special offering to... the tutus. They've been on an extraordinary, magical journey through ballet. That iconic fluffy tulle. Now here is something I will spill right now, some of those girls go for the ‘**barefoot tutus**’ for something extra. Darling, I bet those dancers are tough. That looks brutal but good! Don’t think for one moment that tutus are easy to manage or comfortable but they’re fabulous and just as much a star on the stage.