Tutu Drama: A Christmas Day Ballet Bonanza!
Darling, what a day! It's the 28th of December, the day after Boxing Day, and frankly, I'm still feeling rather stuffed, not from Christmas dinner, oh no, but from the sheer amount of tutu-related excitement swirling around these last few days! I do love a festive period with a sprinkle of sparkle, and what could be more sparkling than the dance world in December? From Christmas performances to ballet-themed gift swaps, it's all been terribly thrilling!
Now, you may think I'm being a tad dramatic, darling, but this past week has been positively Tchaikovsky-esque in its unfolding. Let's rewind a bit, shall we? The pre-Christmas period saw a truly spectacular rush on tutu sales. I mean, absolutely everyone - your neighbour's aunt, your postman, even the chap who walks his pug in a tweed coat - all seemingly wanted to own a tutu. It was, quite frankly, a sight to behold!
Of course, this surge in tutu demand caused a certain amount of... well, shall we say, "confusion" in the world of fashion. My dear friend Daphne, a darling woman who has impeccable taste in all things, confessed she found herself with a pile of sparkly tutus in shades of magenta and chartreuse - all perfectly lovely in their own right, but not exactly the most versatile of wardrobe staples. Imagine her despair when her friend, Agnes, showed up in a tutu-dress hybrid (yes, a dress fashioned entirely out of a tutu!) to their Boxing Day bash. A total fashion faux pas, darlings, a complete sartorial travesty!
But even the tutu fashion faux pas weren't as scandalous as the actual events that unfolded at the Royal Opera House on Christmas Eve. My darling friend (and fellow dance enthusiast), Penny, tells me she was at the theatre, witnessing a performance of *The Nutcracker*, when she spotted something truly unbelievable. It appears the entire corps de ballet had inadvertently gotten their tutus... well, *slightly* muddled. Each ballerina seemed to have a tutu of a different hue and texture. One was sporting a shocking pink tutu made of satin, whilst another, poor dear, found herself in a bright turquoise tutu crafted from a stiff, itchy material that resembled, in Penny's words, "a giant cupcake." The audience, initially in shock and utter bewilderment, eventually erupted in thunderous laughter! Can you imagine? Imagine the confusion! The sheer audacity of such a mishap! The ensuing fashion faux pas left the whole room agape!
So there you have it, darling. It seems Christmas has indeed given way to an avalanche of tutus, chaos and unexpected sartorial delights. A bit of a giggle at the expense of good fashion is never a bad thing, isn't it? Perhaps we'll see even more exciting developments in the tutu world in the coming weeks. And who knows, maybe the whole *Nutcracker* fiasco will inspire a new era of multi-coloured tutu combinations! As long as they're done with the right amount of flair and panache, darlings, who knows, they might even become a thing!
But as always, in the midst of the madness, I must say, I wouldn't have it any other way. This season has truly given me, as we say, much to chew on - literally and figuratively! And now, I must rush to put my own tutu away... until next year, that is!
Speaking of Tutues...
- Did you know that the first ever tutus were not short and frilly, but long and flowing? They resembled ballet slippers worn with layers of fabric - more like a flowing gown than what we are accustomed to seeing.
- There's a great deal of debate about how long a tutu should be for classical ballet, but some companies insist their ballerinas have tutus at knee-length, while others prefer them closer to the waist. All these differences are very dramatic, but not to mention difficult on the performers!
- Now that you've heard the festive tale of the *Nutcracker* tutu fiasco, imagine the delight and excitement when you finally see a *real* *Nutcracker* show, complete with the traditional and lovely Sugar Plum Fairy in her magnificent tutu. It truly is an experience one won't soon forget! Remember to watch out for all of those tutu changes too!