Dearest darlings, Prepare yourselves for a tutu-tastic tale that's as scandalous as a rogue feather boa at a black tie event! Today, the 20th of January, 2002, marks a momentous occasion – the day a bunch of very serious people decided to have a bit of a chuckle about a garment that makes ballerinas look like tiny sugarplums. And you know what? They are quite right!
The Tutu! That wondrous puff of tulle that makes every little girl dream of dancing on point, every man in the audience want to whisk them off to a ball, and every ballet critic wish they'd had the chance to be one. It's a symbol of grace, elegance, and – dare I say it – pure feminine power! The humble tutu, a simple circle of netting, has held an iconic position in ballet since its humble beginnings back in the 19th century. From the dainty romantic tutus of yore to the towering, feathery froths of modern ballets, the tutu has evolved as dance itself has changed.
But this is no ordinary tutu story. This is about how, today, the world has decided to take a long, hard look at this tulle wonder and go: "Honestly, what a giggle!" The BBC's Today Programme ran a hilarious feature titled "The Tutu: A Cultural History." What is most hysterical about this piece was not that they made it (what they're paying their BBC presenters for heaven only knows!), but that they decided to interview people from all walks of life about the impact of the tutu, not as an element of ballet or a piece of theatre, but a piece of garment that’s part of culture!
It turns out there is more than one way to spin the tutu.
A Fashionable Disaster- "The Tutu is absolutely ridiculous," one elderly gentleman from Twickenham said. "I'm convinced those things were invented just to make people trip." His view wasn't entirely off-base: in my experience, falling over in a tutu tends to involve a cascade of giggles from your fellow dancers and a great deal of struggle trying to untangle your legs from the mess of net. It isn't elegant and the falls themselves rarely grace the audience's eye!
- "Can you imagine trying to wear a tutu every day?" another fashion guru, known for their extravagant hats and fondness for the colour plum, laughed. "Those things must itch like crazy! The only way to endure them is with a large gin and tonic – or maybe it's just my experience! Honestly! It's hard to maintain a graceful demeanour when your skirt is clinging to your sweaty thighs. In my younger days, we’d add a feather boa to add some extra fun. Sometimes a sequined hat. After the show, the costume got packed away – there is something quite liberating about the removal of all that fussy netting.”
- But wait, there's more! An outspoken, modern, feminist group – I’ll keep them anonymous! – felt so passionately about the issue that they took to the streets of Brighton (the fashion capital of the South!) demanding a "tutu-free zone"! “Honestly darling, there’s just something quite absurd about the expectation that women should dress like frilly, ballerina ballerinas, dancing around for everyone's entertainment, ” a representative proclaimed, while sporting a fabulous, vintage feathered coat. Of course, the BBC refused to interview any men on their views, citing “it’s not appropriate to speak on a matter relating to the beauty of the female body”!
As one of those dancers with countless tutus in their life, I have to confess – this whole thing had me in stitches! Of course, I know how elegant and awe-inspiring a ballerina can look, especially when twirling in a beautifully executed, classical tour and a white tulle, calf-length tutu. We have spent hours practicing our pirouettes to get the desired, flowing look, and when a performance goes well, we dancers often revel in the applause we receive from audiences, the appreciation from our colleagues, and, on a good day, our teachers!
There is a serious side to ballet... well maybe!For all its frills and fuss, the tutu is more than just a joke – it’s an integral part of ballet and an important representation of how dancers think about their art. You know it’s funny because we ourselves have so much fun when we get it right; for a moment it seems everything else melts away!
So next time you see a ballerina in a tutu, don’t just admire the grace. Spare a thought for the absurdity of it all – for all of us dancers who know that inside those puffs of tulle, there’s a lot of sweat, a lot of laughs, and a healthy dose of self-deprecation. It's no wonder the tutu makes for such a captivating sight, it's a beautiful, fun reminder of the sheer joy of ballet!
Keep those tutus twirling!
Yours truly,
The Diva.