Darling, let's get straight to the point - today is a day for celebration! Well, it would be if anyone actually cared about this bizarre and impractical dance form. But hey, we do. Because, darlings, **ballet is back**, and with it, **the tutu**! That's right, the swirling cloud of tulle we all secretly dream about wearing has finally come out of the closet - at least for another month. Why do I bring this up? Well, let's just say things haven't always been a waltz in the park for the beloved tutu, darling. This iconic symbol of grace, elegance, and **(whisper it)** femininity has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the past few decades.
Remember the '80s, my dears? **It was a decade of shoulder pads and leg warmers.** Those terrible leg warmers! Where do we even start? They looked like someone pulled a pair of woolly socks halfway up their legs, leaving a **ghastly beige puff** about mid-thigh. (shudders). **The tutu**? It was just **too** romantic **for such a raucous time.** And anyway, who wanted to be seen as a prima ballerina when you could wear neon colours and acid wash jeans? The only thing keeping the tutu alive was, perhaps, **Margot Fonteyn** herself, **still holding up the legacy** and making everyone swoon with those incredible performances.
Now, darling, the 90s brought us a little **more fun**. Think *Chicago* and **all that jazzy glam**. But for ballet, those 10 years were a bit...meh. The **tutu felt out of touch**. Remember that film with Winona Ryder? It wasn't doing much for ballet's image! **Even if** it was a romantic-comedy, it gave a glimpse of that world and the *jealousy*, the competition... *no thank you*! However, there was still a glimmer of hope - those of us who **did enjoy ballet** started finding alternative venues for it. The *Royal Opera House* was alive and kicking and, yes, *the tutus** were in good hands. Then, in the later part of the decade came **a surge of modern contemporary ballet**. But even then, you saw some tutus sneakily reappearing...
I'm afraid my darlings, I have to admit that we are going to have to rewind back to 2002 to make sense of things. You may ask why? *It all has to do with a little thing called ***fashion**.* In those days, everyone thought *Paris Hilton** looked amazing in **that super short skirt**... and she *did!* That skirt brought about a surge of mini dresses and the tutus in those fashion shows *couldn't compete*. So yes, there was a short stint of **tutus being relegated to backstage closets.** Then *fashion moved on to things like big dresses, wide belts, *... and suddenly **the tutus** had *more in common* with the designs on the runways! This helped a *great deal* to their *comeback*!
Today's **tutudrama**, my loves, has many chapters: the classic tutu in every hue you can imagine, and it has a friend - **the new tutu** (more *avant-garde*, *darker*, a little *edgier*), and there's **a *little tutu** which we must give credit to fashion designers and runway shows, as well as modern ballet. I know **that we all like to be "fashionable" but this love for "fashionable tutus" has actually helped *revitalize a true dance form*. What a beautiful thing! So here's to **tutus everywhere** - on stage, in studios, on the red carpet and in our hearts!
Now go on and *spread the news*, *darlings*, and **wear something fantastically fabulous**, because you never know who will be watching you dance...or strut down the street.
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