Oh, darling! Fancy a little chuckle at the world of ballet? Buckle up your sparkly ballet slippers, darlings, because todayâs news is a delightful dance of a different kind, all about tutus, leotards and the occasional *pas de bourrĂ©e* of controversy. Because who says the world of ballet canât be, dare I say it, a little bit hilarious?
On this delightful 15th of September 1996, let's raise our tiaras (or shall we say, pointe shoes?) to a rather unexpected drama unfolding in the hallowed halls of the London School of Ballet. It all started with a *very* peculiar letter to the school principal, a *certain* Miss Penelope Fingleton. The anonymous sender, who apparently needs to step up their *je ne sais quoi* when it comes to sending anonymous notes, made a very specific complaint about the âinappropriate shade of pinkâ for the upcoming yearâs tutu batch.
Hold the phone! This isnât Bridesmaids â the complaint wasn't about a dress mishap. No, no, this letter raised eyebrows (and perhaps, even *some* tutus!) when it was alleged the schoolâs pink tutus werenât âa suitable shade of blushâ. Can we really judge a tutuâs blush worthy based on the Pantone Colour Matching System? My darlings, there's pinker than *pink* â itâs called *cerise*. But I digress.
But wait! It gets even more fascinating. In this age of #diversity and #inclusion (cue *The Vagina Monologues*), one might expect this drama to revolve around colour prejudice in ballet, a fight against a âwhite tutuâ aesthetic and embracing, dare we say it, more shades of beige? No, darlings. Apparently, this writer was irate that the chosen pink was "far too close to coral." A coral-pink tutu? Sounds *utterly* exquisite. Just imagine those pink-tinted lights at the Bolshoi reflecting off a coral pink tutu - we're talking a truly spectacular display of *frou-frou* goodness.
This âcoral-pink catastropheâ has sent shockwaves through the ballet world. The incident sparked a debate about colour sensitivity that has rippled through the ranks of the dance world, including those dancers who love to stand at the barre, as well as those dancers who have already learned to "en pointe". Even a few prima ballerinas (especially the younger, and more *jealous* ones, I reckon) chimed in. This led to *all kinds* of *chitchat* - from *ballet* magazines and *ballet* forums (think ballet bloggers writing "OMG this is the talk of the town") to *balletic* news channels, (think BBC news anchormen, all with ties in perfect harmony, presenting the most important headlines, " Ballet in the Pink: Is this all too much for ballet audiences?" - and if you thought you heard a "Tutu Drama?" - *wink wink* you heard right!)
Naturally, as in any good drama, the anonymous note was revealed to be a ârather embarrassing prankâ. The author was a disgruntled student, who admitted (after *quite a lot* of prompting) that her motivation for the pink-pink letter stemmed from the fact that "She thought it was going to be an orange tutu. A vibrant, electric orange, darling, because, well, you know how everyone likes a good 'tang'". Well, no, dearie, no oneâs ever thought that! What do you expect to wear for a *pa de deux* with a man, if you are sporting a *fiery* orange tutu, honey? And then itâs âwhat will the choreographer say?â I think itâs fair to say he will be *unhappy*, as orange tutudâs are simply not appropriate. I mean, itâs a *statement*, isnât it? We aren't trying to be a pop singer or even worse, someone who does modern ballet.
But hold the champagne flutes just yet, because this story is not over! This whole saga isnât without a *bit* of *gleeful* drama. What the disgruntled student hadnât anticipated, or perhaps what she *really* did anticipate and it turned out *even worse* than she imagined, was the *real* controversy, a little controversy if you will, the fallout and that is a huge backlash against the school for "ignoring studentâs opinions". Some commentators, I believe, went *far* too far by alleging *a lack of democracy* in ballet training! This seems to be what got them all *very* hot under the *collar*! A few commenters said "the dance industry is still clinging to outdated ideas, even on tutu color". Well, we certainly *know* thatâs true for ballet in the United Kingdom - our traditions are deep and we stick to them, just like our favourite tea - no matter what!
Itâs just so fascinating, my dears. Why are we getting all excited about tutus? Why do tutus evoke such emotion, whether it is joy or disdain? Well, of course itâs the romanticism - theyâre all very dainty and feminine. For me itâs all about *fantasy*. The lightness, the colour â these things just scream magic and elegance.
Now, a good ballerina knows when to *exit stage left*. Or perhaps this ballet is still runningâŠand so is the story. Itâs not quite the tragic heroine leaving a grand ballroom with the music *getting* faster and faster, yet, But perhaps *we* have become those theatregoers in the audience waiting to *find out* how it all unfolds? Who *knows* what this dance of ballet *faux pas* might bring. There's no better place to stay *updated* on ballet fashion than at the ballet theatre *itself*!