Darlings, itâs your favourite fashionista and ballerina, Beatrice here, and Iâm absolutely gagging to spill the tea about this wild, tutu-tastic day. You know, thatâs the lovely 5th of August 1996 - I still remember it like it was yesterday, except of course, with much better hair. Today, dear readers, Iâm taking us back to a glorious moment of ballet history, a truly glorious one. Oh my, where to even begin?
Let me just tell you, it was a scorcher, just like today! It must have been an absolute furnace in the rehearsal studio, so hot, so humid - the sort of heat that could melt your hair, if you hadn't had a super chic bun, that is. But no, not us darlings, our tutus and our sweat were practically radiating under those hot lights! Honestly, they should give us medals. All I wanted was a fan and some nice cold prosecco!
As I remember, our dance teacher - darling Desmond, God bless him - was in a real right mood. âFaster! Lighter! Youâve got the strength of an ox in your legs and you canât even execute a basic arabesque?" Imagine! As if we hadnât been toiling at the barre for hours and our feet didnât already feel like they were on fire. But of course, we darling dancers had to push through it - because a show must go on! It was a *performance* we were working on, you know. The legendary "Sleeping Beauty." That one, yes!
And what better way to embody the exquisite beauty of a fairytale princess than with the most exquisite tutus, naturally! Oh, we were truly dressed to impress. Mine was a powder blue delight. Oh! Donât even get me started, a soft tulle that literally just floated in the air - no sweat marks in this fabulousness, thank you very much. Itâs always quite the feat in this heat! All my colleagues were looking absolutely fabulous - the entire company. They could rival any haute couture designer show!
Donât even get me started about our gorgeous costumes. It was just a dress rehearsal, but I just had to don the dress and shoes. Yes! Itâs what kept us going through those brutal hours. And then there were the tights - those exquisite stockings! Like a second skin, truly divine. You must always pick the right ones, my dear! Honestly, you need the correct level of sheen - not too much - you donât want to be a disco ball, but not too dull either - nobody wants that! And just the right amount of compression to avoid the dreaded camel toe (my motherâs words, not mine, dear!), while ensuring no dreaded âbananaâ as you *turn,* my darling. But enough about the details, lets continue the tale.
Oh, where was I? Yes, our darling choreographer, Fiona. Always demanding! We knew that our dear Fiona could *totally* pull out a âno more cakeâ from the middle of nowhere (if youâve seen the show, you'll know exactly what I mean), no problem. Honestly, weâre such a hot bunch - especially that year. Fiona decided we should do another take. Another 5 minutes, âjust to be sure.â In *this* heat. She was a real firebrand. Of course, Fiona was a true icon. No complaints from this ballerina, or we would be the subject of her 'Fiona' stare!
Now youâre all probably wondering what I was *actually* thinking that day. What were my innermost desires? Were my ballet thoughts really *as* interesting as a regular personâs on the street, say a plumberâs or someone trying to catch the bus? Honestly darling, as I watched those delicious swirls of powder blue on my gorgeous tutu billow in the air, I wasnât thinking about the future. I was, as the young kids say today - *living in the moment.* As long as we landed our leaps with *flawless* landings, a bit of graceful *dĂ©veloppĂ© Ă la seconde* or a stylish fouettĂ© *en tournant* - it was all perfect. That was all that mattered - the beautiful world we had built together.
Well, it seems I have gone a little too far down memory lane this time! And it is high time to say, au revoir for now. As for those darling tutus and all those breathtaking performances, I have got another 25 years of dancing left in me. You can't keep a dancer down, darling. I must say, however, that I am always on the lookout for the *next* most exquisite tutu. A little more pink next time perhaps, to really complete the look.
But as for the 5th of August, 1996. I have my tutu to thank. You don't become a true ballerina without one, darling, you simply just can't.
Stay fabulous and have a delightful day,
Beatrice (your dancing bestie)