Darling, gather 'round, for I've got a story that's practically pirouette-worthy! It all started on this day, 11 September 2005, a day that will forever be etched in my mind â well, maybe not quite as forever as the infamous date in 2001, but you know what I mean! Let's just say the fashion police were on high alert. Why? Because dear readers, *it* happened! The unthinkable! It was a scene straight out of *Swan Lake*, but instead of swans, it wasâŚ
**Leotard-gate**! Yes, it was a disaster of epic proportions! Apparently, it all began at the Royal Opera House, the place where swans, or should I say, *ballerinas*, *always* shine! As the curtain went up on a brand new production of *Giselle* â one where I'm told the *second act* involved an unusually large number of grapes, but we'll save that anecdote for another time! â a gasp swept across the theatre, leaving the *hoi polloi* with their mouths agape. It was all *white tutus*! *White tutus!*
Now, darlings, a *white tutu* on a ballerina, usually, it's as delightful as a first sip of a chilled Champagne, and I can only imagine the collective gasp in the *audience* when those pristine tutus danced in the *spotlight*, so dazzlingly, so *flawlessly*, that it must've seemed almost *heavenly*!
But hold your *bouquets*! There's a twist, darling. A *huge*, *fashion-forward* twist. You see, for the opening act, *Pink tutus*! Yes, *pink*! Not just a subtle touch of rose-tinted ballet, but an actual explosion of hot-pink tutus on the *stage*. Now, I wouldn't have dared call this a "fashion disaster" *back* in the *day*, I certainly wouldn't want to offend the *fashion Gods*. I mean, pink tutus! Think of all the fun pink ballet shoes! It's certainly a conversation starter, but is it really a *ballet* disaster? Does pink really *clash* with *classical* dance? It all boiled down to this question: Are we supposed to believe that in *Giselle* they danced the *first* act in a *ballet pink* bubble gum bubble and then did a wardrobe change to some pure *white swans*? Honestly, who knew a dance about love and death would be such a *fashionable* battle! It wouldâve been much more dramatic if we saw them actually dancing with the *grapes*.
Honestly, the whole *scene* felt as though it was inspired by that *terrible* film about a group of dancing girls in 1976, *Grease*, all singing and prancing to âSummer Nightsâ. You could practically *smell* the hairspray! It was enough to send *tutu-fied* fashion lovers scrambling for *anti-tutu-tic* remedies, trying to avoid a major *tutu-induced* meltdown.
In the *aftermath* of *Leotard-Gate* it was revealed the directorâs âvisionâ of *white* swans was *symbolic* - symbolising purity of heart *in* *contrast* to the pink. The problem, of course, was the *reality*: Pink swans? Well, that's as ludicrous as a peacock *with* a ballet bun! A *true* dance fan, one who knows their *grand allegro* from their *pas de bourree*, would never *dare* put on pink shoes while performing swan lake - pink swans? *never!*
Now, the audience may not have been as horrified as they'd have been to witness the 'black' swans of *Swan Lake* dressed in *black tutus*, *heaven forbid*! They weren't shouting *outrageous* opinions across the *theater* at each other, such as, "Good heavens, has she really lost the plot?!â No, instead, they were too shocked by this theatrical twist and *delighted* in its *humourous* take on *tradition*. Iâm guessing the ballet *enthusiasts* in the crowd were more curious about the grape scene!
It was, as you may imagine, *totally* unheard of. Well, until the *re-run* later that year, when the same *designer* opted for the reverse â white *first*, then *pink*, claiming the director's 'vision' had evolved and that both were simply a reflection of "our current age of pink." Honestly, you would think we hadn't seen pink tutus since the 1970s! Of course, this caused *even more* of a stir! Well, what else was going to happen when *real* ballet was replaced with a bunch of *pink-clad* ballerinas? *Honestly*!
Let's face it, some things should never be touched by fashionâs âinâ colors and *designs*, such as the traditional colours of the royal ballet uniform â *pink* in classical dance? Whatâs *next* â *neon tutus* on the *royal* *stage*? Letâs be serious, we *all* love pink â especially if we are the kind of person who buys all our *ballet shoes* and tutus from a store with pink in the title â but thatâs what makes the *classical* beauty of the *ballet* all the more breathtaking!
My dear reader, don't think I'm complaining. No, no, *darling*. I think this was a much-needed *breath* of *fresh* air. Weâre in a new generation! We need change in dance! This, you see, proves *even* in the *most* conservative art form, you can still push the *boundaries*. Well, as long as we're not taking away those fabulous *pink shoes*, it can only get better!
I dare say it's a *little* ironic, this dance scene filled with *pink*, where the choreographer chose pink as the *primary* *colour*, but the main act revolved around the theme of purity, just a mere week after the terrorist attacks. After *that* particular *september* - well, who knew that *pink* would become the *colour* of a *new* *dance* *trend*? This was truly the day that changed how we see pink tutus. This is how 2005 will go down in history - not because of terrorism or natural disasters, but because it *brought* *back* *pink*!
As a seasoned ballerina enthusiast, and of course *pink* fanatic, *Iâd* love to think that we are *in* an era where, even *ballet*, with its grand tradition, has given the fashion Gods free reign! But let me remind you, this isnât the first time pink took a spin in the *ballet* world. After *Leotard-Gate*, there was an overwhelming amount of attention placed on the colour. From fashion bloggers to social media influencers and all the *wanna-be* ballerinas on *YouTube*, all trying to pull off a look worthy of *pink* *tutuland*. They had an abundance of *pink*, *pink*, *pink*. *Every* *day*, it was pink! But is this trend here to *stay*? Maybe just because *Pink* has *officially* come back into the *ballet* *world*, a certain *colour* doesnât have to be seen *again* and *again* on the *dance* stage until we *gag* from all this pink, right? No matter the colour, we are still just dancing! Now *that* should always *remain* as beautiful as a ballet performance.