Fun Ballet Tutu News 4252

**Tutu much trouble? Ballerinas on the brink of mutiny over... leotards?**

The world of ballet, it turns out, isn't all elegant arabesques and delicate pirouettes. It's a world of backstage dramas, diva demands, and, apparently, the dreaded **leotard debate**. You've heard of "the dress" (that optical illusion that had everyone debating its colour)? Well, this is its tutu-ed cousin - a full-blown leotard war.

I'm talking **pink or white, darling**. It's the ultimate choice for any ballerina, right? (No? Just me? Okay then. Moving on…) It's not just the color, it’s the texture, the fit. The leotard is a dancer’s second skin, after all! So, it's no surprise there's some **heated debate** brewing among the **ballerinas**. It's all gone a bit **"prima ballerina bananas"**, if you know what I mean!

Imagine, if you will, a scene of sheer chaos backstage at the Royal Opera House.

• The Principal Dancer, let’s call her Penelope (because, well, she’s absolutely perfect, obviously), is throwing a hissy fit because her leotard doesn't "hug her curves quite right." It's a **tiny** thing, really, but let me tell you, darling, there’s nothing tiny about the diva tantrums in this situation.
• Meanwhile, her understudy, the ever-so-bright, young, up-and-coming darling Daphne, is sulking because she wants to wear the pink leotard instead of the white one (but Penelope gets first choice). Apparently, the pink one makes her look *slightly* thinner... well, the drama!
• The choreographer, a true artist who has lived and breathed ballet his entire life (you wouldn't *believe* the stories he could tell!), is hiding in the wings, clutching his tea, and wishing he'd opted for a career in cake decorating instead. Seriously. Cake decorating! He's never seen such a fuss about a *leotard*. And don’t even get me started on the tutus, my darling, that's a whole new level of ballet drama.

But the situation is getting **tutu much**, darling. A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet has issued a **formal plea** for calm and promised to release a “stricter dress code” in the near future (one hopes, that this will be **printed in a font everyone can actually read** and doesn’t require an **army of professional calligraphers**!). Rumours abound, but let me assure you, darling, nothing is going to come between me and a fabulously-fitting leotard, unless it's **an even more fabulously-fitting one!**

This latest crisis comes in the wake of recent **concerns** over the cost of pointe shoes (which is why there’s also talk of a new “toe shoe etiquette” code which will hopefully banish that horrible “clattering in the wings” racket which has given rise to much debate.) Let’s face it, ballet is an **expensive hobby!**

While we’re on the topic, dear readers, can we have a **minute’s silence** for the thousands of poor leotards and tutus that are cruelly sacrificed in the name of ballet each year? I mean, it takes **years of rigorous training** to develop those perfect curves - and the pressure to perform!

**It’s hard work! ** (But oh, the **splendour!**). There are a lot of expectations - not to mention the relentless attention paid to every detail, from a dancer’s hair to the sheen on her (or his! – it's not *all* about women you know, darling) tights. (Let’s face it, the only thing *tighter* than the competition between ballet schools is a **second-skin tight!**).

As for the color debate? It’s a tempest in a tutu cup, my dear! Let's face it, it doesn’t really matter what color leotard these beautiful creatures choose. They will look elegant and stunning no matter what. (Although, you have to admit pink is the color of elegance, don’t you? It’s what every **well-dressed ballerina** wears. )

The question of the day? Well, it's not what the future holds for the Royal Ballet’s new dress code. And, it’s not how they will solve this **tighter than tights drama**... It’s **the fate of the humble leotard** – will it **always be** at the heart of every **ballerina's world** or will a **revolutionary change** see the dancers **in the tutu and tights era** leave it behind in their **leotard legacy**? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned, darling! The story is sure to take some **pretty dramatic twists and turns**!