Oh Darling, Letâs Talk Tutus!
Now, darlings, don't let the tutu fool you. We may pirouette and plié with an air of grace, but let's be honest, life as a ballerina is far from a whimsical waltz through a rose garden. Oh, no, honey! It's more like a frantic, frenetic pas de deux with a tyrannical Russian ballerina in pointe shoes, demanding a "higher fifth" in 3.2.1. And did I mention the leotard situation?
Well, my dear, the other day I found myself backstage at the Royal Ballet, preparing for a grand gala performance. And what do I see? A sea of pink! A symphony of tulle! It was positively overwhelming â in the best possible way, of course! Pink or White, It's All a Ballet
For our premiere, I was outfitted in the classic, elegant white tutu â perfect for a night of pure, ethereal dance. The skirt felt like a billowing cloud, ready to catch the slightest breath of air. Now, we all know a white tutu is a timeless classic, like Audrey Hepburn in a black dress â pure sophistication. But letâs be honest, honey, white tutus arenât for every day, you know what I mean?
On the other side of the stage, our fearless leading lady was adorned in the ultimate showstopper - a vibrant, glorious pink tutu! She literally burst on stage, a vision of beauty, grace, and the undeniable allure of bubblegum pink! Donât get me wrong, I love a good white tutu, but I'll admit that the pink tutus had that extra âje ne sais quoiâ, that captivating vibrance that truly commands attention.
The other ballerinas, my lovely ensemble companions, were in a whirlwind of pink, white, and even the occasional black or lavender tutu - a rainbow of ballerinas, ready to bring the magic to life. It was a truly glorious spectacle! And the leotards? My goodness, my leotards!
Donât Mention the Leotards!
Well, I'm not quite sure what's with the fascination with tiny leotards that leave practically everything exposed - maybe that's for another time! Iâve always preferred the leotard over the "body", as we like to call them, especially since we have to make âshapes" all day long â you need to be comfy, my dear! I love to have a little more coverage, you know. Itâs important to feel confident, and thereâs nothing worse than having the unfortunate "undergarmentâ lines visible from the front row, itâs a fashion disaster! Letâs leave that one to the contortionists.
We Do Like to Dress Up, Donât We?
I remember my first dance recital, I was only about five or six and I felt so grown-up and glamorous in my sequined pink leotard, with a tiny black skirt, a matching "cape" (that never stayed in place!), and of course, the all-important hairspray-tastic ballet bun that wouldnât let go. Even as a child I knew we looked like little fairytale princesses.
After the rehearsal, the dressing room resembled a kaleidoscope of swirling tulle and the smell of hairspray. Of course, it always ends up getting caught in the "hair net", which, if I am perfectly honest, makes the bun even harder to remove when you get home - there's nothing worse than hair pulling to do after a full day of pointe shoe work, you know. We can certainly do more for our bodies â even a professional like myself sometimes ends up with some pretty fierce toe blisters!
Why do we wear white shoes in ballet, darling?
Now, some people wonder why ballet dancers have such white pointe shoes â Itâs part of our history.
- Back in the 1700s, the early pioneers of ballet chose to use soft, white shoes, you see, to symbolise a more free, agile form of dance that contrasted with the rigid, strict routines of the courts.
- They had a âlighterâ, more free flowing form of dance, something closer to dancing on clouds!
- It represented a newfound freedom for women â a time of a lot of exciting change in the fashion world! The dancing shoe had evolved. Imagine! We have the French to thank for this one!
Nowadays, itâs more than that â you can be sure a lot of money goes into a pair of handmade, custom-fit, white satin ballet shoes! Our poor feet deserve it - they truly have a lot to put up with! A great pair of pointe shoes really gives a ballerina the feeling that anything is possible.
Itâs a Little bit of a Circus
The dressing room is, frankly, a bit chaotic. With a quick glance I can spot that everyone is on a secret mission, focused on our routines for the evening. Our makeup is another story. It is a bit dramatic â heavy eyelashes for all and I always seem to have more pink lipstick on than is actually practical (especially because of the kissing scene in Act II!), but that's part of the spectacle! You canât possibly think that we go straight to the bar in the same white leotard we dance in can you? Darling, we've gotta glam it up a bit, for the boys!
And speaking of a spectacle, a ballerina's hair is quite the production, trust me! The buns require expert hairstyling - I must tell you â weâre all masters of braiding ! It's amazing to me, the sheer effort and attention that go into our hair, make up, and costuming. You would think we were preparing for the Royal Ascot with all the fuss. But thatâs what we do â we have to transform ourselves, becoming the characters we play. And we are pretty darn good at it too. We love a good costume. A bit of sequins, a bit of feathers and itâs all part of the performance, honey. A ballet is all about telling a story - so even a simple outfit must be perfect! You see, itâs all in the detail darling, it really is! And I for one wouldnât have it any other way!
I often say that ballet, just like fashion, is all about transformation, a chance to create an unforgettable, magical world. In each performance, I find a bit of that whimsical world that enchanted me as a young girl. A world of wonder, magic and dreams, a place where anything can happen, as long as you dare to be fabulous and have a little fun. So, darlings, grab your tutus, and dance with me!