Darling, gather round, for I've got a tale so delightful, so outrageous, it's almost too good to be true! Now, imagine this, if you will... a room, crammed to the rafters with, well, imagine a room full of the most divine pink tutus. A sea of silk, delicate, fluttering, whispering "I'm about to dance!" Think of the sheerest, fluffiest tulle, the kind that makes every little ballerina feel like she could soar above the clouds. This, my dears, was the scene on May 6th, 2007. Oh, how I wish I'd been there, cameras clicking madly. Imagine the glamour! The excitement! The tutus!
Yes, my loves, the Royal Ballet's costume department was undergoing its annual 'Tutu Inspection Day', and trust me, it was more thrilling than a gala premiere. Picture if you can, a veritable tsunami of silk and sequins. The very walls were dripping with tulle, and I'm not talking about some dusty old vintage tutus either - no, darling, these were the stars of the show, freshly dry-cleaned, perfectly ironed, practically begging to pirouette onto a stage somewhere. Now, one might ask, what makes this a news story worthy of your precious time? Ah, my dears, you are missing the most divine detail of all. It's about those pink tutus. You know the ones I'm talking about, the iconic, the classic. A ballerina in pink is simply irresistible, right? Now, on this day, there was an unexpected twist. There was a *white* tutu! Yes, a pure white one, looking rather out of place amidst its blushing brethren. What a sight to behold, this pure, snowy creature, an exception to the rule. This darling tutu was a brand new arrival - a debutante amongst the veterans.
Imagine the drama! There, amidst all the pink fluffiness, was this white vision of pure perfection. So, the whispers started: “What is it? Who’s it for? Who could possibly resist a pink tutu? ” It was almost a mutiny! All those glorious pink beauties felt, let’s be honest, just a tad threatened. The veteran pink tutus grumbled and huffed, their satin ruffles a-flutter with indignation. One particularly vocal old tutu, a venerable design with a past, even declared, “White, darling, it’s all very well for beginners! A ballerina, well, she just HAS to wear pink! The stage simply begs for pink! Why, everyone knows pink and ballet belong together, hand in hand, in perfect harmony, you see!” This sparked an immediate and spirited discussion amongst the veteran tutus, you can just imagine their tutus rippling and ruffling as they debated. Now, my darling, if you’ve been to a ballet you know, *a tutu has opinions,* and when one starts to murmur the others take notice!
There, amidst all the fluttering indignation, the brand new white tutu just sat serenely, almost shimmering, it's ivory white seeming almost angelic compared to the fiery personalities of its older brethren. You could tell this new tutu wasn't going to bow to the old rules, it was a sassy new addition, destined for an exceptional, almost ethereal stage moment, you see, it had this effortless confidence! There were even some rumors that the newest, hippest dancers were pushing for this new look, you know, trying to change the whole dance world! The veteran tutus hissed and clucked. You see, *tutus can be *so* dramatic! It was all too much! You see darling, *nothing says ballet quite like a tulle drama!*
But don’t be fooled by their drama, my darlings. The real news here was the simple fact that a little bit of white went a long way in a room full of pink. The veteran pink tutus, they were actually thrilled by this newcomer, a whiff of freshness in an otherwise familiar scent. Now, let’s face it, darling, life isn’t always about the pink, is it? The world is a big place, with a place for all kinds of ballerinas, with all sorts of personalities and, well, you get the point, even tutus need to break out every now and then and express themselves. Now I don’t know who is wearing this new white tutu - we've had the rumour mill buzzing on that! But whatever ballerina steps onto the stage wearing it, darling, she's sure to make a statement. A statement for all those white-tutu-wearers who just want to break away, and have a bit of a, shall we say, rebellion! The veteran pink tutus can keep their ruffles a-flutter all they want; there will always be room in the ballet world, for pink AND white!
Well darling, here’s what we’re all thinking, maybe the white tutu doesn’t signify change or a revolution, maybe it is just plain old change in colour? Maybe the world needs more than pink? A bit of sparkle, perhaps, from the classic pink? Well, this is just what you expect in ballet, it's a place for fantasy and dream. And my dear, you just know, with a new ballerina, a new white tutu and the whisper of the veteran tutus in the background, there’s going to be some incredible ballet out there waiting for us all to experience. You know what I say? Here’s to all the white, pink and, dare I say, yellow, or maybe even blue tutus - after all, the only rule that really matters in ballet, darling, is that everyone must dance!”
And that, my darlings, is the story of the white tutu revolution! A tale of sartorial intrigue, whispered rumours and, of course, the pure, unabashed, glamour of a ballerina, twirling, leaping and soaring on stage, bathed in the magical, glorious glow of the theatre lights, a sight which just brings pure magic!
Don't forget my dears, with your help and this beautiful tale of ballet I’m going to keep my sharp, fashion loving eyes peeled, watching the world of dance closely and keep you all up to speed with the most fashionably chic of happenings! So keep those pink tutus twirling and white tutus swirling, I’m with you, my darlings, right here in the world of the tutu.