Fun Ballet Tutu News 5038

Oh, darlings! The season is upon us again, the time of year when the chill descends and we yearn for the warmth and elegance of the ballet. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? The fluttering of the pink and white tutus, the graceful pirouettes, the utter joy of watching dancers flit across the stage like ethereal beings… Well, sometimes like ethereal beings with a little bit too much pancake makeup. But, I digress! I'm talking about **ballet**. I’m talking about the pinnacle of artistic expression, the embodiment of beauty and discipline. And what better time to celebrate this magnificent art form than on **05 December 2007**, the day the world's biggest, brightest, and, dare I say, most hilarious ballet blunder was uncovered. Let’s raise a glass of chilled Prosecco to this glorious, pink-tutu-laden day.

Now, you might be thinking: “But darling, isn’t ballet supposed to be all serious? All graceful? All … well … **graceful**?” And to that, I say, “Absolutely, darling! But that’s precisely what makes this news item so ridiculously entertaining!”

Let me set the scene. Picture this, if you will: A packed, sweltering, sweaty, perfume-laden theatre in the heart of London. You’ve got your upper-class matrons dripping jewels and diamonds (who look like they could barely tolerate the existence of the plebeian public), your nervous theatre buffs (praying they remember what a “pas de bourrée” is) and the theatre critics (armed with sharpened pencils and their trusty “what-the-hell-was-that” eyebrows). Now, onto the stage! The curtain rises, the orchestra plays the grand overture, the stage is illuminated...

... and there, my dears, standing before them, are a dozen ballerinas in pristine, white tutus, except … oh, the horror!… they’re missing one very, very important thing.

Their **tights**!

It’s true! The Royal Ballet, renowned for their impeccable standards, had inadvertently sent out the dancers without their “flesh-coloured” stockings, and the whole country watched in hysterically-suppressed gasps as those white tutus billowed, leaving not an inch to the imagination, to the dismay of a few elderly patrons and the utter delight of the younger ones.

What transpired that evening? Why, a delightful spectacle of improvised elegance and perfectly executed, oh-so-slightly more revealing dance sequences, of course! The Royal Ballet, never ones to be fazed, took this impromptu “flashing of the thighs” (as one newspaper headline hilariously put it) in stride and went on to complete their performance in a glorious display of … well, glorious dance and… well… very, very sheer tutus.

The news quickly spread, making front-page headlines. Everyone was talking about “the ballet that exposed too much” (although no one was really complaining, honestly!). The story of “The Great Tutu Disaster” made for some particularly entertaining water-cooler conversations in London's financial districts. A very unfortunate and quite funny faux pas - what did we do before the internet?

I tell you, darling, I was glued to my television that evening. And yes, my dears, there’s a video online - which I highly recommend. But first, some hilarious snippets from that night:

• **The Duchess of Devonshire’s Face**: Now, the Duchess is renowned for her stoic composure. But the moment the dancers hit the stage, her face transformed from “bored-and-super-important” into “this-better-be-the-most-astounding-ballet-ever-seen.” The sight of those white tutus revealing the dancer’s thighs certainly shocked the Downton Abbey out of her.
• **Sir Alistair McTaggart’s Uncharacteristically Vocal Observation**: The acclaimed art critic is famous for his acerbic reviews and even more for his monosyllabic responses to just about anything. He did, however, make an exception for the “great bare-legged disaster,” loudly exclaiming to his companions, “Well, at least they haven't forgotten the steps.” The Duchess of Devonshire almost choked on her pearl necklace, I do believe.
• **The “Oops” Moment**: In a glorious instance of “someone is about to make a really awkward decision,” the lead ballerina’s tights seemingly gave up the ghost. Right smack-dab in the middle of her solo! But this magnificent creature? She kept dancing. Didn’t even bat an eyelash. Just a casual hand reaching for a little piece of “Oops.” Her reaction made the incident infinitely funnier.
• **The Newspaper Headlines**: “Tutus and Thugs? No. Just Tutu Trouble” – The Daily Mail; “Royal Ballet Does a Little...Exposure" – The London Times; “Dancing Queen’s Night of Unforeseen… Exposure,” The London Sun

So, darlings, what can we glean from this most peculiar ballet evening? Well, first of all: never underestimate the power of a good pair of tights. (Seriously, it makes all the difference!). But secondly: we can learn a lot from these ballerinas, can’t we? A touch of nonchalance, a healthy sense of humor, and an ability to just dance on even when life throws you a curveball… or a forgotten piece of attire.

That’s the spirit of the ballet, isn’t it? A delicate dance, full of strength, grace, and yes, sometimes a bit of laughter! Happy 05 December 2007, you lovely things!