Oh darlings, gather round! It’s your favourite sassy dance diva, Coco de la Dance, back with all the hottest gossip from the world of ballet. Buckle your pointe shoes and prepare to twirl with excitement because, darling, we've got a right old tutu-licious newsflash! ??
It’s Friday, February 3rd 1998, and rumour has it that the tutu has reached peak fabulousness. But is it time for this dancewear staple to bow out? Let’s examine the facts! The little tulle skirts have been the quintessential dancewear staple since the late 19th century and honestly, you simply can’t do a grand jeté without one. (And besides, dear reader, that would be a real fashion faux pas).
It’s not just the beautiful form of the tutu that we're in love with, darlings. They come in all sorts of designs: the romantic tutu with the voluminous frills; the sleek, pared-back, contemporary tutu; and, my absolute favourite, the layered tutus from the world of *Giselle* and *Swan Lake*, all billowing layers of shimmering tulle like ethereal clouds.
This week’s must-read feature has been bubbling up all week - the “tutu debate”! My favourite ballet critic, the incomparable Lord Archibald, is adamant that “the tutus have had their time!” he raves. He has even called them “tired,” “ passé,” and even “dated”. “Where is the innovation,” Lord Archibald, asks “Where is the expression?!”
But hold on! As Coco says - a tutu is a tutu, darling. Don't you go being a total diva about it!
I called Lord Archibald yesterday - we do happen to be chums, he’s a sweet, if a little pompous, old thing – to give him a bit of a grilling.
“Listen darling,” he tutted when I got him on the line, “tututists, if you will forgive the expression, need to push boundaries. Where is the creativity in all these fussy little tutus, dear girl?"
But surely a ballerina needs to be seen, darling? One must see those impossibly long limbs, the stunning backlines - It’s a full body work of art!
The thing about tutu lovers is they are incredibly devoted to the little bit of fabric that, quite frankly, everyone should just move on from, according to Lord Archibald.
The dear Lord continues his diatribe on a website – no one under 65 is likely to have heard of this new fad, but I assure you, my little chickadees, they exist! It’s called *Internet* or, according to my friend Gloria (an absolute gem who has the best gossip on everything that is happening), it's called a *WWW.* Gloria says everyone has been telling her that it’s going to be huge.
I checked out Lord Archibald’s website this morning. Darling, the whole website is devoted to denouncing the tutu. You’d think a tututu was trying to kill his favourite pet chihuahua the way he raves about them!
What does a Tutu say to you, darling? I'm not afraid to say they symbolized a perfect sense of fashion. But the tutu needs to modernise. It needs to be more *chic*. More... contemporary!
Here are just some of my suggestions:
- How about tutus made from eco-friendly recycled materials?
- We must embrace tutus that look more sporty – that embrace athleisure (don't worry my darling, we've all seen this coming)! The ballerina has always been athletic – they have the muscles of a goddess.
- I’ve just thought: a deconstructed, fashion forward, *experimental* tutu. You'd make an art statement, like that one ballerina who put all those tutus into that modern piece of theatre that's meant to symbolize all the oppression women go through…but everyone forgot about the meaning, which is so sad, as it's so beautifully put together!
It is 1998 - and everything’s changed – especially in ballet. For the first time in history, they are now letting boys wear tutus, though only for a couple of performances. No one even questioned this; apparently it's a trend!
In the meantime, darlings, please enjoy your Friday in a tutu or just pop on your most fabulous, form fitting frock. Who needs rules in the fashion world when you can just get the best deals, even better if you go out for afternoon tea - there’s just something about that sort of thing!
And until next time - stay stylish and stay fierce!
Much Love,
Coco