Fun Ballet Tutu News 593

Details: Category: News

Oh darling, gather round, gather round! It’s time for another installment of The Ballerina’s Boudoir, your weekly dose of all things twirling and tulle! And what a day it is to be writing, 15th February 1998 - the very day, believe it or not, that the world of ballet received a *real* shocker.

It wasn’t a *Swan Lake* scandal, or even a *Sleeping Beauty* slumber party gone wrong (though that would have been a story!). No, this news item is about a most unexpected twist: the Great Tutu Revolt of ‘98!

The story unfolds like a perfectly pirouetted tale. Picture it: The Royal Opera House. Glittering chandeliers. The smell of greasepaint and anticipation. All the familiar trappings of a grand ballet, except this wasn’t *just* any grand ballet. This was the world premiere of *Tutu Twisters*, the hot new production from renowned choreographer, Bartholomew “Barry” Blithers.

Now, Barry, he’s known for his theatrical flair – dramatic lighting, avant-garde costumes, the works! This time, however, he'd decided to do something *really* daring. Something revolutionary, some would say… he’d dared to rethink the *tutu*.

The rumour mill had been buzzing for weeks: Would he redesign the traditional tutu? Make it sparkly? Add sequins? Were the dancers going to wear leggings under them? All this build-up! All this drama! And Barry did none of those things. What did he do, you ask? Well, darlings, *he simply removed them altogether*. That’s right! No tutus!

The very essence of ballet had gone missing. Can you imagine the *gasp* in the audience? I swear, the entire opera house had a collective heart attack right then and there. The air grew thick, the tension was as palpable as a freshly-ironed pair of tights! The first act passed. No tutus. Just *some* dramatic outfits, and a lot of bewilderment. Then came the *pièce de résistance*, the Act Two pas de deux! A grand pas de deux? *No tutus*!! The audience gasped, clutched their programmes, and, let’s be honest, *several* ladies fainted! The orchestra even played a *slightly* out-of-tune rendition of the “Waltz of the Flowers”, so off-key they actually sounded like a mournful cry!

So, why all the fuss, you might ask? Why did the world of ballet have a major meltdownder this day?

There were a few main arguments:

**Tradition, darling!** As the great Dame Margot Fonteyn herself said (once, to a *very* unimpressed audience): "A tutu, darling, is a dancer’s most treasured accessory, just as important as the pointe shoes!”

**Romance, darling!** Without the billowing tulle, the entire story was falling apart. I mean, you can’t possibly have *La Sylphide* flitting about like a little sprite if she isn’t even wearing the right uniform!

**Practicality!** And then there were the ballet purists, the practical-minded sorts who cried: "A tutu is more than just an outfit; it's about aerodynamics! Without the *appropriate* support system, the dancer cannot float, cannot spin, cannot *perform*.” Oh, dear. All very serious, *that* lot.

It is also important to point out that this wasn’t all doom and gloom, darlings. Some of the audience thought Barry Blithers was an absolute *genius*, a revolutionary. And it must be said that some of the dancers looked *truly* striking, the focus entirely on their graceful movement.

The media had a field day. It was everywhere. The newspapers called it the "Great Tutu Debacle". Fashion blogs were buzzing with opinions and *intense* tutu analysis.

But in the end, after all the *fuss*, after all the *drama*, what actually happened to *Tutu Twisters*? Well, darlings, the show ran its course. There were several re-runs, even some *gasps of approval*, as well as those horrified moans of disgust, which always adds a little *something extra*, you know. Some even thought it brought something “fresh and modern” to ballet.

But what truly cemented *Tutu Twisters* legacy, you ask? Well, it was all *thanks* to, guess who? The very people that were, at first, utterly scandalized: The *tutus* themselves!

One particularly mischievous bunch of tutus, (apparently from the *Swan Lake* production, who never get their turn in the spotlight), made their feelings on the whole affair known by simply escaping into the *very* audience and onto *several* unfortunate patrons. Imagine the scenes! There was mayhem! Panic! Tulle being ripped, ruffles getting trod upon! The curtain was lowered for hours! A full-on ballet scandal with a *side* of chaotic comedic fun!

Of course, in the end, all was *relatively* sorted (although one very grumpy and very wrinkled, 60 year-old ballet aficionado, Mr. Aloysius Twinkle, did sue the Royal Opera House over a particularly aggressive tulle, he felt had landed on his nose!). It was a day *for the history books*. But, remember, darlings: as the Great Tutu Revolt proved, a *tutu* can be *very* difficult to ignore…