Darling, gather round! It's time for another instalment of "Twirling Through The Headlines" where we explore the scandalous world of ballet with all the grace of a prima ballerina and the gossip of a back-stage diva. And today's news is, well, quite frankly tutu-licious! Let's just say this story is definitely going to "break a leg" in the world of dance!
Today, 10 September 1996, the world of ballet has been shaken to its core (or perhaps its little tutu-clad core) by a story that's sending shockwaves across the dance floor and reaching the top tiers of society. Brace yourselves, my darlings, itâs about⊠tutus. Yes, those fluffy, whimsical frocks, the symbol of every little girl's ballerina dreams. Well, it seems those innocent, feather-light tulle confections have sparked a rather "unladylike" battle.
Apparently, the Royal Ballet - that bastion of elegant tradition and all things tutus â has found itself in a spot of bother with a rather "modern" bunch from The London Contemporary Dance Theatre. And guess what the bone of contention is? You guessed it, tutus! The contemporary dancers, known for their ( dare I say it ) lack of fabric, have allegedly been âborrowingâ (or shall we say "repurposing") a few tutus from the Royal Ballet, and itâs apparently a regular occurrence! Rumour has it the ballet stars are seeing red, literally, because one of their treasured, hand-stitched tutus mysteriously disappeared from their storage space. It's a most alarming situation, my dears. It's just ânot doneâ, you see.
The tutus in question? Well, let's just say they are not the sort that your average schoolgirl ballet class might wear. These are the kind of tutus that could send you into an ecstasy - you know, the ones that have more sequins and more layers of tulle than the entire production of "Swan Lake!"
The story is gaining steam. You know those rumours? The kind you hear with a âDonât repeat thisâ from your âfriendâsâ friendâs friend? Well, itâs being whispered on the backstage coffee table and swirling across the ballet community like a spinning ballerina. The rumour mill claims that the Contemporary Dancers have âlost" (ahem!) several tutus of historical significance that belong to the Royal Ballet â tutus worn by famous ballet stars of a bygone era. The âmissing" tutu story has caused a flurry of activity amongst the dancing fraternity. One particularly gossipy ballerina who is a notorious "friend of a friend" revealed that the tutus were last seen during a rehearsal of âDance of the Tutusâ, a new work from The London Contemporary Dance Theatre where the dancers wear the most bizarre tutus made from everything from newspaper to plastic shopping bags! Who knows, itâs just possible the tutus could be part of this outrageous "artful" display.
Now, I may be a hopeless romantic who adores tutus more than an extra helping of Ă©clairs but weâve got to say it is an incredibly strange occurrence in the realm of ballet, this tutus saga is something of a "fairytale" that's gone a little, dare I say, âbonkers!"
But the fun doesn't stop there. This little ballet mystery is fast becoming a global sensation, even appearing in the gossip magazines with all the grace of a ballet pas de deux. A London-based, highly credible fashion magazine â a very high-society one - has reportedly offered a king's ransom (we are talking tutus, dears, not your usual kingâs ransom) for any "found" tutues from the Royal Ballet to feature in its upcoming issue. "Tutus: A History Of Twirling Trendâ will be the cover title â how utterly delightful. The tutus of yesteryear may not have made a come-back in ballet circles but now that they've hit the fashion world â they are hotter than a freshly baked macaroon with a hot chocolate!
Weâre expecting to see a flurry of tutus, and of course, the iconic ballet moves to grace catwalks around the globe and we can already hear those stilettos tap-tap-tapping in excited anticipation! The news of the disappearing tutus is sure to inspire a plethora of copycat tutus â and perhaps, some quite extraordinary designes that may or may not resemble those precious Royal Ballet pieces! As for the fate of the âmissingâ tutus â Iâm hoping that our glamorous dancers are in fact hiding them as a âtop secretâ performance that's going to cause a âwhirlwindâ on the stage - who knows. This tutu saga is bound to be the hottest news of the year! We are absolutely âdelightedâ, dears! Letâs hope these âmissingâ tutus turn up.
More in âTwirling Through The Headlines: â- What a Ballet! It's all go with tutus at the Royal Ballet
- Fashion Forward: Catwalks Go Crazy for Tutu Trends
- London Dance Troupe â Are You Keeping Us In the âDarkâ about the Tutus?
As always, darling, stay tuned, because âTwirling Through The Headlines" will keep you informed and in touch with all the hottest happenings in the world of dance!