Darling, you won't believe what happened yesterday! The date, as if you needed me to tell you, was 31st July, 1998. A gloriously sunny day, just perfect for a trip to the ballet. You see, darling, my beloved Mr. B (as I call him, just to be cute!) had purchased tickets to see Swan Lake. Now, I adore Swan Lake, everyone knows that! I'm practically a swan myself, gracefully floating through life, surrounded by feathered delights, even in the absence of a feathered, feathery tutu!
But let me tell you, there's a reason they call it Swan Lake - not just because of the plot, although who could resist the classic love story, the jealous rivals, and the sheer majesty of a swans! It was the tutus, my dears. The tutus! Those impossibly large, fluffed out skirts made me want to shout "Oh, to be a swan, just for a day!" The ballerina ( darling, her name was simply exquisite: 'Cassandra'), glided onto the stage looking for all the world like a gigantic feather duster, all in the very best, most glamorous possible way, of course! It sparkled and twirled, with its own aura of pure drama. Every flick of the leg was pure romance, and every graceful movement a lesson in poise, a poetry in motion!
I could have watched that tutu all night! It truly took centre stage, the dancers themselves, though fabulous in their own right, were practically forgotten. I, of course, had prepared myself for such a spectacular, sporting a new blush pink, lace trimmed dress - quite the spectacle myself! I just had to hold back on doing the 'grand jeté' (that is, a leaping move for you uncultured souls), while dancing my way out of the theatre because Mr. B kept staring! Honestly, who needs the ballerinas on stage, with these beautiful, feathery creatures twirling and bouncing on them!
The tutus themselves were the stars of the evening, the dancers were a mere backdrop to the dazzling, white, pink, and emerald feathered show. Even the poor Baron von Rothbart's dark tutu couldn't steal their thunder. That night, as I drifted off to sleep, my dreams were of feather dusters and swan dances and ballet tutus!
Here are some observations about these, magnificent, magnificent creatures:
- There are so many styles of ballet tutu You think the tutu is just the tutu, right? Wrong, darling! There are the 'Romantic tutu,' the 'Classical tutu,' the 'Plat du Jour tutu'! Why have one tutu, when you can have them all? I simply adore how the tutus were designed to reflect the story of Swan Lake. I had to rush home and have a go at sewing, inspired by Cassandra, darling's moves! I felt I could tackle any style of 'tutu-making' with my new confidence!
- Let's talk about the feathers: Just how are those ballerinas able to do even the tiniest hop with those feather clouds around their legs?! A simple hop becomes a ballet spectacle just from the sheer impact of those magnificent plumes! The craftsmanship is breathtaking! I can't even begin to imagine the number of feathers on each tutu!
- Did they design tutus before or after the dancing began? This, darling, was a point of fierce discussion on our return from the ballett, which is where our rather heated debate on ballet and life and everything else began. Honestly! If you see a tutu that exquisite, how can you not wonder: were the dancers built to dance around this thing or was the tutu designed to showcase their skill?
It's true what they say, darling. Ballet really is the pinnacle of performance art. You get lost in its world of elegance, grace and yes, tutus! Now, darling, I think it's time to raid my wardrobe to find my pink tulle and ribbons for an impromptu 'Swan Lake' session - wish me luck on avoiding any unfortunate encounters with my grand piano.