Billingham's Tutu Tuesday: A Day of Dance, Disco, and Delight
It's a beautiful sunny day in Billingham and I’m ready to celebrate. You know what that means? It's Tutu Tuesday! That's right, every Tuesday in Billingham is a day dedicated to tutus. If you know me, you know how much I love a good tutu. And let's be honest, a little bit of tulle in your life is always a good thing!
I woke up this morning and put on my favourite pink tutu – a beautiful, multi-layered tulle explosion. You just can’t go wrong with pink! Then, I headed over to my friend Emily’s for a pre-Tutu Tuesday brunch, because no one should face a day of tutus on an empty stomach.
As Emily, the rest of our ballet crew and I chatted and laughed, we picked out the rest of our tutu-fied outfits. I know, some might say it's just a tutu. But to us, it’s a whole lot more.
For Emily, her outfit of the day was all about disco glamour: a shiny, metallic gold tutu layered over black sparkly leggings and a black sequin top, accessorised with glittery gold eyeshadow. Then she piled on some pink flower crowns and I don't think anyone could have stopped her from going straight to the dance floor.
I had originally wanted to go with a vintage style tutu with layers of netting for a floaty ethereal feel. It looked pretty good but I couldn’t decide what top to wear so ended up going with something more modern: a short black leotard with colourful beaded appliqué and white tights for a splash of contrast. But the pièce de résistance of this look? My bright red chunky boots - because a bit of footwear rebellion always looks good on a Tuesday!
One of the greatest things about Tutu Tuesday? You can get pretty creative with how you style it. Tutu Tuesday is all about individuality and celebrating your love for this magical piece of dancewear.
And of course, no Tutu Tuesday is complete without some dancing. We got to the town centre in the afternoon and, before we even made it to the main stage in the market square, people were giving us thumbs up and even cheering!
So much fun was had, so many photographs were taken. Here is a snapshot of what we got up to on Tutu Tuesday:
• Strutting Our Stuff: You wouldn't believe the moves. We had twirls, pirouettes, and even a few synchronized leaps! We got all those muscles we'd built in the studio working – but also the ones we hadn’t quite remembered we had. We showed Billingham what it's all about!
• Rainbow Sparkle: Tutus aren’t just for dancers! This Tuesday was extra special, because it was our first rainbow-themed event. To celebrate inclusivity and the LGBT+ community, our tutus were a burst of rainbow colours – not just in pink, but also greens, blues, and yellows. A beautiful rainbow was painted on the stage – and even the people we met throughout the town were all colours of the rainbow. This town is so diverse and inclusive, and we really celebrated that today!
• Tutu Fun: We even put together some fun games! Our 'Tutu-fying Contest’ was such a hit – a mini fashion challenge that allowed participants to show off their own unique interpretations of a tutu! The tutus went way beyond classic ballerina styles: we saw a couple wearing amazing fluffy, pink tutus – I swear they could have gone for a flight on those – a woman in a fantastic silver sequined tutu that resembled a shimmering fairy. Even some of the blokes took part – in black tutus topped off with cool fedora hats! We couldn’t have wished for more diversity and originality.
• The Sweet Treats: What would a good celebration be without delicious sweet treats? I picked up some pink marshmallow doughnuts - of course, everything must be pink on a Tutu Tuesday - and a special birthday cupcake (that also, of course, had to be decorated with pink sprinkles)!
• Making Memories: But honestly, the best part was getting to spend time with amazing people in Billingham, dancing in a tutu. It was just wonderful, and what an excellent way to spend a Tuesday!
I know what you’re thinking. This might sound a bit cheesy, but wearing a tutu really can be empowering! There’s just something magical about twirling around in layers of tulle and letting your imagination run wild. So, if you're looking for a fun and inspiring way to express yourself, don’t forget to check out #tututuesday next week.
The most amazing part? We really raised awareness for some great charities too! Today was about getting involved and putting smiles on people’s faces! And the very best part about that is seeing those big smiles back at us – a little bit of Tutu Tuesday joy for everyone.
Let’s get ready to #tututuesday – it’s the only way to kickstart a fab Tuesday. See you all next week.