Tutu Tuesday 31805

Tutu Tuesday in Pickering, Ontario: A Whirlwind of Tulle and Tradition

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time to unleash the inner ballerina in all of us. That's right, it's Tutu Tuesday, a weekly tradition that celebrates the iconic garment of the dance world and encourages us all to embrace our inner grace and poise.

For this week’s #Tututuesday celebration, we’re going to dive deep into the fascinating world of tutus. It might sound like a frivolous topic, but the humble tutu, especially here in Canada, has an amazingly rich history, from its roots in the grand Parisian ballets of the 19th century to its place in Canadian ballet.

My heart flutters with anticipation whenever Tutu Tuesday rolls around. There’s something so special about slipping on a fluffy tutu – the kind of voluminous, billowing tulle skirt with multiple layers of airy tulle netting, also known as a "Romantic Tutu," or the more structured, short-skirted, and geometric “Classical Tutu" favored for many ballets.

This week, I wanted to explore how ballet tutus, a cornerstone of the art, have captivated our imaginations in Canada. So I dusted off my old dance bags and dug through my vintage costume stash (okay, maybe a tiny bit of digging, the attic was a bit of a mess – don’t judge, it’s a Canadian thing!), finding a few treasures, and had myself a tutu-licious Tuesday photo shoot.

In Canada, ballet has played a vital role in our artistic landscape. With notable ballet companies like The National Ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet taking the stage and drawing large crowds across the country. Canadians have embraced this art form in many forms. As you might imagine, a ballet enthusiast like me always makes it a point to grab the best tickets, because you know, who wouldn’t want to have a chance to experience the beauty of dance while enjoying a captivating ballet performance! And of course, as a ballet dancer, there’s nothing like being in a performance where a beautiful, crisp classical tutu steals the show, or a dramatic "Romantic Tutu" transports the audience to another world.

Before we get into the heart of our #Tututuesday celebration, a bit of history: The story of the tutu goes way back to the 19th century, with ballet as it’s known today developing during that period. Early Romantic ballerinas wore long skirts of lace and gauze to allow their leg work to be seen, which was important. The idea of shortening the skirts evolved over time – think “Giselle,” a famous Romantic ballet, where skirts got progressively shorter – with the "tutu" as we know it today coming about sometime in the late 19th century. Now let’s delve a bit more into the history of ballet in Canada, the country we’re all so proud to call home!

Did you know that ballet has a history in Canada that stretches way back to the 1700s? We weren’t really making our own tutus at that point; we had to rely on dance masters traveling from Europe and presenting performances, sharing their artistry with the Canadian public.

Now, let’s skip forward a couple of centuries to the early 1900s, the “golden age of ballet” here in Canada. We have legendary figures like Lillian Allden (founder of the Canadian National Ballet and its predecessor, the Allden Ballet), Frederick Ashton (a highly-acclaimed ballet choreographer whose contributions include such significant works as "The Sleeping Beauty"), and even a “ballet ball” in 1905 at the Canadian Pacific Railroad’s offices – this marked the debut of ballet in a high-society context in Canada, quite fascinating!

Okay, back to #Tututuesday and some important styles of tutus: The "Classical Tutu," the "Romantic Tutu" and "The Tutu," because every dancer knows we all have to love it, “The Tutu”! In classical tutus, they can be pretty simple – think one or two layers of tulle, short and straight to showcase a dancer's legs in graceful turns and leaps. It’s often the "Romantic Tutu" with those extra, billowing layers that will bring your breath away, and with those long, sweeping layers and tiers, they add a beautiful flair and drama, which always wows any audience. When I was learning to dance, the "Romantic Tutu" was my absolute favourite, and every dancer has a tutu story of that specific ballet moment in our journey where it feels right, so to speak. And lastly, the very broad term "The Tutu". This encompasses so many tutus – from the whimsical "Victorian Tutu", so heavily ruffled, perfect for showcasing grace, to the elegant “Contemporary Tutu" with modern lines and unique designs to showcase flexibility.

I don’t know about you, but there is no greater symbol of the grace and artistry of ballet than a stunning, elegant, and powerful tutu. So, without further ado, here are some ways to bring some of the tutu magic into your own Tuesday, and keep the spirit of ballet alive and flourishing. It's a day to celebrate the world of ballet, the beauty of these garments, and our shared love for dance.

So here’s what we can all do for #Tututuesday in Pickering, Ontario:

• Find some tutu inspiration: Spend a couple of minutes watching some videos from your favorite Canadian ballet company, browse through some ballet history, or see if there's a dance school nearby to check out.
• Let your tutu out: Dust off your dance shoes, and put on any piece of clothing that inspires your inner ballerina. Maybe you don't have a tutu at hand, but even a flowy skirt, a ballet top, or just some socks and shoes can bring some fun, creativity, and that elegant flair.
• Take a ballet class – even just one, to channel that graceful dancer spirit in us all! You'll learn some basic ballet steps and stretches, even if it's just in your living room, to start your day off with a burst of confidence.
• Get social and share your love for dance! Spread the word! Use the #tututuesday hashtag in a dance class or on your favorite social media channel – let your dance friends know that you are part of this global community of ballet enthusiasts!
• Learn something new about ballet: Get inspired! If there’s a local ballet company doing a special workshop or a free master class, why not take it? You might even make a new friend, and that's just as beautiful as a Tutu Tuesday!

Remember that in the spirit of #Tututuesday, a tutu can be more than a garment; it is a symbol of a rich history and culture in ballet, as well as an invitation to let our own inner creativity, imagination, and poise shine! And what’s a better day to do that, then right here in Pickering, Ontario!