#tututuesday
Hey everyone, Itâs your favourite ballerina, and fashion blogger, Lily! Today Iâm sharing a truly unique experience I had last weekâTutu Tuesday in Melita, Manitoba. It wasnât just a regular Tuesday; it was a day dedicated to the love of ballet and celebrating the art form right here in our prairie heartland. Letâs dive into the details, shall we?
Now, you might be wonderingâhow did Tutu Tuesday even happen? It all started with the Melita Arts Council. Theyâve been organizing various events to celebrate local talents, but this time, they wanted to do something special for their younger generations, something fun and whimsical that embraced both artistry and community spirit.
The brainchild of a local arts teacher and the arts council director, Tutu Tuesday aimed to do just that. And boy, did it deliver!
So what went down on Tutu Tuesday? The main event was a community gathering at the local recreation centre, which, incidentally, used to be an old-time movie theatre back in the day. I've always been drawn to historic places, especially those with such a rich community historyâ you can really feel the years and generations woven into the very fabric of the space!
The centre was decked out with a giant tulle backdrop, the kind you'd find in the middle of a beautiful, big city theatre. But this backdrop was specially chosen with a splash of the Manitoban prairies in mindâ the centre was adorned with the vibrant yellow of fields of canola in full bloom, reminding everyone why Manitoba is lovingly known as "Canada's Breadbasket."
But the real star of the show, of course, were the tutus! Now, it wasn't just one kind of tutu â every single one was as individual as the person wearing it. From those classically trained, ethereal tulle tutus to the quirky and fun, with splashes of glitter and layers of fabric â Tutu Tuesday celebrated the art of individuality and expression within a shared passion for the art of dance. I even spotted some homemade tutus, crafted with so much heart, I couldnât resist giving them a compliment (because hey, if anyone deserves an âamazing work, hunâ it's the tutu-crafters of Melita).
From toddlers taking their first pirouettes to young ballerinas in practice wear to local dance studio instructors, every attendee was united in their love for ballet and each other, the kind of spirit that makes small towns so beautiful.
As for my look, I decided to go for a more elegant and classic aestheticâ a blush pink tulle tutu with black ribbon detailing, because I wanted the look to be soft and refined yet also fun and youthful. A dash of glittery eyeliner was the only "bling" I felt necessary to tie it all together â and because let's face it, who doesn't love some sparkle on Tutu Tuesday?
Highlights of Tutu Tuesday:
- Interactive ballet classes: Local dance teachers conducted a series of interactive classes. For beginners, they taught simple moves to get their little feet and bodies moving, and the older students had a chance to fine-tune some more intricate movesâ there was even a session on stretching! This was an amazing way to connect the ballet community and expose people to the art form.
- Tutu fashion show: A fashion show highlighting the various tutus, which I thought was genius! From the intricate to the playful, they all got to shine on the makeshift runway. Everyone's confidence and sheer joy as they walked was truly inspiring! This is where I saw the homemade tutus I mentioned, the creations just beamed with so much passion.
- Ballet-themed crafts: And for those looking for something a bit more hands-on, the centre set up some tables with ballet-themed arts and crafts. Kids of all ages (and even a few adults) were getting creative making their own costumes, or just having fun painting their own ballerinasâ a reminder that ballet is for everyone! It was also an excellent way to introduce some younger participants to the finer arts, through ballet, of course.
- Local bake-off: No town event is complete without some good food, so they had a delicious local bake-offâ every sweet treat was inspired by ballet themes! (Seriously, people put so much effort into even the baking! We had Sugar Plum Fairies in the form of cookies and Ballet Shoe cupcakes with pink icing â talk about dedication!). So after a long day of twirling and creativity, I treated myself to a slice of Ballet Cake!
If you want to see what happened at Tutu Tuesday for yourself, check out the Melita Arts Council Facebook page - it's overflowing with beautiful photos of all the tutu magic that went down that day!
So what did I take away from Tutu Tuesday? Ballet truly has the power to bring communities together, to make the arts accessible for everyone. Thereâs magic in every pirouette and passion in every leap. A little creativity can go a long way to create memories that will last a lifetimeâ for the young dancers and even for me, the seasoned ballerina with a story to share.
The experience in Melita reminded me that while ballet has this grand and often formal reputation, the essence of it is much deeper than any staged performance. The spirit of ballet lives in each step and spin, a joy for everyone who is involved.
Now, I may have to think about a few thingsâ what does the perfect tutu look like? Does this one tutu per person thing translate to other provinces? Will there be a Tutu Tuesday here in [YOUR TOWN/CITY], [PROVINCE]?
Until next time, fellow dancers and Tutu enthusiasts, let's keep the celebrations and passion for ballet flowing. Happy Tutu Tuesday, everyone! #tututuesday