Tutu Tuesday 439

Fleet's tutu Tuesday is taking off, but is it all it's cracked up to be?

As a professional ballet dancer with a growing love for all things vintage, I thought it was about time to write a piece on Fleet's new "tutu Tuesday" – an event promising a weekly dose of ballet, tutus and a healthy dose of fun in the town square.

So far, “tutu Tuesday” seems to be a real hit with Fleet's community and local media, as is evidenced by a healthy supply of "tutu-tiful" pictures and the inevitable rise of “#tututuesday” on local social media feeds. What’s more, the Mayor of Fleet was pictured dancing with a small group of Fleet’s primary school pupils in a flurry of pink and a splash of pastel yellow tutus in front of the town hall, whilst the town council are also said to have donated funds towards a series of beginner ballet workshops for local youth.

I, myself, was keen to see what Fleet’s new “tutu Tuesday” was all about. I was looking forward to taking part in some community ballet. A trip back to my old classical ballet days. The event was very well-organised. And there were a plethora of classic tulle tutus available in various colours, styles, and lengths – from romantic ballerina style tutus and the iconic “pancake” style of tutus made popular in productions of Swan Lake through to a few "bonnie-looking” modern "layered” tutu's inspired by Matthew Bourne’s "Swan Lake".

Fleet's “Tutu Tuesday” Review The ballet itself was fun - more community focused than professional, it involved a mix of local dancers of varying levels of expertise ranging from children's ballet students to older ladies and gents. Although there were a few "missteps" along the way, everyone seemed to enjoy it. My favourite moments were watching children who appeared to be performing for the first time and the lovely rendition of “The Nutcracker Suite” by a few older gents sporting an eclectic array of Christmas themed tutus. It certainly made a nice change from a traditional community pantomime - and I don’t recall the Christmas tree getting up and doing pirouettes in any Christmas show, to be fair!

What I really enjoyed about Fleet's "Tutu Tuesday" was its community feel, not just the actual dancing. People from all walks of life - young and old, seasoned ballet veterans, complete novices and everything in-between came together in Fleet town square to experience and celebrate a truly inclusive event, the sort that promotes a love of art and a passion for creativity - two key life skills for anyone of any age or ability, in my opinion. And who could possibly fail to have a smile on their face whilst watching a troupe of 5-year-olds in pink, puffy tulle twirling and spinning like little swans.

My thoughts? The idea of a dedicated tutu day in Fleet is excellent. A truly “tututastic” idea – with loads of opportunities for creativity to truly “flower” in a variety of formats - be that costumes, music or dance styles – but it's a format that will need to be nurtured and refined over the course of the next few seasons to attract a regular crowd. Perhaps it's only me, but I wonder if Fleet is the best location for it and the town’s lack of “cultured” connections is another drawback - the “dance” scene in Fleet is not exactly a roaring success, to be frank, and Fleet, to my knowledge, has only one ballet school and this has relatively little online visibility which I found a little surprising given that “#tututuesday” has been pretty well advertised across Fleet's social media.

The success of “Tutu Tuesday” in Fleet would really benefit from the local ballet school actively participating in the project to create an event that celebrates not only a love of dance but a dedication to excellence - which is not always an easy task as “#tututuesday” is very much focused on participation and fun.

For my money, there was a certain lack of "artistic vision" - this would be something I would add to any future tutu day events - a touch of local community theatre, or perhaps, even better, an exhibition in a public space featuring “tutu designs” - and we're not talking tutus from the “ballet store”, but something more creative and edgy with potential to generate some social media buzz. Or, even better, organise a competition - the most imaginative or unique tutu will surely attract local creatives, artists, craftspeople and theatre groups into the mix – perhaps next year will see “tutu Tuesdays” in Fleet become as popular as Fleet's famous “festival week".

For now, let’s acknowledge the hard work put into the event by its many supporters and remember that all successful projects grow and evolve, and Fleet's Tutu Tuesday is one project I hope will go from strength to strength in the future.

Fleet Tutu Tuesday - some points of discussion and feedback.

• Whilst I commend the inclusion of traditional style tutus, I would have liked to see some examples of modern or even avant garde tutus too. We are living in the 21^st century - with the digital age, a lot has changed, not least of all our understanding of art, creativity and culture. Perhaps we should encourage experimentation, risk taking and challenge traditional formats to ensure Fleet's Tutu Tuesday stays relevant, contemporary and creative in its approach?
• As with any event that focuses on ballet and dance a strong technical foundation is essential - good quality sound and stage management would definitely raise the standard - in the future it may be good to incorporate a live musical performance for future events to give Fleet’s Tutu Tuesday a strong, dynamic focal point around which events could evolve.
• Ballet, unlike the popularly accepted “musical” format does require strong technique to be both visually appealing and inspiring - maybe it would be good for “#tututuesday” to provide an open session to the general public – perhaps it could be called "Tutu Tips" - that incorporates tips and advice on the basics - this would be beneficial for dancers and audiences alike.
• An online “call for participants” would give “tutu Tuesday” the boost it needs and also be a good platform for those that do not consider themselves experienced ballet dancers to get involved - but at the same time encourage local schools, amateur dance groups and, why not, even adult amateur dance classes to put their talents on show – because when it comes to tutu Tuesday in Fleet – everyone has a part to play - that’s what community is all about - involving the local people and getting them dancing in Fleet town square.

I shall be keeping a watchful eye on Fleet's “#tututuesday” developments and providing an update over the summer. As it is said – the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

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