Tutu Tuesday in Cambridge
Itās #Tutuesday and, like every week, Iām sweating it out in the studio. This week is a bit different, though ā itās the start of the new term at the Cambridge School of Ballet and youād think a dance school would be an oasis of calm, of measured movements, of eleganceā¦ Youād think wrong. Itās chaos, pure unbridled chaos. Especially when youāre a first year with a brand-new leotard, some very real worries about not being good enough, and a very, very big pink tutu that makes me feel like a cupcake.
Iām not really sure how they pick our tutu styles, to be honest. Itās justā¦ the fabric, the colours, the frills. This year seems to be the year of the poofy. I mean, it is ballet and the poofier the tutu, the better it catches the light. They donāt go so big in a real performance, of course. At least not until the end, when all hell breaks loose. In a controlled way. Let me explain.
This yearās big tutus feel a little like Victorian fashion. I think maybe there is some kind of historical context that Iām missing. Itās kind of like those hoopskirts they wore. Massive. Overblown. The tulle in the skirt seems to have been hand-stitched by angels. Honestly, you can see why there are strict rules against them coming anywhere near a teacup, a cup of tea or indeed any other liquid for that matter. One tiny, teeny stain and you are done for, darling.
This tutu business reminds me of the time we had an international guest ballerina teaching at the school. She brought her own tutu from Paris ā she told us it had come from some legendary French costume maker and had to have been older than a lot of us, actually. It was beautifully preserved ā delicate lace and the softest silk that felt like a whisper. The main thing was it wasn't at all big, like a kind of princess ballerina version of a tennis skirt ā oh, she could really twirl. If anyone can get a new generation into ballet it's her, with the help of those kind of tutus. Thereās such a thing as being too flashy and she was all class, elegance and an unforgettable pirouette.
Back in the rehearsal studio, there was something a bit surreal about the first tutu class ā itās almost the equivalent of dressing up for a fancy dress party for the whole day. So, I took the whole "fancy dress" aspect of it quite seriously and turned it up a notch by wearing my favourite neon green lip liner and even a pair of very special tights with hearts all over them (donāt judge!). My bestie Mia was horrified but I felt great about the whole thing and really went all-out in the first few minutes.
My pointe shoes were gleaming, by the way, new pair, theyāre the ones with a super special little memory in each stitch that takes me straight back to my favourite ballet performance in Barcelona. Yes, I actually love my shoes. I love them enough to take an extreme close-up photo on the first day of term which, of course, got Mia making mockery of me ā it would probably be like getting my boyfriendās rugby socks tattooed on my arm, I told her, before throwing an unpractised pirouette which resulted in me practically ending up in the wings with the tutus of other members of my class floating around me ā a real theatrical ballet disaster waiting to happen!
I took her mockery to heart, though. I decided to tone down my personal statement until the teacher had time to check in, not to mention the other students could really find their own kind of tutu personality too. This week weāre mainly concentrating on āstage presenceā which apparently is not about how big your smile is or how many fake bows you manage at the end. It seems that it is all about, and get this, how much you stand out while trying to disappear into the whole choreography and, really, the real tutu of ballet is all about letting go. It sounds weird, but ballet and, for me, the tutu really does help with letting go of any personal anxieties ā the stress of my work at the coffee shop is a distant thought. There are a few key poses and routines, like when you do the "five" for example, and, to be honest, it is a whole new experience in terms of letting go. You stand on the tips of your toes and the tulle fills in the space above you. The energy in that kind of a move is exhilarating!
After two years Iām finally starting to get my moves together. So far it has all felt like trying to master walking on sunshine while playing a high stakes game of dodge the grand dameās teacup, but as I finally got to work this morning I started thinking how it canāt really all be about being perfect. My new teacher, Ms. Bailey, really stresses about finding your inner grace in the tutu and, yeah, there's definitely a different kind of self-confidence involved that's kind of, like, a total blast! Maybe that's why #Tutuesday is a good thing!
Top #Tutuesday Trends
Hereās a quick summary of the trends we saw in our very first class:
- The Romantic: This type of tutu uses layers and layers of soft tulle to create a dreamy, ethereal effect, much like my friend Charlotte was wearing ā it kind of goes all āSleeping Beautyā, even a bit ballet school, but itās such a great starter look!
- The Classical: The more practical style. With shorter tulle, more fitted at the waist. Think the ballerina swan and all things classic!
- The Ballerina Swan: Now I am talking about what makes us ballet dancersā¦ we love tulle because we love the ability to create different shapes, patterns and angles ā which leads us into our next point.
- The Poofier the Tutu, the Better the "Moves." Oh my word. In ballet it really does matter how big it is and how we use that in terms of our moves and turns and it takes time, and lots of rehearsal before you can feel like youāve mastered the moves and actually want to dance on sunshine. If we're talking sunshine we have to go all out! I need to make some more moves!
I'm pretty excited for the next #Tutuesday!