Fun Ballet Tutu News 188

Dearest readers,

I’m sorry but today’s news just had to be about **ballet and the humble tutu.**

The reason you ask? Well it’s that time of the year, it’s **January, the bleak mid-winter.** Everyone is a bit grey and miserable, feeling a little blah… except maybe a **bunch of dedicated, but quite frankly batty, dancers who wear those pretty but rather impractical fluffy little skirts for a living**.

Yes, **those iconic little tutu skirts.** The ones we love so dearly and **the only attire for any decent ballet**. **Oh darling! Do they not just epitomise** *The Dance* itself! From the classic **four layer Romantic Tutu, the iconic pancake tutu, the whimsical (sometimes **utterly ludicrous**) contemporary styles** – they have to be one of **the most beautiful but often most dangerous garments** a dancer can wear.

It’s true. **They’re delicate and fiddly**. **It takes some skill and a whole load of bobby pins and hairspray** to make them stay up and **you’d never want to get near a wind machine** in one. Not **to mention** when those tutus **become victims of a mid-pirouette wardrobe malfunction.** Then you might as well chuck the entire show. That’s **an image we’d rather not see.** A dancer and her tutu, or perhaps what remains of her tutu, *going into battle with a rather irate ballet master, that* will always **make any dancer cringe with embarrassment.** And it happens more often than you think! I don’t **think I'll ever forget that unfortunate night at Covent Garden where my tutu** gave a little **whimper** then simply **did a disappearing act. I did some serious hopping to finish that pas de deux!** Thankfully it stayed up and no-one ever suspected a thing.

But on a lighter note, tutus **represent** a **dream.** **The ultimate symbol of a dream**. A life **dedicated to art, dance and beauty.** When I **think of ballerinas, I think of beautiful dancers** with grace and elegance who make even **the most challenging of movements look absolutely effortless.**

Even with those impractical little skirts, that's **what** *the dance* is all about! So when I’m looking a little drab this January, it's time to think about tutu’s **and maybe grab my dance shoes and go and see a show!** Or for that extra special feeling** why not do like some of the other brave dancers** I’ve encountered. Wear your tutu while you get your coffee, go to the shops… maybe wear it with those little kitten heels too. A bold fashion statement I’m sure. And why not, a bit of **ballet glamour** goes a long way on a chilly January day!

Here is a quick run down on my **five favourite tutus.** Why, there are too many beautiful skirts in the world, it’s a true **celebration of beauty in design!** * **The Romantic Tutu:** This four-layered skirt is the quintessential ballet look – all puffy and extravagant. This is the stuff of **fairytales.** *That magical lightness we all crave in life. * * **The Pancake Tutu:** This is a classic and flat-looking tutu and **definitely one of the most difficult to wear, believe me! ** It **creates the illusion of weightlessness**, while allowing for plenty of flexibility and fast, sharp movements – think Swan Lake here! * **The Bell-Shaped Tutu:** The epitome of graceful elegance this little skirt, is just as much about **drama** as the **flowing elegance.** The *bell shape* gives **all that delicate romantic movement** and it’s a true beauty. * **The Pointed Tutu** * (Yes darling that’s it, a tutu with a pointed top.) * *A timeless little look that's often** found on **classical ballets**.