For young girls, ballerina tutus are a symbol of romance and beauty. For dancers, tutus may well become simply a tool of the trade; however, this usually takes years and years to become the case. Tutus may be a necessary piece of performance equipment, but they are still romantic even if you have been wearing these items for years.
Young Dancers
For beginning dancers, a small tutu is a required piece of 'dreaming' equipment. If you know a little girl who is taking ballet lessons or who would like to take ballet lessons, giving her a tutu or a tulle ballet skirt as a present is sure to be a big hit. Girls often wear these items around the house, breaking into pirouettes spontaneously whenever the vibe hits them. Some girls get together and put on shows for each other and for their parents. Regardless of how a ballerina tutu given as a gift is used, it is sure to be a big hit when it is received.
Buying Ballerina Tutus
Local dance stores will carry dance skirts, and may or may not have a few tutus in stock as well. Generally speaking, a tutu is more of a performance item, which makes it harder to find in a general dancewear shop than a tulle skirt. There are plenty of places that you can buy tutus online, and the range of prices permits any budget to find a suitable option. There are costume shops that sell tutus as part of a costume, but the following dancewear boutiques offer ballerina tutus that can be paired with any ballet leotard and tights:
- Capezio Dancewear: The grandfather of dance clothing and shoes in America, Capezio offers a wide range of ballet dancewear. Expect to find more skirts than tutus among their collection of skirts.
- Discount Dance Supply: A popular dancewear supply company among dancers, this shop features discounted prices on ballerina tutus, leotards, all types of shoes, and more. This shop has a wide selection of tutus, for girls aged 3-5 right up into adult sizes.
- Tutu.com is a costume specialist. On this website you can order anything from a budget, pre-made, unembellished tutu (for under $20), to a full costume with custom bodice measurements and plenty of embellishments to take your tutu onstage with. The customized tutu costumes are high-end ballerina tutus and cost several hundreds of dollars.
- Class Act Tutu offers a wide range of tutu styles and bodice styles to match the tutus with. Everything from this website is handmade by seamstresses, so quality is the number one concern of the company. Offering a wide range of colors and always adding new styles, Class Act Tutu is a great source of ballerina tutus for dance companies or recitals in dance schools.
Caring for Ballerina Tutus
Always follow the specific care instructions that come with your tutu. While some can be ironed (start from the bottom instead of the top to avoid melting any embellishments on the top-most layer of the skirt), other tutus should strictly be steamed to tame the layers of tulle. Tutus are expensive and delicate, so be sure to follow the care instructions to the letter.
Storing tutus can also be a bit of a problem because they should not get flattened. Ideally, the tutu should hang upside down to avoid the skirt getting pulled down by gravity. Hanging it upside down allows gravity to pull it in the opposite direction; when you put it on, it will be full of body and bounce. Of course, don't eat or drink around a tutu because they can't be thrown in the washing machine. Lastly, be sure not to sit on your tutu, because this also has a flattening effect that can turn a beautiful tutu in a mere skirt.
Whether you need an inexpensive, ready-made tutu skirt for the little ballerina in your life, or a professional grade tutu for a performance, ballerina tutus impress all audiences, big and small, and from amateur to professional.
