Ballet

 Sugar Plum Fairy

 Here is the Sugar Plum Fairy tutu that Kathie made for Jenn when she danced that role in The Nutcracker ballet. It is a little worse for wear – 14 performances, 2 dress rehearsals, 2 technical rehearsals and a few more other rehearsals over two years with two different partners.

Sugar Plum Cavalier

Here is the matching Sugar Plum Cavalier tunic that one of her parners wore. 

A Note About Care and Cleaning

All of our performance tunics (and tutus) are lined with a double layer of muslin and feature washable fabrics and trims - since dancers get so sweaty they like their costumes cleaned after each performance.  Hand-washing in cold water and line drying can be done overnight - this also reduces odor that is commonly a problem with the interaction of sweat and dry-cleaning chemicals.  Dry cleaning also has a tendency to strip color and metallic overlays off sequins, beads, the back of rhinestones and trims.  Hand-washing will extend the life of performance costumes and by extension, costume budgets.

Pink Performance Tutu 

This tutu was designed for a different dancer to wear for the role of Sugar Plum Fairy. The dancer injured herself shortly before the performance and did not dance. This costume has been worn, but only for a few rehearsals and so is in much better condition. The dancer who replaced her was not the same size – and luckily brought her own costume with her.

This costume was made off our standard tutu pattern and then altered very quickly to fit a very tiny dancer.  She had also neglected to inform us of a “popped” rib that had to be accounted for, and that was accommodated overnight after she arrived.  The ‘loose’ bodice feature we use also helped out.  See below for a more detailed description of this detail.

White Swan Tutu  

This tutu features our removable front panel and overskirt. The decoration can then be easily replaced with another set for a completely different look.

Loose Bodice System

We offer some unique features you may not see in all ballet tutus.  One feature that dancers really like in our tutus is the Loose Bodice System. The bodice is not tightly fitted through the chest in order to allow for breathing space. A long, fitting tie runs through the entire top edge of the bodice and provides support along with boning to keep it in place. The long ties are looped in a large bow and then tucked into the back of the bodice. The bow is held in place with the elastic and hook system shown on the inside as seen here.

Front Panel and Overskirt Package

Shown here is a Front Panel and Overskirt Package for our basic white tutu. This one can be used for any pas de deux using a white costume. (Snow Queen & King in the Nutcracker for instance or Sleeping Beauty)

White Decorated Tunic

The tunic shown here matches the design of the Front Panel and Overskirt Package shown above. Although in this case the decorations are sewn directly onto the tunic, we also can make a basic tunic with a removable front panel and sleeve cuffs so that it too can be altered with a minimum of effort to be used in multiple roles.