How does the tutu become a part of an outback town’s romance? You know, tutus. Those fluffy skirts that remind me of little girls, glitter, ballerinas, princesses, tiaras, and fairies, breathing romance between the layers of tulle.

I know it’s a struggle to picture a tutu being worn among the stark red dust of the Australian outback, yet, it’s possible.

Here’s how…

EXACTLY, WHAT IS A TUTU?

The tutu is a sleek skirt made of layers of fine materials, worn as part of a costume for dancers. It was first created as a petticoat in the 1800s, which just got shorter and shorter over time.

Today, they’re designed to show off the amazing legs of the dancer while allowing for freedom of movement and grace as they entertain their audience with their fancy footwork.

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WHY IS A TUTU CALLED A TUTU?

This was a tough one to answer.

The word Tutu comes from a French children’s word for ‘cucu’, a French term for buttocks, or bottom.

TYPES OF TUTUS:

If you’re a crafty person, the tutu is easy to make with plenty of YouTube tutorials available. Basically, it’s elastic, reams of tule, and time.

The professional dancer’s tutu is made from various materials like muslin, silk, tulle, gauze, or nylon. They average about ten layers of material, where the top layer is for the find details like glitter, sequins, and lace,

But then you have the varieties of tutus:

CLASSIC PANCAKE TUTU:

This is the straight from the hip ruffle style of a tutu, meant to resemble a crinkled pancake. It’s also known as an English style of the tutu, that is super stiff in the skirt from plastic and wire hoops. Try sitting in a chair in one of these.

POWDERPUFF TUTU:

Also known as the Russian pancake, this style was favoured in classical ballet performances. (I’m in the mood for pancakes after this…) That is straight from the hip and flat as 10 layers—I’m talking about tutus and not pancakes. Right?

Pst, in some circles, they’ve become collector items, like the famous tutu worn by Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake, that sold for $94,800.

THE BELL-SHAPED TUTU:

These are the softer shaped tutu that sits just off the hips and flows mid-thigh and has no hoops in them. They have an average of only 5 layers of material.

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ROMANTIC TUTU:

Yes, that’s its title. The name is due to the large bell shape skirt that is softer and flowier, giving that romantic appearance. They have different layers that remind me of an upended flower, where the body of the dancer is the stem, and the skirt becomes the petals that float with the dancer. Aww…

CHAMPAGNE TUTUS:

Picture fluffy layers of champagne coloured tulle attached to elastic, then made into a skirt for the little tiara-loving princesses to run around in. They’re very popular. Remember this one.

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OTHER TUTU TYPES THAT DON’T DANCE:

To stop me from diving too deep down the rabbit hole about tutus, trust me when I say they are everywhere! They’re in songs, Tv shows, movies, pictures, and even hair decorations.

So here are some common tutus that have nothing to do with ballet:

TUTUS INVADE WEDDINGS EVERYWHERE!

To capitalise on the romantic theme that comes with tutus, it’s not too hard to spot a tutu at 100 paces, especially when it comes to weddings, they’re everywhere.

Let’s start with those big skirts wrapping around the table, mostly for the gift table, the cake table, the wedding party table…

Then you’ll find the tutu filled with fairy lights and made into a chandelier. (Hmm, that’d work!)

And let’s not forget the wedding dresses and those ever-adorable flower girls’ gowns that are all classed as tutus! It’s all about the reams of tulle in that full skirt – perfect for that little princess.

THEY’RE ALSO DECORATIONS IN THE HOME…

Did you know that the fancy name for tree skirts that get wrapped around the base of a Christmas tree is a tutu? You do now. Your welcome.

Bed skirts are another fancy tutu, as well as those flouncy skirts for dressing tables, popular in the boudoir to create that extra romantic flair.

WEARING TUTUS BEYOND THE STAGE:

Why should the tutu be confined to small places when they deserve to be flounced around in public! I’m not kidding on this one.

My cat has a tutu. It was a spur-of-the-moment purchase, that looks adorable. Sadly, he hates it and I can’t even get him to sit still enough to share the photo.

I’ve seen many marathon runners wear them in charity races, which makes the mood fun while getting hot and sweaty.

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Tutus aren’t just for women, either, because the Rock wore a tutu in the movie the Tooth fairy. And he really pulled it off.

They even have a National Tutu Day: on February 2nd (that was originated in Australia) to truly dance the day away.

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SO HOW DID THE TUTU BECOME PART OF AN OUTBACK TOWN’S ROMANCE STORY?

I needed something to make a small child’s character special.

And she was.

Right from the start, this perky seven-year-old, with her missing tooth and freckles, captured the hearts of many readers when she arrived in the small outback town of Elsie Creek.

After only doing one ballet lesson to score her first champagne tutu, Kaytlyn became obsessed with tutus. She wears them daily with her hiking boots, soon starting a trend among the other children within this small town.

THE TUTUS THAT BECAME A PART OF AN OUTBACK TOWN

For this outback series of Elsie Creek, the tutu has been a part of this rural romance from the first chapter, where the trend grew more than I’d ever imagined…

In book 1, in the ART of DUST, we first see the tutu first dance across the pages, outback style.

Then the cheerleaders for the local women’s softball team, in DIAMOND IN THE DUST, really smashed it outta the ballpark when they combined tutus and face paint as part of their cheer squad’s uniform!

In CAKED IN DUST, the tutus got another sporting chance to take centre stage on the back of the world’s tiniest ute! There the tutu was put through the wringer when worn in a highly unique outback rally race.

Then in XMAS DUST, I’d never expected so many children to receive tutus for Christmas. But what was more amazing was when, both boys and girls, proudly showed off their tutus in a conga line weaving their way through the main street of this outback town!

The tutu may seem such a small fashion accessory, but it’s made so many readers smile, receiving regular emails telling me how much they enjoy reading about the tutu in the most unusual of circumstances. It truly has become a part of this outback town’s romance story.

So what are you waiting for?

Find a tutu, make one or buy one, then slip it on and twirl around the house to dance with your inner princess.

Then once you’ve worn yourself out, take a breather and download this series, to follow the tutu as it makes its way across the pages in the outback rural romance of Elsie Creek today. You won’t regret it.