What happens when you slight the ballet? A Twitter backlash the likes of which you have never seen before. The dispute comes after an Eagles fan commented on the team's performance, saying the players "played like they were wearing tutus." In that regard, this ill-informed fan must be out of touch with what's required of being a dancer.
The Pennsylvania Ballet took offense to the tweet, returning the insult with a well-informed rebuttal to the ignorance imposed by the football fan.
Perhaps what is most astonishing about the statement is its complete disregard to ballet's presence in the National Football League. In regards to its contemporaries, someone like Steve McLendon of the Pittsburgh Steelers takes ballet to improve his form on the field.
He began ballet classes during his senior year at Troy University in Alabama, and he remarked that it was one of the hardest endeavors of his life.
And he isn't the only Steeler to engage ballet either. Lynn Swan took ballet to increase his dexterity on the field too.
In response to the fan, the Pennsylvania Ballet retorted:
"By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No 'second string' to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That's like a cornerback being told at halftime that they're going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they've never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks 'better than ever.'"
So for those unaware of the dedication required of dancers to perform ballet, we refer you to the response from the ballet.
This is an example for those who seem to slight the football players who actually have worn tutus.
