A Facebook user recently commented that the Eagles had “played like they were wearing tutus!!!” With all do respect to the Eagles, let’s take a minute to look at what our tutu-wearing women did in the month of December:
At Christmas time, 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 costumes, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show, there have been no 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 moment’s notice. That’s like a cornerback being told a halftime that they’re going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no once 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 and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks “better than ever.”
So, no, the Eagles did not play like they were wearing tutus. If they had, Chip Kelly would still be a head coach and we’d all be looking forward to the playoffs.
The Pennsylvania Ballet’s response not only put this insensitive fan in his place, but brought to light the serous issue of gender bias, specifically in the world of athletics. Toughness and success have nothing to do with gender. Comparing a losing football team to a ballet dancer is not offensive, it is simply wrong, as the above response gracefully illustrates.
But the ignorance of this comment goes further! This fan is clearly unaware that it is not uncommon for football players to practice ballet as a means of agility and strength training! Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle, Steve McLendon, for example, has taken ballet since his senior year of college. “It’s harder than anything else I do,” McLendon told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
Would you like to see your young son have better agility and strength in their sports practices? Sign them up for ballet classes at the Omaha School of Music and Dance at https://omahaschoolofmusicanddance.com/ballet-classes-leap-n-learn-ages-6-9-omaha-ne.
