Meet Odette, Tutu School’s Ballet Bunny

Your Dancer’s New Ballet Bestie!

We’re so excited to introduce you to a brand-new dance friend, Odette! This ballet bunny is equally as thrilled to hop, skip, and twirl with your little dancer. Rumor has it that Odette might just be at stopping by… be sure to visit the studio and follow us on Instagram for all the latest Odette news. She’s soft, sweet, and ready to be your child’s dance bestie! Whether you’re signing up for a trial class or Tutu Camp, or shopping before your dancer’s regularly scheduled class, Odette will hop right into your arms—bright pink tutu and all. But first, you need to get acquainted with our very special plush friend…

Odette first twirled into Tutu School in 2024 with dreams of wanting to learn to dance like her favorite ballet dancers. This ballet bunny put in the hard work to become a fixture in our Tutu School community, and dancers from New York to San Francisco have fallen head over heels for Odette. You may just find her practicing her choreography for Bravo Bash so she can help your dancer get ready for their big recital, or maybe you’ll see her signing for Tutu Camp so she can have some fun in the sun this summer alongside Tutu Schoolers. Her favorite thing in the world is getting to dance at Tutu School with her ballet friends, so she’s the perfect addition to your child’s life. Well, maybe her second favorite thing, right after snacking on carrot cake cupcakes after a long day of twirling. Extra frosting, please!

Odette, inspired by the heroine of Swan Lake

Odette takes her name from the heroine of her favorite Ballet Storytime story, Swan Lake. This renowned ballet tells the tale of a princess named Odette (of course!) and a prince named Siegfried. One day, the prince walks into the forest to see a majestic flock of swans, but to his surprise, they begin to magically turn into human girls! Odette tells the prince she has been cursed by an evil magician to live as a swan, and she only becomes human under the glow of the moon. In those brief hours under the moonlight, Odette does what she loves most– dancing. In this whimsical fairy tale of love, friendship, and adventure, Odette shines as a mighty heroine and must overcome her hardships to make a life of her own.

While this bunny doesn’t turn into a swan, she loves to embody the grace of this elegant ballet and hopes to teach your dancer about this masterpiece, too. Introducing dancers to famous ballets–from bombastic classical music scores, to gripping storytelling, to beautiful choreography– is one of the unique and magical aspects of a Tutu School class. From Baby Ballet to Primary Ballet Prep, our class curriculum has been designed by educators and dancers who believe that children should experience the magic of storybook adventures in ballet.

Tutu School’s founder and CEO, Genevieve Weeks, wanted to craft a boutique ballet school experience with the idea that children should be introduced to art, music, and movement at a young age. Our curriculum focuses on the fun to be had with ballet. At this young age, dancers aren’t quite ready for pointe shoes, but our Ballet Storytime curriculum allows students to learn the fundamentals of classical ballet in a very special way.

In each class, teachers spend 5-10 minutes showcasing a portion of a ballet through illustrations and music, discussing the plot and themes, and reinforcing that dancers are storytellers. Tutu School’s Ballet Storytime curriculum has been specially crafted to highlight both classical ballets and their scores and to promote positive messaging and values for our students. We are committed not only to providing our dancers with a rich early arts education but also to making sure we are impacting our students in a thoughtful, responsible way through the stories we tell them and the themes we choose to celebrate. Plus, each week has its own special coloring sheet that corresponds with the story!

Each story is written with room for dancing between sections. Like a real ballet performance, storytime combines narrative and movement to create an exciting class atmosphere! Tutu Teachers will teach our dancers special steps or moves mentioned in the baller, while Tutu Schoolers are encouraged to try these steps out too they can be a part of the ballet. Maybe Odette will hop into class and help show your little one how to do the perfect pirouette– that is her favorite ballet step, after all. Each and every Ballet Storytime featured in our curriculum is presented with an epic and elegant score. Music is so important for growing minds and bodies; It encourages cognitive development and enhancement. Paired with the context of the ballet stories and the movement of dance, it’s amazing for formulating emotional development as well as social and motor skills.

Whether your child is reading Swan Lake or one of our other Ballet Storytime stories, Odette is the perfect dance friend to help you read and dance along to these incredible tales of magic and whimsy!

A Developmentally-Friendly Dance Plush

Did you know that loveys or stuffed animals aren’t just toys? They also serve as a fantastic development tool for toddlers and preschool-aged children. Children often see these stuffed animals as an actual friend, whom they can talk to. This sort of engagement with Odette can aid in the development of social and language skills in children. As one of your child’s first friends, they will likely tell Odette all about their day and ballet class. Preschoolers will become budding conversationalists by bantering with this ballet bunny, and toddlers will learn to sound out and mimic words heard in everyday life with Odette lending a floppy listening ear. After practicing on Odette, your dancer will be ready for class or preschool, and excited to make new friends, all thanks to Odette. 

Odette will encourage your little dancer to read more, too! Thanks to her namesake, the heroine of one of our Ballet Storytime stories, Odette LOVES to read. Really! She’ll read anything and everything– as long as you read to her. Odette is a great friend to join in storytime with your child’s favorite picture book or one of our Ballet Bookclub picks. If Odette wants to read, well, what else is there to then pick up a good book! And since Odette is such a great listener, this is a great opportunity for your child to learn to read. As they learn to sound out words, they can practice on Odette. She’ll never judge dancers if they mispronounce a new word or two. She’s just excited to hear a new story, and she hopes your little dancer will be equally excited to read to her.

Between the imaginative play that dancers engage in with Odette and the wonderful storybook adventures they will go on together, your child’s imagination and creativity are sure to grow. Odette has fun doing everything and everything. While ballet class and storytime are her favorite pastimes, she’ll never shy away from trying something new. Whatever your child’s interests are, Odette is the perfect bunny buddy to take along to soccer practice or arts and crafts. Just maybe keep Odette home from swimming lessons. While your child may imagine her turning into a swan, her pirouettes aren’t quite as twirly with wet fur!

Sometimes, we even use loveys during class to practice ballet manners. If dancers are having trouble being mindful of others in class or if they just need some redirection, having them direct kindness to a lovey like Odette is a great way to instill good manners in little minds. Being kind to a soft, sweet friend like Odette is easy and helps children treat their other friends with respect, too.

Loveys also offer emotional support to children. While chatting with Odette, little ones might tell her the things that make them happy or sad, angry or excited. Odette never judges dancers, and her calming presence offers children the space to express themselves as they learn to process complex emotions. Even if your child doesn’t talk to Odette, she still provides comfort in moments with they need it the most. Just a gentle squeeze of her soft fur can make a bad day a little brighter.

Whether you’re signing up for a trial class or Tutu Camp, or shopping before your dancer’s regularly scheduled class, Odette will hop right into your arms—bright pink tutu and all.

Q+A with Odette

You’ve gotten to know Odette pretty well by now, but it’s time for your dancer to get acquainted with this new friend, too! Here’s a special Q+A from Odette herself that your dancer can read-along to:

• What’s your favorite ballet?
  • Swan Lake, of course! I share my name with the heroine of this elegant and powerful classic ballet.
• What is your favorite thing about dancing at Tutu School?
  • Getting to twirl with all of my Tutu School friends and dancing through different ballet adventures during Ballet Storytime!
• What’s your favorite ballet step and why?
  • Pirouettes. There is nothing more fun than twirling in a tutu!
• What do you like to do when you’re not twirling?
  • Snack on carrot cupcakes.

If you’re not sold yet, come meet Odette in person! Visit our Instagram page to see if she’s stopping by the studio soon or if she’s already made Tutu School her home. She cannot wait to Twirl with your dancer soon. Whether she comes home with you after your child’s very first free trial class or surprises your child as an extra-special ballet birthday gift, Odette is the perfect addition to your child’s life.

For more Odette fun, download this coloring sheet to start your first adventure with your new ballet bunny!