{"id":1273,"date":"2025-04-17T13:14:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preview.tutuschool.com\/walnutcreek\/blog\/2025\/04\/17\/meet-odette-tutu-schools-ballet-bunny\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T22:11:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T22:11:16","slug":"meet-odette-tutu-schools-ballet-bunny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutuschool.com\/walnutcreek\/blog\/2025\/04\/17\/meet-odette-tutu-schools-ballet-bunny\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Odette, Tutu School\u2019s Ballet Bunny"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your Dancer\u2019s New Ballet Bestie!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re 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\u2026 be sure to visit the studio and follow us on Instagram for all the latest Odette news. She\u2019s soft, sweet, and ready to be your child\u2019s dance bestie! Whether you\u2019re signing up for a trial class or Tutu Camp, or shopping before your dancer\u2019s regularly scheduled class, Odette will hop right into your arms\u2014bright pink tutu and all. But first, you need to get acquainted with our very special plush friend\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019ll 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\u2019s the perfect addition to your child\u2019s life. Well, maybe her second favorite thing, right after snacking on carrot cake cupcakes after a long day of twirling. Extra frosting, please!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Odette, inspired by the heroine of Swan Lake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Odette takes her name from the heroine of her favorite Ballet Storytime story, Swan Lake<\/em>. 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\u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this bunny doesn\u2019t 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\u2013from bombastic classical music scores, to gripping storytelling, to beautiful choreography\u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tutu School\u2019s 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\u2019t quite ready for pointe shoes, but our Ballet Storytime curriculum allows students to learn the fundamentals of classical ballet in a very special way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013 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\u2019s amazing for formulating emotional development as well as social and motor skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether your child is reading Swan Lake <\/em>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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Developmentally-Friendly Dance Plush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that loveys or stuffed animals aren\u2019t just toys? They also serve as a fantastic development tool for toddlers and preschool-aged children<\/a>. 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\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019ll read anything and everything\u2013 as long as you read to her. Odette is a great friend to join in storytime with your child\u2019s favorite picture book or one of our Ballet Bookclub picks<\/strong>. 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\u2019ll never judge dancers if they mispronounce a new word or two. She\u2019s just excited to hear a new story, and she hopes your little dancer will be equally excited to read to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the imaginative play that dancers engage in with Odette and the wonderful storybook adventures they will go on together, your child\u2019s imagination and creativity are sure to grow. Odette has fun doing everything and everything. While ballet class and storytime are her favorite pastimes, she\u2019ll never shy away from trying something new. Whatever your child\u2019s 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\u2019t quite as twirly with wet fur!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loveys also offer emotional support to children<\/a>. 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether you\u2019re signing up for a trial class or Tutu Camp, or shopping before your dancer\u2019s regularly scheduled class, Odette will hop right into your arms\u2014bright pink tutu and all.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Q+A with Odette<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve gotten to know Odette pretty well by now, but it\u2019s time for your dancer to get acquainted with this new friend, too! Here\u2019s a special Q+A from Odette herself that your dancer can read-along to:
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