Hong Kong Ballet’s Interstellar Celebration

Tutus take over Hong Kong in “Tutu Academy,” a stylish and cheeky short film created to mark Hong Kong Ballet’s 45th anniversary and the opening of its first associated school.

Created by Washington, DC–based ad agency Design Army and choreographed by Hong Kong Ballet artistic director Septime Webre, “Tutu Academy” tells the story of a fictional school in which tutus are the uniform and the physics of pointe shoes is part of the curriculum. When a UFO arrives carrying an (entirely green) extraterrestrial, he struggles to communicate with the students in class—until being given a green tutu. When the UFO heads home (with a tutu around its domed cockpit window), the extraterrestrial brings celebratory dance around the galaxy.

Stylish anniversary celebrations are becoming a tradition for the company—Hong Kong Ballet also marked its 40th anniversary with a film, a Wes Anderson-esque romp through the city fusing ballet with pop culture.