It was a hectic scene last Wednesday morning at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Inside a conference room at Jackson's downtown Westin Hotel, strewn pieces of tulle, satin and other trimmings littered the floor, while the frenzied whirring of sewing machines and snipping scissors filled the air. While 100+ young ballet dancers were competing for medals and scholarships at the nearby Thalia Mara Hall, 11 costume designers from the U.S. and Canada were vying to win Project Tutu, a "Project Runway"-inspired contest hosted by USA IBC and Tutu.com. Their challenge? Create a perfectly constructed tutu with three assigned materials... in just three days.

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Amy Brandt's full article on 2018 Project Tutu Design Competition at USA IBC for Pointe Magazine at https://pointemagazine.com/project-tutu-jackson-ibc/.

Samantha Austin, owner of JBdesignS, used layers of pink to create Aurora's Rose Adagio tutu. Photo by Amy Brandt.

Hand-stitched embellishments by designer Kevin Kreisz of Kiki Kouture. Photo by Amy Brandt.

A work-in-progress Le Corsaire tutu by Alberta costumer Laura Light Piercey lies on the prep table, while Suzanne Speiss puts finishing touches on her Raymonda bodice. Photo by Amy Brandt.

To learn more, visit the Project Tutu Main Webpage detailing all five events that make up Project Tutu or read more Project Tutu Blog Articles.