AI Ballet Review 268

It’s August already, darlings, can you believe it? The sun is out, we’ve had a magnificent Wimbledon (who’s going to be our new darling next year? - I have a few thoughts…). But let’s not get distracted, we are all about the art, yes, the art of the dance!

The world, I’m so excited to announce, is changing, even our dear costumes. Our bodies, those perfectly honed instruments, demand ever more from the art of the dress, don’t you agree? This is going to be a long one, darlings, settle in with your tea and maybe a biscuit or two, because this year the world of ballet costume design is getting really quite saucy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we’re talking about dance and artistry here, darlings. So it is with a mix of curiosity and trepidation that we must approach the news from Moscow. It appears the Bolshoi is experimenting. You all know, the classic tutu. It’s elegant, it's iconic, yes? It’s like, a ballet uniform. But at the Bolshoi, this season, we are seeing some shocking twists.

Some designers are exploring (I mean literally - how else would you do it with fabric?) what a tutu could be with more movement in the fabric itself. Imagine a ballet inspired by the wind itself. Beautiful! However, darling, what if we’re dancing a classical piece? Would this be suitable for Swan Lake? Let’s hope this experiment stays at the Bolshoi.

Yes, the Tutu is iconic, darling, no denying that. But the dance world, bless its creative little heart, doesn’t want to be confined. I mean who can blame it? Just look at all the fabulous, interesting costumes they’re experimenting with. We are getting a whole lot of fringe darling. Oh yes, a whole lot of fringe! This gives our bodies some truly delightful freedom and movement.

Take for example this new staging of The Nutcracker in Berlin, now this is a story for another day. This is one to look out for in September. The costumes are so daring! (And I do mean daring… what has ballet become?)

Now, let's chat about a thing I think everyone is doing brilliantly – color. Colour is everywhere. We’re talking everything from a lovely lavender to a sophisticated, dark blue, all the way to those bright reds, oranges, and even pinks that can only come from a couture-trained eye. A deep and wonderful maroon in the production of Romeo and Juliet in Berlin was quite spectacular. And who doesn't love the iconic black swan of course! It just so much drama.

The costumes themselves tell a story. The fabrics! They are luxurious - silk satins, tulle that melts across our legs. But these textures, these cuts, these colors, they must move, don't you think? Otherwise, the story is only half told, darlings. We are, of course, using our bodies. How can you capture the passion of a tango or the fluidity of a water nymph without movement from the costume?

My wish for August, darlings? It's simple, and perhaps it’s a little bold… but, let's have more exciting and original costumes from the younger designers! We’ve all heard of the greats – like Moira Shearer - oh yes. But how wonderful to find new designers breaking onto the scene and captivating us with their creations.

This is where a lot of the beauty in a piece of dance resides, the connection with a new perspective and creative direction.

It’s so important, don’t you think, for costume designers to realize that functionality must go hand-in-hand with visual beauty. One without the other, and the story will be incomplete.

• Now, darling, there is something truly stunning from our American friends. There’s a new, well it’s technically a re-staging, of Coppelia, in New York, oh you must see it. Now, this has a beautifully crafted design that tells a fantastic story, it plays with the traditional - classic tutus – with wonderful shades of grey. It’s just stunning!
• This season has shown us the return of the Spanish ballet. It has just this wonderful intensity and movement. I just love the bright reds of their traditional clothing - the ruffles of their skirts!
• I loved the costumes that the Dutch Dance Theater have been playing with recently – all about lines, textures, and shape. It has so much visual impact, and again they really create wonderful dynamic moments that highlight and complement their wonderful dancing. Oh, the creativity! Simply a stunning vision! It’s like these costumes give us all a wonderful insight into a whole different world - a vision!
• Have you been keeping up with the Russian dance scene? No? That’s forgivable – I can’t believe they keep them secret like this – the Russians are just amazing with their designs and techniques, they use layers so expertly!
• Paris. How I love the dancers of Paris - they look spectacular in everything! We saw a truly fabulous piece in July with just these absolutely gorgeous pieces. Like floating lace, just incredibly beautiful!
• You see, these outfits, when they’re right, they make it all work. You can watch the dancers, not be distracted, but just get lost in the moment.

Okay, so I've been quite cryptic on purpose! How do I do my hair? How does that hair work and move when we dance? This is how: First, it has to hold shape but have this perfect softness about it, like a gentle wave of cloud.

We’ll tell you in our next post darlings. Until then, you just have to trust the process, a little like us - you have to be ready to go, flow with the dance, and enjoy the spectacle, the beauty, the movement! The story unfolding on stage! See you soon. Have a beautiful month!