Pointe: Autumn in the Big Apple means one thing: New York City Ballet's Fall Fashion Gala. Since its inception in 2012 by Sarah Jessica Parker, the gala has produced dozens of new ballets, complete with original costumes designed by the fashion industry's biggest names. Ahead of this year's gala—which takes
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I have always found dance costumes to be extremely elegant and beautiful, especially when they are in motion, doing the choreography. I have also found it very interesting that ways in which the designer and costumers must take into account the ways in which the costume moves and needs to allow the dancer to move. On the whole, ballet being a extremely stiff and particular form of dance when I see a ballerina in a flawy, costume in which they are allowed to move more freely there is a very different image than a stiff tutu that juts out or a suit coat that is more restrictive. I was completely in awe of the detail that goes into every costume, and the ways in which eh designer took into account the particular dancers body and curves. The first photo in the article, in which the dancers are in black and white body suits with feathered detailing was extremely eye catching, and I loved the contrast of liberal and non linear shapes.
I absolutely love the idea of combining high fashion and ballet- two disciplines that have often been confined to the upper class, yet appeal to and fascinate those everywhere. Both are often seen as stiff and confined, yet the marriage of the two unlocks an expression and a sense of movement and freedom not usually seen in either alone. On a traditional runway, the models are usually fixed, unblinking, focused on the walk and the clothes- the spotlight is not on them. But when high fashion is put into motion on the stage, we see a new dimension of the outfits, how they operate and move in real time, in real life. It also gives the dancers new silhouettes and situations to play with; straying from the traditional tutu/leotard/tights freshens things up, and opens up the floor to more freedom within the art. Ballet and high fashion may be a relatively non-revolutionary pairing, but it certainly shakes things up within the two disciplines.
This marriage of fashion and ballet is such a fascinating concept. Seeing each discipline’s aesthetics, shapes, lines, and forms interact is a truly delicate and fascinating experience. I am very curious about how timelines, similarities, and differences between the two art forms are navigated throughout the process. This event achieves an elegance that goes widely unmatched. The amount of coordination necessary to ensure that the designers are designing clothing that can be pushed to a dancer’s extremes must be truly incredible, not even considering how much it would take to communicate all of those specifics to and make the adjustments in the fabrication shops taking on the project. I love the breath of life that the movement of ballet can bring to high fashion clothes, that are often so static and structured. Additionally, the deviation from traditional clothing allows the expression of the movement to stretch even further beyond the norm. This is a very exciting event, and I look forward to hearing more about it!
I have not had the chance to see many dance shows. The only dance shows I have seen were the ones at my high school in which they thought about costumes last minute. I remember going my freshman year to see a dance performance and thinking all the costumes were hideous. There were un-original, many either not colorful enough or just a solid neon color that didn't even seem to fit the performers comfortably. It is great to see that this isn't what usually happens. For the design aspect to be just as involved as the performing aspect to live shows is extremely important. These designers, with their incredible designs, have to understand the movement and limitations of each dancer. What I love about designing so much is that there is always limitations you have to get past. These incredible costume designers have to push the story further and portray that in the dancing while keeping everything together. It's a incredible skill and I hope to see a dance show soon that pays so much attention to the costumes.
I’ve always been curious about what it’s like to design costumes for a dance show. There are so many unique challenges that come with designing clothing in a way in which the performers will be able to move in extraordinary ways. The costumes for the New York City Ballet Gala are very interesting and innovative! I like how they played with different materials and textures including large black plastic sequin-ish materials that almost look like armor. This is especially intriguing because normally when you think of dance costumes, you think of soft and stretchy materials that will be easy to move in, while the New York City Ballet’s costume designers are trying out all kinds of new materials for their costumes including hard plastic-like materials. It’s so interesting to watch the designers experiment and figure out how to get the right range of motion with these costumes in the video.
I love Marcel’s biggest lesson, “to have patience and take a deep breath” and trust the process, that everything will get figured out “it always does”. I feel like that applies to us in school too. We stress so much about the product and little details, while knowing that everything will get figured out. Usually with the help of other teams and people popping in the picture. This speaks to me deeply because I want to have all the answers and I know I don’t, so I stress about that, but having patience and trusting the process means that there will be people who I can reach out, and they will have the answer. I can only imagine how this is for him, having to coordinate and design such a big event. The level of artistry this article shows, can only reflect the labor and long hours the entire event takes to put together.
I am so in awe of the incredible and innovative designs that come out of this event. I have always held a large interest in dance costumes, as the relationship between the actor’s physicality and the movement of the garment are so intrinsically tied, more so than in almost any other situation. This event is interesting as well, because the designers are mostly from the large fashion houses around the world, so it asks renowned designers to return slightly to practicality. These designers are often geared towards the avant-garde, creating garments that usually only need to allow a model to walk up and down a runway. Now their models are highly trained dancers, who need the ability to manipulate their bodies in non-normal ways. It is just really interesting to see how these designers tackle this shift and incorporate the movement as a part of their art. I also love that this event was the idea of the icon SJP herself. She is an incredible warrior for the arts and certainly deserves more credit than she sometimes receives.
I love idea of combining high end fashion with ballet and dance. There is always such a level of artistry to ballet costumes when done properly, and it's nice to see a light being shun on them. From the lines they have to create and accentuate, to the move-ability they have to be created with, all while transforming the dancer onstage and making them feel the part and feel confidence. They are not the most important part of ballet, but they do help a lot to turn the dancer, visually, into a piece of art. I'm sure it is a little challenge for the designers as well- having to create costumes that are high end and visually interesting whilst being created in a way that allows for free movement. I know high end brands have a slight tendency to produce clothing that is a bit uncomfortable, all in the name of being fashion or couture. Some of the high quality materials they use are also very stiff, being durable. I have a Balmain dress that is absolutely beautiful but I cannot lift my arms whenever I am wearing it. It is long sleeved and Balmain is big on their shoulder lines, so arm move-ability isn't important. I have to be mindful of where I am going or what movements will be necessary when wearing it. So I would love to see what their process of designing for ballet, whilst staying true to their nature, would be like.
Just wow! I love the movement and form that these costumes have and help give to the characters. This is something that I love about dance. The way in which little things added to the outfit can affect the outcome and enhance the choreography make the overall visual absolutely stunning. In watching this video, I am again reminded of the importance of making sure that the talent can keep the full range of motion and be unhampered in their movements. Looking back to the many times I have worked with ballet companies; these are the little things that can have such an effect on the performance. Often people make the costumes to rigid or out of materials that won't last very long, and they end up deteriorating quickly. I couldn't agree more with what they said towards the end of the article "As simple as it sounds, just having patience—patience, taking a deep breath, and remembering that everything will get figured out somehow. It always does."
This clip about how a collaboration involving new material for classic ballet is done. My favorite quote is the designer saying that she danced in childhood and with designing the costume, she feels that she never stop dancing. The beauty of performing art lies in this concept. We share memories and experience by dedicating our skills and thoughts into designing, discussion and building. Through putting the piece on the stage, everyone involved becomes a part of the show which represents a collaborative impression. Sharing it means so much to both production team and audience. The back and forth for this design to realize is fascinating. It takes so much effort to communicate and get the conversation going between costume shop, designer and dancers. Adapting unconventional materials for classic genre is always a challenge, and this team showed us a perfect solution of it, always keep talking and keep trying.
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