Argentine Tango Dress

Along side my ballet project I have decided for the other half of my uni project I have decided to design and make a Argentine tango dress for my dance teacher.  At the moment it is just in the researching, doodling stages.  I am yet to know the type she wants as the dance both traditional and show tango so the dress will need to reflect which ever she has decided to dance.  At the moment I have done a few drawings with the show element in mind.  I have got inspiration  from a few dresses especially the yellow Latin dress.  I really like the one sleeve as did my dance teacher and the S shaping on the bodice.  I have taken this idea into the design below.

( the drawing isn't  brilliant, its not my strong suite but I have tried)

As said I used the one sleeve and neckline similar to Latin dress but given it more of a tango skirt.  Its a shimmery black stretch fabric with black and yellow hot stones and beading on it.  There will be chiffon or Georgette yellow godet in the skirt with a dip hem and split up one side. On the side with out the sleeve with be a bra cup covered it the same colour fabric as the godets and strap with go across the back to hold it in place.

I do like this design and have sent it to my dance teacher for her opinion.  I feel this may look more like a ballroom tango dress however I think it could work for Argentine, it may need to be made a bit shorter in the hem so nothing gets caught with the heels. This is just a first design so it will most probably be adapted. 

Inspiration for Ballet Decoration

The red faerie is meant to represent passion.  This is something that is hard to represent in decoration.  It needs to not look like fire which could be tricky as things like using reds could look like a fire, but then using reds and blacks could make it look Spanish.  I think its important for me to represent Passion subtly into the costume.  It needs to look very organic as the designer wants them to look like they have emerged from the ground and out the woods.  There is a briar rose vine on the power net arm that we are all interpreting them we will decide on the best way and use it on all of ours, this is too look as though it is growing from them. 

Those who are not familiar with the story of The Sleeping Beauty, it is a tale that dates way back the the 1400's, before the myths and legends, before Tchaikovsky ballet,  before the Grimm's brothers and way, way before Disney.  They all follow a similar story in which the princess pricks her finger on a spinning needle and is put to sleep for 100 years.  The faeries come into play by casting a spell on the whole land so that all sleep for 100 years.  To protect the land rose vines cover the kingdom walls creating a barrier to the outside world.  This is quite a dark part,  the rose isn't pretty, its thorny and twisted and dark, this is what we need to focus on when doing the vine work. 

For my actual decoration I have decided to use the passion flower as a motif.  This picture below really inspired me, I think it has the organic feel to it, along with the sense of passion and dark twisted feel of the briar rose but also looks pretty and feminine which also has to be represented as they are not evil faeries. 

I am going to experiment with different techniques in interpreting the passion flower using beads, feathers, netting, ribbons, sequins etc. We are aiming to achieve something professional that could be seen on stage not something over textured that it is not a performance piece, it needs to be able to be used!

Classical Ballet Tutu

Hello, once again university has taken up a lot of my time.  I have really hi the ground running this term with a 4000 word dissertation in and  the start of a new project.  This is the start of my very last term and its all very exciting.  After previously making a romantic ballet tutu I am now expanding my expertise into the Classical Ballet tutu making.  This is very exciting as there are very few people out there who are still teaching the traditional method.  We have some amazing designs designed by fellow student Melissa Burton, from the ballet Sleeping Beauty.  The designs are of the 6 faeries I have chosen the red faerie picture below.

The have been based on Pre Raphaelite era on a painting by Edward Burns Jones called The Briar Rose based in Buscott Manor in Oxfordshire.  As this is not for an actual production we can really interpret it how we like as a group.  They still need to work together as one but as styling goes it doesn't have to be tradition.

As with most ballets there is a signature which will goes across all the designs. They are:

• 18 panel bodice.
• vine work on the sleeves.
• Power net sleeves.
• cream tutu.
• Metallic gold layer of organza on the tutu.

My design characteristics have been passion, lust, strength, I need to try and convey this within my chosen colour and decoration.

My design has an extra layer of metallic gold on the tutu.
The designer whats gold and cream beads on the decoration with not a lot of sparkle I like the idea but do think that we need some sparkle otherwise we will all end up with costumes looking beautiful close up but indistinguishable from a distance.  I plan to incorporate some shimmer into my designs.

We have been lucky in that our tutor has managed to get us models from a ballet school so they will be modelled on proper dancers which will be nice and we are now palling a big photo shoot for our portfolio.
We have all decided to buy pointe shoes and tights in order to paint into them to create the full effect of the costume however this is something we shall get after the fitting just in case the dancers has a preference.