Classical Ballet Tutu

I have finally finished university gaining a 2:1 in Costume with Performance Design.  I have learnt a lot during my time and enjoyed my final project so much. 

Having done both the classical tutu and the tango dress I now have two skills that I can improve and adapt.

Here are the professional photo shoot we had for our tutus.

Photographer: Ying Ju Chen and Maggie Maguire
Model: Rasheeda Ali

 Here are a few close ups of the decoration:

The first picture being the passion flower and the briar coming onto the power net and the second picture is the powernet sleeve with the briar on it.

 



I am really happy with my tutu it was pretty much near perfect, I was so pleased it fitted as i was unable to have a second fitting as my artist was unavailable so was going on the previous fitting.

It was the perfect size it fitted like a glove and the tutu sat perfectly. I cannot wait to start on my next one. 

 

I have already bought the fabric for it and now need to get started.  I plan to set up freelance making unusual ballet tutu instead of the cheap nasty sugary ones found online at the moment. 

 



Classical Ballet Update

After having a very busy few weeks its finally Easter and I can catch up on something's.  we had our fitting for our ballet tutu's on Tuesday which went really well everything fit really well. I have some pictures of the fitting and the tutu construction.

It is a very technical way in which these tutus are put together and kind of a trade secret, very few seem to know the real way in which they are made and those who do may not want to share.  We have however a very good tutor who has worked in prestigious places prior, so forgive me but I will not be handing over these secrets. 

There are many layers of net pleated together to create the tutu shape.  Its involves maths and a lot of Patience to get it right.  Below is the final tutu with all the layers sewn onto it.

It goes through a stage of stringing which holds the layers together and the most surprising is that there is a metal hoop nestled within the many layers.  It also goes under the bed to flatten it, I was quite apprehensive about this thinking that it may move and crease in the wrong way however when it came out it looked like a proper tutu opposed to the startled swan previous!

Here are some pictures of it.

All the layers all pleated

After being put under the bed!

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.