Final Images

Evaluation

    Within this project there have been so many new skills and elements to learn; most importantly for me has been the development of my own critical judgement. Being able to discern what will look best, what works and what doesn't by eye and being able to recognise when I need to alter things. Evidently this is not a skill I will gain over the short time of this project but something I hope to develop more over the next year and beyond. The contextual studies and screenings which have complimented this project so well have been of immense value, they've helped me to distinguish my likes and dislikes, discover the evolution of my own personal tastes and decide where my interests lie. Through the decoration and sleeve workshops I have been able to implement some of this development and experiment with different ideas and concepts. With all my decoration samples I have been able to experiment and play with different materials, whether it is piecing lace together to create new patterns or layering beads and ribbons and lace to make a new trimming each sample has taught me something different. I have loved this opportunity to explore and discover new ideas and I would love to be able to continue this on into third year.

    The romantic tutu itself was an immense challenge, being two making projects behind the rest of the group I was very concerned about how well I was going to fare on this task, fortunately I found myself equal to it and with a lot of hard work was able to keep on top of the workload. Particularly I found the machine sewing difficult and coupled with such unforgiving fabric meant I struggled to keep my bodice looking as pristine as it needed to be. Next time I would be more careful with my tacking as when I went to take out it left very clear marking on the fabric, I would try to keep it really, really light. After sewing together my bodice I tried it on the mannequin and discovered that as I had cut out my pattern pieces I had not allowed extra for ease (we had draped on the mannequin) and therefore my bodice was too small. I was forced to let the seams out slightly at the side to compensate, luckily I checked mine early enough and had not applied the piping so it was easier to alter than some others who checked later on in the process. 

    With the tutu there were also several things which if I was to repeat the process I would have done differently, namely sewing on the layers following the inside line of the Basque. I didn't, in this case, understand the instructions clearly and was too late in actually figuring out what they meant. As the net, like the satin, tears and pulls very easily I did not want to risk unpicking and re-sewing in case of causing more damage. Instead this is simply something I will learn from in future along with other elements of the bodice. I found myself enjoying hand-stitching, both in the bodice and the decoration samples, the petals were difficult but very satisfying to sew on. The invisible thread was, naturally, very difficult to work with but I found that the technique suited me; with a little more practise I would have been quite confident at it.

    Throughout this project I have felt my confidence grow in all the areas we have covered; with Mark's support I have developed both my practical and contextual knowledge and understanding. The historical lectures we had in the opening of the project were also exceptionally beneficial and I've been surprised how much it's influenced and aided the rest of my work, understanding how the different schools of ballet were established and how this has influence their particular style and technique was both interesting and illuminating. I know now that I am interested in both the historical and modern development of ballet, I want to look in more detail at the progression of classical and modern ballet including how it is likely to continue growing in the future. I am looking forward to continuing these studies into the next year.

Tweaking the decoration

Placing and Practising

Tweaking the decoration, I spent a long while playing with and working out the decoration. I knew I wanted to interpret the design slightly differently to how it was placed on Dexter's sample; Dexter's idea was to have the petals as though falling across the dress as though blown there. I wanted to keep this gently hap-hazardous feeling but create more shaping with it. I created a really soft line across the body with slightly more fullness over the bust and sweeping to a very fine line across the stomach to the skirt. As it reached the skirt I wanted a very gentle fan which was slightly wider to the right side to keep the asymmetric line continuous across the entire body. This differs from the sample which is a gentle sweep across the body continuously building rather than expanding in and out.

The Final result

Bodice Details

Dress Photo

Photo's of my dress on the day of the presentation! I'm really pleased with how it looks on Faye, it fits really well around the back and is a nice length on her. I've found several elements really tricky mainly to do with the bodice but not of them have been really detrimental to the overall effect. I wish I'd been able to keep the bodice fabric looking neater but that's been due a mistake with the initial pattern drafting which resulted in me having to let the fabric out at the sides; a problem several others have had as well. The decoration looks much lighter than Dexter's sample but I feel it's a closer colour to the design and am quite happy with the result. Here the petal's are just pinned on when I take it back to the studio I will play around with the petals a little more before sewing them on but it's nice to be able to see how they look and move on a body.

Presentation...

We had our presentations today to the rest of the year group, it was really great to see how everyone else was doing and the variety of different projects we were all involved in. The Ballet Group were first up which was good as it didn't really give us time to be nervous. We'd practised a bit before hand but I still ended up saying something entirely different to what I'd planned! I didn't have enough hands to hold cards and wanted my arms free to be able to move and use different samples; I find cards really distracting and so tried to do without but nor sure how successful it was. As a group I think we worked well and perhaps with a little more practice it could have been very good.

It was nice to see all the costumes together even in the different stages of completion and I'd asked Faye (one of our wonderful first years!) to model for me so it was so elating to see it on a model and moving. Even though it hadn't been made to her measurements she was a really nice fit. It was a little low at the side which is something I'd consider next time I made a bodice and it was great to be able to see how the bodice and skirt worked on a dancer. Faye also wore ballet tights and shoes which made the look complete. I'm hoping to be able to get some proper photo's done before we finish as it would be a wonderful memento! I learnt so much from being able to see her wearing it and it gave me chance to play with the decoration samples, I've interpreted the design on mine slightly differently to Dexter's with the petals flaring slightly over the bust sweeping in at the waist and then fanning gently out over the skirt. I personally like this effect as I think it feels very soft and accentuates the shape really well, however with Dexter house bound (!) I've not been able to get his opinion.

Decoration progression

Here are the three samples I chose to develop, I still need to finish my lattice sample tomorrow, I've nearly completed the two bodices and the tutu plate sample is at least basically finished. I still might develop it further as I'm not entirely happy with the stoning on it. I do like the beading and think it will look really nice with the  movement of the dancer.
I decided to back the Kitri sample with black cotton velvet instead of calico as I really felt the calico ruined the effect and the velvet completes the look. It was worth experimenting with as I've decided I do not want to work with velvet in future. It has frayed, left black bits over everything it's touched and picked up endless amounts of thread and other pieces. A good lesson for future projects.
The close up of the Faune bodice show's the beading I've worked into the lace, trying to create highlights and  lowlight, I would like to develop this by adding more cream beads to emphasis the highlights.
The decoration samples have been a really good way to learn more about designing and how to create readable, characterful costumes.

Sleeve development

So this was trickier than anticipated. Dexter said that our samples didn't need to be perfectly finished but I really tried to make it look neat. I failed a little bit as I did the bias wrong and therefore ended up with lots of folds where I didn't want them; I think I managed to save it in the end and the inside is probably much neater than the outside. If I was to repeat this and have more time I would have tried to find a different way to attach the frills to the sleeve as there is too much bulk in that area. The idea of this project was to experiment though and I still really enjoyed the ideas behind it. In the end I like the look of the sleeve, perhaps I would have used two whole circles for the frills rather than just one as I'm not sure I like how it falls. Despite the many mistakes I made I think it is a fair reflection of the design.

EARLY ADVENTURES!!!!

"WE JUST DANCE" Matthew Bourne

14.05.12 7.30pm Matthew Bourne's Early Adventures

Just got back from watching Matthew Bourne's Early Adventures and just feeling elated. That's how you should feel when you come out of a performance, on a total high. It was one of the funniest things I've seen dance or otherwise. I love the complete extremes of emotion they manage to achieve- one minute I was crying with laughter, the next just crying. Some of the solo's were fantastic, the one at the end of COUNTRY called Shallow Brown by a guy named Christopher Marney was wonderful, completely had me hooked, in fact I loved him every time he was on stage. My absolute favourite! Everything about it was entertaining and it had everyone laughing. It was great to see such a packed audience and everyone responding so well to it, it seem to be universal in its ability to reach people as the audience were made up of a huge range of people. People even reacted well to bits that were perhaps more risque than I'd expected. When MB came on to talk at the end I was so relieved. I'd been really worried that this image I'd built of him in my head was going to be destroyed, that he'd be full of waffle and really self centred but he wasn't. I think that was the best bit of the night, realising that really he's down to earth, honest about what he does, what he likes and doesn't like and doesn't pretend to know everything. I built up the courage to ask a question and was so happy when he spoke to me as though I was actually there, same with Kerry Macmillan (one of the dancers) who also answered the question. They spoke to me as though I was a real person and they weren't just addressing a huge crowd. I felt very privileged and probably bounced all the way home. It was a wonderful night and I feel I've gained so much from seeing all the pieces, the use of humour, costume, movement of the performers was immaculate and I loved every second!

What I asked (paraphrased he used several more examples but I hadn't seen them so couldn't comment)


MB (Me!): Obviously this is one of your earliest works but within it I could see lots of  elements from your full length pieces, how much did these early pieces influence you later on and how often did you find yourself drawing on them for inspiration?


MB (Matthew Bourne!): A lot actually, there are definitely lots of things that as we've come to look back on this piece I've recognised, more so than perhaps I realised. There's definitely some movements in the second piece that are in pieces like HIGHLAND FLING, the end of TOWN where they all leave the stage like this (places one hand over head with fingers draped, demonstrating) that's definitely a swan motif though in this piece it's trees with grapes hanging off them. There are quite a few things from THE NUTCRACKER! (I nod this is what I had noticed) that we used as well, what do you think? [turns to dancers]

KM: (Kerry Macmillan): I think that's been one of the best points about coming back to work on this piece, because Matt himself dances in the original it's been wonderful to see how all these ideas came about. There's definitely lots of things I recognise,

T (Tom? Dancer:) Yeah in SPITFIRE the scene where they are posing is really similar to that of the NUTCRACKER! except the arms go the opposite way, that's all they kept shouting at us in rehearsal.. ARMS! but it was really good to work on.

Bodice all together

Working Away

Levelling the Tutu layer by layer, a really time consuming and tricky task made harder by short pins which continuously fell out. Eventually borrowed some quilting pins which sped the whole process up no end!

Getting there...

It's so exciting to see it all coming together, I've finally completed levelling my skirt (that was a learning curve and a half!) and just have to fix the Basque to the bodice, attach the shoulder straps and decoration and strengthen my hooks and bars! It feels so strange to be able to see the final piece emerging; it's not quite like Dexter's but that would be unrealistic and detrimental to his skill as a maker. Was I to repeat the project there are many, many things which I would do differently but such is the nature of hindsight. Sufficient to say I feel quite proud of my achievements; considering I was two making projects short of most others in the group I felt very concerned at the beginning as to how I was going to cope. This has proved to me however that I made the right decision, every step of this project has made me realise how much I want to do this and how much this suits me as a person. I cannot see myself doing anything else where possible next year, I am desperate to carry this on and take it further. Having learnt so much and seen so many new things I want to take what I know and run with it, gathering more all the way!

Surviving without Dexter!!

As we came in for our tutorial last Thursday Dexter informed us that he'd fallen down the stairs coming from the archive and later that day caved in to our pressure to go home and rest. Unfortunately the sprain was much worse than we all thought and he has now been signed off sick for the next two weeks! After sending him best wishes and cake we found ourselves panicking about how exactly we were going to manage without him as he has been a constant presence through this project and an oracle of all knowledge and skill! A little daunted we've continued on managing to contact him with questions and queries which he has answered to the best of his ability on the end of the phone. Other than that we've been having to use his sample as reference and work out for ourselves any fine details; this means we've been working very closely and ended up much tighter as a group for this. Regardless it's been much tougher without Dexter's presence at uni and hopefully this won't be reflected too much in the end results. Get better soon!

Update of progress

These last few days have been a little stressful but managing somehow to keep on track. the levelling of the tutu is becoming a major task not aided by my MAJOR cold. Trying to place pins and cut accurately is greatly hindered by sneezing every two minutes! Other than feeling very under the weather I still feel reasonably content with the project, the workload is slightly overwhelming but not unachievable and I've learnt not to underestimate the power of needing to finish a task. When I work I'm able to keep focused and produce results quickly and without rushing -this being negated however when ill- at which point my work rate drops  drastically. Hoping to have an early night tonight and recover, then get up early and work on finishing my tutu for the mock fittings at half one. I'm currently very stressed over my POP essay and will be glad when I can focus all my attention on this!

Tutu Troubles....

Ok so the developing Tutu Skirt.... I had no idea how time-consuming it could be I can barely imagine finishing this one let alone if you had 20 to do for a corps! We've used 12m of net in this skirt with 45 panels and 5 layers; that means this is a relatively small skirt! After sewing together all the panels we then proceed to gather together all the layers and sew them to the waistband; we now are on the delightfully fiddly and painstaking job of levelling the tutu! I'm finding it difficult but rewarding in an odd sense, I've certainly developed a strong appreciation for the skill that goes into creating these garments!

Sleeve progression...

I have really enjoyed this element of the project- the lets's-experiment-and-see-what-happens approach really suits me as a person. Just playing with bits of calico and discovering all the different things I can get the materials to do. Playing with shape and depth- re-discovering all my G.C.S.E maths knowledge I thought I'd never use again. Who'd have thought knowing your circumference equations would be helpful????
I've discovered in this project that I'm a very proactive worker. If I can't picture something I make a maquette, if I can't do something I find something else until I have a way to finish it, if something is taking a long time I work out quickly the most efficient and time practical way of doing it. I find myself constantly moving and rarely giving myself time to sit there and dwell on what's gone wrong, what I can't do. If you can't do it there and then- move on- find something else and come back later. I've found that sitting and staring at something is very rarely enough to help you find the answer and time is too precious a commodity to waste. My dance teacher once said to me 'forget about the mistake you just made- it's in the past... worry about the one you're about to make!'

Development of skills

I'm beginning for the first time to see myself developing both as a designer and a maker. True I'm still too inconsistent and too impatient to truly succeed in making but I can see myself progressing. If the first attempt of something is disastrous, the second time I am able to correct it and my the final attempt it begins to look good. For me there is a real thrill in seeing something come out right- especially when using the industrial machines. For this project I've tried to use them as much as possible to help myself improve but I feel that this has perhaps not been the best path for my costume. The decrease in control and the 'one-shot' element of the fabric  means that I am not always happy with the outcome of my sewing but I feel there is a clear improvement in my confidence on a machine if perhaps not my neatness. Particularly with the decoration and sleeve samples where there is a level of creative interpretation I find myself thoroughly enjoying this project- my lace bodice has been particularly good as I a unable to see where I have sewn and where I haven't (something I'm actually quite proud of!) I'm sure a well trained eye will be able to see it but it is a real step in the right direction!

“All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.”

Moliere

Personal development

I'm really starting to see myself develop, beginning to understand my own tastes and preferences- the phrase Dexter used in one of our sessions springs to mind. BOLDLY DELICATE. It's got to have depth but be instantly readable- the more we watch in all our sessions the more I can see myself developing as a designer. I see ideas forming and thoughts I want to pursue further; I cannot see myself working in any other area after this project. Whether designing, supervising or making ballet and dance have taken over my life. The decoration samples are constantly changing and being worked on as I have so many ideas I want to try out and experiment with. Even though I'm finding some of the making really challenging I'm pushing myself to achieve it and to work as hard as I can because I love what I'm doing. I never find myself bored or wishing I'd chosen a different option- every bit of me is consumed in learning more and more and more. Even with the POP essay I find all of my context from this project is essential to developing my knowledge of that. I'm strengthening my ideas and thoughts and that is making me stronger as a designer and someone who is hoping to enter this industry in what is an increasingly short space of time!

Bodice updates

So this is where my bodice is at the moment, I feel a little overwhelmed but glad it's coming together. Very sad about how crushed the fabric looks I don't think there's any way in which to remedy this so will simply have to take it forward as a lesson learnt. Never move your fabric more than you need to. Regardless of this being kept rolled up in calico constantly it has still become bashed and bruised.
On the other hand I am quite happy with how I'm coping with the work load, I feel like I'm keeping on top of my work and managing to keep up at all times -something I was really worried about to start with. At the minute I actually like the inside of the bodice more than the outside!

These are some of the samples from my dyeing experimentation at the start of the project- finally managed to upload them! As you can see the differences are very subtle though they look a lot stronger on here than they do in real life. You can't really see the difference in purples either. It does look effective on the final garment though.

Our design

Thought it would be good to show exactly what it is we're making- this is Dexter's design based on the character from La Sylphide. We are all creating the same design but each of the colours will be different- mine in Polka Purple. When lined up they will look really pretty altogether.

Update on process so far

I feel like today has been a very productive day- spent more than I should have on braid and ribbons and thread and beads but it was so much fun. Discovered a hidden stash of braids in Bonnie's which I could have bought the entire lot. I've managed to type up all my bodice and skirt construction notes so far and finished my Bodice as far as I can so far. I've also done quite a lot of work on my decoration samples and finally uploaded my pictures for here which I've been meaning to do from the start. I feel like I'm really developing as a maker and designer- by sitting down and setting myself realistic tasks and goals I feel like I'm constantly progressing rather than sitting staring at a blank wall. I'm beginning to recognise when I need to push through a task and continue or when it's better to stop take a break and come back later. Will upload those photo's now.

decorations...

Today was wonderful! We spent the whole day developing our ideas and creating characters to build our designs around. I managed to put together four bases; a white skirt panel based on Cinderella, a purple skirt panel inspired by sleeping beauty. Then two bodice pieces, a black, red and gold Spanish style body and one based on the performance of L'apres midi de la faun which was a burnt orange silk with a beautiful cream lace.

Possible design for Kitri (Don Quixote) still in it's early stages.    Has a very Spanish feel to it could also work for Spanish Princess in Swan Lake.

 

First design attempt, one of the least effective but may improve upon finishing and beading, I have some Swarovski Crystals I would like to experiment with the make it a little more eye catching. Also bear in mind base fabric would not be calico. Most likely for a Cinderella character or maybe on of the fairies from Sleeping Beauty

 

This is a very VERY roughly laid out piece based on the lattice body work we've seen before. Very royal and the pleated ribbon will hopefully look very very effective. again thinking princess maybe Aurora. Note the panel is narrow than normal and therefor more would be needed to cover the plate. 

 This one was based on/inspired by the showing of L'apres Midi de la Faune the night before in our screenings. More the colour scheme than anything else. I tried for a long while to pleat the silk and create a Grecian toga look but found it too difficult with limited fabric. I then came across this lace fabric which suited the silk so well and it all simply fell into place. The lace was originally a flat piece but I was able to cut out pieces and restructure it into this shape. Since this photo the lace has altered slightly and I will try and update it as soon as possible. 

We looked at taking apart fabrics and laces that we already had and re structuring them to create something entirely new. It was brilliant had such a wonderful time but am so exhausted!

SLEEVE SAMPLES

The sleeve Dexter wants us to recreate as a sample for our assessment. We will also make one other sleeve sample choosing from a selection we're given, I'm currently deciding and will post it when I've chosen. Wish me luck!

Building the bodice

To create the bodice we've draped on the mannequin and created our own patterns- something I really enjoyed and would like to practice more. I was quite slow initially but more through self doubt. Using these we cut out our top fabric and sewed it all together. For me this was very nerve-wracking, I have slightly less experience than most others in the group and was very worried about this holding me back; I've found however that I am able to keep up fine and feel I am as of yet managing to keep my head above water.

The fabric has proved very very difficult to work with, very slippery and easily damaged it has not appreciated all the travelling necessary to keep myself on top of my workload. This is where I feel I will lose most marks as despite my best efforts the fabric no longer looks as light and pure as it did when I first started.

An area in which I am fairly confident is my hand stitching which as far as I am aware looks neat and even, I enjoy slip-stitching too which is a bonus as there is a lot of it in there.

For me this process is about learning new techniques and understanding exactly how these garments are built, what makes them work and what is necessary to make them effective. If a certain element is removed or a different type of fabric used what will be the effect of this. Without understanding how these costumes are made how can I possibly ever hope to be of use to anyone in the industry they are for?  Only by going through this process, as difficult as in places it may be will I really give myself the best shot at success.

La Sylphide vs Les Sylphides

Facts from Mark Dexter's Lecture, La Sylphide...11/04/12

Backgrounds
LA SYLPHIDE- First ever 'Romantic' ballet, originated in Paris 1832. Choreographed originally by Philippe Tagalioni it is better known for it Danish reincarnation in 1836 by choreographer August Bournonville. It tells the story of an impossible love between a man and a spirit, the temptation of James which leads to his downfall. It is presented in two acts and is often confused with the completely unrelated yet similarly named Les Sylphides.
LES SYLPHIDES-Short non-narrative ballet blanc choreographed by Michael Fontaine and music composed by Chopin. Some debate as to first première but safe to say Sergei Diaghilev's Ballet Russe version in 1909 is suspected.

Review....
How can you tell La Sylphide is set in Scotland???? Tartan anyone? Yet I liked it... a lot. It was endearing and warm and probably explained by my endless love of Brigadoon. The colour palette was very careful and deliberate, it created a very homely atmosphere and a real sense of unity between the villagers. Can't really say I was that fussed on the hats but that's a general personal opinion that it yet to be altered, or even just a little bit swayed. For me this was a real chance to hone in my opinions as a designer, I loved being able to watch this piece and really pull it apart. Dexter wants us to develop our opinions and be able to provide evidence for them, something I'm really relishing in. The debates after are always good as there's a real mixture of opinions. I sometimes have to rein myself in as I get very enthusiastic and have to try hard not to just rail road over things. Again quite a new experience for me as I'm usually reasonably quiet in classes. Just shows how much I'm enjoying these lectures, I'm really starting to feel myself getting worked up about things, really starting to care. It's dreadful if some gets me going I can go on for hours; every bit of information fuelling and energising by belief in and love for this genre.

With Les Sylphides my enthusiasm did wane a little, as much as I liked it and found it wonderful to watch it failed to capture my attention and spirit. I found myself drifting in and out of it but not feeling as though I had really missed much. It was easy to slip out of focus and become distracted by things like trying to figure out how the wings were made or dismantling the bloody poet's costume (agh men's costumes... need a whole separate post later to rant about those I think I could actually write book on them!!!) however some of the girls loved it, they loved the opportunity it gave you to really sit back and appreciated the skill of the dancing without worrying about the story. There was a general agreement to disagree amicably it was great to discuss it all and be able to voice my opinions freely and confidently. A real turning point in this project for me :)

Ballet term of the day

Ballet term  (L, Kersley and J, Sinclair 1997; pg 15)
CHAT DE PAS
the dancer brings up left foot to the right knee or ankle whilst springing, immediately bending the right leg up as she travels sideways,  and lands lightly on the left foot and closes the right foot to it.

Ballet Boyz- The Talent

This was not quite what I expected, I was hoping for a performance full of energy and vitality something that really made you go WOW. Instead it just came across a little 'A-level'. There was no real creativity to it; simply an hour and a half of watching the same move done in a slightly different position or manner- nothing that was really memorable or exciting.
It's not true to say that the performance as a whole was dull or boring, far from it, it just didn't live up to the potential or hype I had created for it. The pieces felt disjointed and in places clumsy, I'm sure as the group develop this will smooth out but it was clear that their strength lay in the group work, it just wasn't sharp enough for me.
The snippets of the performance that showed real potential and energy were the group sections, suddenly all this energy and power was being directed and focused and the effect completely revolutionised the rest of the performance; then it was as though they fell back apart.
The performance was good but not something I would go back to see again; there were a few nice tricks but nothing to really grab you and hold you. No emotion, no character, no energy. The costumes were slightly irritating to be honest as was the lighting, it all looked dirty and dark except in the second piece which was much lighter and more fluid ( and consequently my favourite piece). There was serious reference to the swans of Matthew Bourne in the pantaloons of the second piece coupled with clever use of the swan wing motif. Over all though it was all a little dull and uninspiring.
In it's defence though it wasn't nearly as tragic as the music. I'm not sure if it's compulsory for all contemporary dance music to be irritating or it's just a side effect of listening to the same three beats repeatedly for twenty minutes solid but I was nearly ready to leave the auditorium sheerly due to the music. It distracted and annoyed me, keeping me tense and preventing me from really being able to watch the piece properly. Truly giving new meaning to the phrase 'banging headache'.
A good but unpolished and erratic performance, as my mother so succinctly put it... "ballet boyz, they got that right... I think I'll come back when their men."

Les Trocks

As part of our last screening Dexter showed us two versions of Act II of Swan Lake, one by the royal ballet- beautifully classic and performed by Margo Fontaine which was stunning as always. The other by a company which were new to me- Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo who were fantastic. A ballet 'parody' these men performed in classic ballet costume and on pointe. Using mainly original choreography they played on stereotypes and human indulgence to create a piece that is as beautifully charming as it is side-splitting funny.  I love the fact that it is a performance which allows ballet as an art form to relax and enjoy itself. It does not take away anything from classical ballet but instead adds to the potential ballet has to communicate with an audience. To say that the Trocks are not real 'ballet' dancers, is both unfair and narrow-minded they perform beautifully and their skill is evident. For them these performances are about having fun!

Swan Lake Essay

As part of this project we will need to write a 1500 essay comparing two out of the three versions of Swan Lake we've seen. These comprise of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, The Royal Ballet's Swan Lake ( Act II) and Les Ballets Trochadero's Swan Lake (Act II). I think that I would like to base this essay on the use of body language to portray the relationship between the Prince and the White Swan and focus specifically on Matthew Bourne and the Royal Ballet. Another alternative I considered was the use of humour within Ballet; however I feel this would be a much bigger essay and I would struggle with the 1500 word limit. I will make reference to Les Trocks version but there will not be much analysis of their work within this essay. I really want to look at mime, facial expressions, use of arms and character movements; to consider how all these elements build to create an overall action which is capable of evoking emotion and telling stories.

Dyeing a second time....

Dyeing elastic proved to be a nightmare, no matter how strong I made the dye and how clear the colour came out of the vat as soon as I washed it the colour faded drastically and looked saturated and dull. Luckily the colour I needed was very very pale but this was still a hindrance and considerably slowed me down. Eventually I was managing to make colours of the right strength (using very concentrated dyes) but the correct shade of colour still eluded me, I need a pale aquamarine colour but I kept achieving a delicate cornflower blue. In the end the dye I was using was practically bottle green but as it washed out it faded, finally, to a pretty, pale  aquamarine. It was approved by Dexter and was good to go.

1tsp Bright Turquoise
2 tsp Lemon Yellow
2 tsp salt
500ml boiling water

Ballet term for the day

Ballet term  (L, Kersley and J, Sinclair 1997; pg 15)

BALLET BLANC
A ballet in which the Prima ballerina and corps are dressed in white, traditionally the classic romantic tutus. It is said to have been invented by Lami for Taglioni in La Sylphide.

The Firebird

This Saturday I sat and watched the Royal Ballet's 2002 production of The Firebird on BOB national. It was really interesting as they had a foreword which spoke about the origins of the ballet and the designs (originally by Baskt). I found the production intriguing as this version has reverted to the more classical tutu whereas in the original Baskt had been very keen to move away from such conventionality. It is perhaps a piece which I would like to develop and study further in third year as I feel it has great potential for development and creavity.

History of Ballet Lecture,

I'm not going to re write out all my notes on here as it would take forever so I'll just summarise. The actually notes will be written up in my Book of Ballet scrapbook (Dexter suggested this as a really good idea for us and so far I'm having so much fun putting it all together.)

The lecture was really useful in helping me piece together all the little scraps of information I had and helping me place them onto the bigger picture. I was really surprised at how many of the names I knew and recognised were actually really closely linked together; often one being the dancing master of the next. It also really helped me contextualise the periods in which ballet was and or is most prominent. I was unaware that English ballet, in terms of companies and such, is really relatively very new; starting around the turn of the 20th century. Or that many of our biggest companies were started by members of the Ballet Russes.

As you begin to lay the history of ballet out and consider the dates and time periods you can really see how the period has influenced ballet, and vice versa. It has affected fashions, art, social ettiquette.... it really surprised me how much of an impact it has had when you consider it as such a specialism.

It was clear to me that the evolution of ballet had been affected by and had affected many social and historical events; the presence of key historical figures from Catherine de Medici and Louis the XIV to Ninjinsky and Diaghalev have had a huge impact on our modern view of ballet.

Ballet Term for the day (L, Kersley and J, Sinclair 1997; pg 4)

ARABESQUE:
One leg extended behind with straight knee and pointed foot; supporting leg is either bent or straight. Can be performed normally with an erect body, as an arabesque allongee with the back foot resting on the ground, or as an arabesque penchee where the dancer leans forward to the ground raising the leg to create a straight, diagonal line.

Dyeing

As a little extra Dexter has asked me to attempt some net dyeing using silk paints (dye-na flow) as of yet they've not been very sucessful but I am working on this with lots of experimentation. The net takes the dye reasonably well but regardless of how many coats I apply it doesn't seem to be able to darken, layering up the net is effective but nor suitable for this piece. I am experiementing with different shades and dip dyeing. Will post again with more information.

Swan Lake Moscow Ballet Review

Act one:
First opening impression... what a hideous shade of peach for the company costumes, especially for the men! I very often have a slight dislike of male ballet costumes and these did nothing to improve this; the capes provided extra ammunition (think The Incredibles Edna!) Eventually I began to find the women's capes reasonably complimentary- soft off one shoulder drapes- unfortunately the men's were simply unforgivable, rather than demonstrating the power and athleticism of these dancers it distracted from them, making them look slightly effeminate.
The Prince's black costume although ok close up looked a little odd from a distance- especially the decoration on the front (which I could not find a decent picture of!) and much preferred the white tunic he wore in the Second Act.

http://www.themuni.co.uk/events/moscow-ballet-swan-lake/ (accessed: 13/03/2012)

Attendant was good and his costume much more subtle, I did briefly think he was the Prince
The Jester was wonderful! He was so emotive and expressive, really stealing the show even when he wasn't centre stage. His characterisation really communicated the story to the audience effectively; unfortunately this served to highlight the areas where this was perhaps lacking
The pas de trois I really liked especially the blonde ballerina's solo. again much more expressive than some of the others.

Act two:
The swan maidens were elegant and pretty as always however as discussed in the half time crit the tutu's weren't quite right, proportionally they were too long meaning that they flopped around.
It was a very short rendition with several passages from the cygnet and swan dances being cut out. There were several notable changes to the original choreography; namely the lift after the arabesque hops,  they used a full turning lift rather than just a straight raise.
The mime was also cut short which I was disappointed about I had been looking forward to being able to read the signs properly after watching a documentary on the scene by the Royal Ballet.
Von Rothbert's costume was a little too garish, the very shiny purple satin cape looked a little odd.

Act three:
Odile's head piece was very irritating with the feathers continually flapping- looked quite precarious. Her solo fell a little short and she didn't feel sharp or sexy enough as the character. To me there was good chemistry between her and Rothbert but very little with the Prince (this was also true when playing Odette.)
Loved the Spanish princesses sleeves- delicate lace hardly attached at top was subtly sexy. Also the flamenco dancer's underskirt was brilliant- didn't like the black top fabric but having the flashes of orange as she moved was brilliant. It really added excitement and flair to the piece.
Rothbert's party cloak was much better than his standard one.

Act four:
Ending felt very abrupt and I was expecting it to go on for a lot longer, again feel the connection between Odette and Prince Siegfried wasn't as strong as it could have been- no real passion or love. In fact towards the end I was surprised at how OK I felt about the death of Odette and Sigfreid, the ballet was beautifully performed but it failed to extract any real emotions or reactions out of me. I enjoyed the performance and it certainately enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the genre but feel there were areas in which the ballet could have been sharper and more effective.
In a final note only half the cast were present for the finale which I found odd.

Bibliography

Bourne, M (dir.) (1996) Swan Lake [DVD] New York: NVC Arts, Warner Music Vision

Brown, M (2011) Matthew Bourne awakens Sleeping Beauty in 21st century The Guardian [online] 26 October 2011. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/oct/26/matthew-bourne-sleeping-beauty [accessed 5/5/12]

Burt, R (1995) The Male Dancer: Bodies, Spectacle, Sexualities London, UK and New York, USA: Routledge

Dexter, M (2012) BA (Hons) Costume with Performance Design. Arts University College Bournemouth. 15 March 2012

Haskell, A (1965) What is a Ballet? London, UK: Macdonalds and Co. Publishers Ltd

Kersley, L and Sinclair, J (1997) The Dictionary of Ballet Terms London: A. & C.               Black

Les Trockadero de Monte Carlo (2009) Les Ballet Trockadero Volume 2 [DVD] United States: BelAir Studios

Macaulay, A (2011) Matthew Bourne and his adventures in dance London, UK: Faber and Faber Ltd

Moscow City Ballet (2012) Swan Lake March 2012, programme, Pavilion Theatre:    ----------Bournemouth

Tatchell, J (1994) The World of Ballet  London, UK: Usborne Publishing Ltd.

Terry, W (1979) Great Male Dancers of the Ballet Hale

Watson, K (1999) Dance without the Boring Bits The Guardian [online] Available from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/1999/sep/11/books.guardianreview7?INTCMP=SRCH [accessed 09/05/12]

Swan Lake context

Before going to watch any ballet it is vital to familiarise yourself with the synopsis and characters or else you can find yourself quite lost when watching and that can ruined the magic and atmosphere of the performance. in our briefing we were given a synopsis of Swan Lake to read before the performance. I will document it separately on here as it is always worth having as a reference.
Swan Lake is for many people the ultimate test of a Ballerina's skill, strength and stamina; with 4 acts and over 3 hours of performing it is a huge endurance test. We discovered that the 32 Fouettes which occur at the end of Odile solo weren't actually part of the original choreography but were introduced by ballerina Pierina Legnani in the 1895 version by Mariinsky Ballet. I look forward to seeing them performed tonight.

History;
Composed around 1875/76 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky it initially did not succeed as a performance; many considered the music to be too complicated and syncopated for the dancers to move to. It was revised and revived in 1895 by the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and it was here where the Ballet first saw success! There are several suggestions and theories as to the origins of the story, some have said that it was a story Tchaikovsky made for his nieces and nephews. It is most likely however influenced by the many many myths and legends over the years that have told stories of swan maidens, particularly Nordic and Greek mythology. Since its revival it has seen many many reincarnation, we will be watching the Moscow City Ballet's version which is based on the choreography by Marius Pepita.

First thoughts

Fall in love with ballet.
That's the aim of this project; everything is designed to help us appreciate, enjoy and adore ballet and lets be honest if we're not all pretty much there already! I'm so excited about the upcoming weeks and all the things we're going to learn and the skills we're going to develop. Already after today's introduction I feel already as though this is the perfect project for me. Something I love and am so interested in, the enthusiasm our tutor has for his topic is infectious and is really fueling my passion not only for Ballet but dance as a whole.
Tonight we're going to see the Moscow City Ballet's la Classique Swan Lake at the Pavilion in Bournemouth- they're reputed to be among one of the best ballet companies in the world. Having seen the St Petersburg version a few years ago it will be interesting to see a slightly different take and also see how my understanding of ballet as altered my perceptions of the performance.
As part of the project though not to be handed in we will also put together a scrapbook of ideas, images, references, information, synopses and biography to keep as a personal record. Also we will produce a 1500 word essay comparing the Swan Lake we see tonight with two other versions (one of which I assume will be Matthew Bourne's all male swan cast- which I adore) I cannot wait!

Here's to evaluation....

The place for context....

First thoughts

Having never had a blog (not to mention being dreadful at keeping a diary all my life) I fully expect to find this quite hard to maintain. Still, I really hope to make this into a really useful tool both for my development and for my own personal reference. This will hopefully be a place for me to think, develop and explore. I am really looking forward to this project , especially the contextual elements and want to maximise the potential of this blog. Anyway wish me luck. x

Exploring

This is just me having a play and seeing what I can do x

Starting Up

Hey, this is just me learning