“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 :)