This weekend on Fashion Forward, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Boston Ballet.
And though you certainly didn’t need another reason to tune in, we’re also giving away a pair of tickets to the performance on Thursday, March 31st, at 7PM. Your opportunity, below:
TUNE-IN-TO-WIN QUESTION: What inspired the creation of the gold-painted tutus referenced by Charles?
Kim Walleston, our Fashion Forward host, gives you a sneakpeak at what you can expect:
Flashback to the 1990s: the halcyon days of my ballerina aspirations. There was something wildly appealing about a ballerina: her grace, her stature, the seeming fragility in her movements that, I learned quickly, belied the actual strength they required.
As it turns out, I didn’t have the physical discipline for bar exercises, and I put my prima
pipedream to bed. But I never lost my admiration for the art of the ballet, on a lesser note, my appreciation for leotards and tulle. Rare is this type of multisensory experience, where the choreography, composition, and wardrobe are all equally critical; a trifecta of theatrics,
acoustics and aesthetics. One weakened by the others if all are not superior.
And now, the nation at large is taken by a fascination with classical ballet, owing to the success of Darran Aronofsky’s Black Swan. On par with his brilliant handling of the aterial was Rodarte’s decidedly baroque costuming: the balance of costume designer Amy Westcott’s vision and the inspired elements the Mulleavy sisters chose to incorporate.
No less taken by this recent fascination, and flanked by styleboston cameras, I was able to sneak inside the Boston Ballet’s wardrobe for an intimate preview of the costuming for Elo Experience, a production that traces the artistic journey of resident choreographer Jorma Elo. Charles Heightchew was the soft-spoken mastermind behind the costumes, guiding the team from sketch to finished work with the tranquility of the dancers themselves.
He was restricted to a relatively monochromatic palette for the many individual pieces that comprise the greater work, relying on texture and shape to define the costuming against its setting. From reflective black fabrics to snakeskin patterns to deconstructed tutus made textural with gold paint, the result was a refreshing departure from the traditional ballet…
But go see the thrilling work for yourself. The Elo Experience runs from March 24 – April 3 at The Boston Opera House.