Royal Opera House Live Screening - Giselle

The Royal Ballet's Giselle

Last night I went with my flatmates to see the Royal Opera House's live screening of the Royal Ballet's Giselle and thought it was just wonderful! I love the live screenings as people from all over the world can watch the same ballet as you. A lot of companies are doing this now. I know English National Opera are showing Peter Grimes tomorrow evening. I think this is changing the face of theatre and making it even more exciting.

I think Giselle was probably one of the most emotionally draining ballets I have ever watched. Giselle was performed brilliantly by the Russian principal dancer Natalia Osipova. She danced with precision, speed and  a way that made classical ballet look so natural and effortless. Of course I couldn't help notice the beautiful costumes. The silk skirts in particular moved so gracefully and really complimented the way she moved. It was really aesthetic to watch.

Natalia Osipova as Giselle

Natalia Osipova as Giselle

One of the things I really love about ballet is it's ability to tell a wordless story through dramatical music and body movements. To be a ballet dancer requires a skill like no other. Not only must the dancer concentrate on the choreography which requires a huge amount of balance and strength but also the ability to really become a character and tell a story solely through the way you move. I find it really fascinating.

Natalia Osipova brought a huge amount of emotion to the role for both the audience and the performers on stage. I was sat in the theatre just completely blown away with how the performance made me feel. Of course I could go on about the other dancers as they were all fantastic but I really felt Natalia was probably one of the best principal ballet dancers I have ever seen!

Giselle is on at the Royal Opera House until 10th February 2014.

Click here to see more of the Royal Opera House's live cinema season. Don Giovanni is screened on 12th February 2014 and looks fantastic!

Invisible Design

When I tell people what I do (and I'm sure many girls on my course would agree with me) I generally get the response: "Oh, you can do a degree in Costume?" or "So you're doing a Fancy Dress degree?" or "Do you make big fancy ball gowns?".
In response to the last question, in a way, yes. But costume is so much more than that. To study costume design is essentially studying several degrees at once: Literature, Psychology, History as well as have a creative eye for design and be a damn good dressmaker! It's hard work!

Costume is technically more about character than the elaborative clothing which is why I want to focus this Blog post on contemporary costume to demonstrate what I mean.

Yesterday Jane Petrie (costume designer for Fish Tank, 28 weeks later, How I live now and more) came to my university to talk about her career in contemporary costume. She talked about how in some ways, contemporary costume is harder than period costume in the sense that the audience are more knowledgeable and can therefore be more critical of the costumes.
Jane discussed the costumes she designed for the television series 'Top Boy' on channel 4 (shown below). As you can see, they all look extremely natural. Like they are wearing their own clothes. This is what is called good costume design.

Top Boy
Costumes designed by Jane Petrie

I know it's easy to assume that there is no design behind contemporary costume but there is just as much research involved as there would be for period costume, if not more. To make something that is seen in everyday life believable is what's called invisible designing. Analysis of the character's past, present and future is extremely important in order to get into their mindset and think about what they would chose to wear and why.

To make the costume seem lived in it is taking through a process called 'breaking down'. This involves dying, staining and general wear and tear on the costume. This, again, involves a lot of thinking and the designer must consider what the character has done in their clothes. For example, things to consider would be: would the character eat some food and wipe their hands on their trousers causing greasy finger marks? Would the character lean on a table causing wear and tear on the elbow? Does the character have a pet that would leave hair over their clothes? It is this sort of analysis that makes costume design a lot more complex than one might assume and what helps make the character believable and bring them to life.

This video demonstrates basic breaking down at the National Theatre.


I often also get asked the question, "So what is you favourite costume?" 

The purpose of costume is not necessarily to make a beautiful ball gown that's taken weeks to make. In film and TV the best costumes are the ones that you don't notice. The costumes that are true to character and making you believe what you are seeing is when the designer has 'invisibly designed' the costume. When you can just sit and watch a film and not notice any of the design behind it, ironically this is the sort of design that should be noticed and applauded. Just something to think about when you next watch a film or TV show.

London Mime Festival

London Mime Festival is a 25 day festival of contemporary visual theatre of wordless performance including physical theatre, puppetry, new circus, object theatre and live art. Storys are told throughout the festival and it opens with Company Non Nova which present work exploring issues relevant today. Read more about London Mime Festival here.

Fet a Ma

Compagnie 111 Aurelien Bory/ Stephanie Fuster

Gecko

Compagnie Non Nova

I have never been nor heard of this festival but it sounds like this is the sort of thing I really love. I will definitely try and go to a performance or two.

The video clip below shows Company Non Nova performance to Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune. An extremely interesting performance through the use of dancing plastic bags controlled by fans. I am not sure whether I would like to see the whole performance of this but it does leave me intrigued and inspired!

Take a look at their website. It hurts my brain!

This video clip shows a little about how this is done.

London Mime Festival runs from 8th January to 1st February 2014. Check their website to see all the events and book tickets.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses - Design project (Year 2: Term 1)

So I am now back at uni and I have to say I really love it! Next week we will be starting our five week placement where I will be working in Bridal wear for the first two weeks then in Opera at the Royal College of Music for the final three. I am extremely excited and really looking forward to using all the skills I have been learning over the past year. I will be posting a bit more about this in a week or so.

I still haven't managed to post a bit about my design project from last term as I left my portfolio in London when I went home for Christmas. This has been my favourite design project to date. We were asked to design 3 characters for either the play or script 'Les Liasons Dangereuses' and realise one of the designs. This involves script breakdown, character analysis, accurate period research, coming up with a concept for the overall performance, thinking about set, lighting, hair and make up, then experimentation and designing for the characters. From this work we had to summarise all of our ideas to 10 A2 pages to present along with our realised costume on our actor.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a story of seduction, revenge and love set in the 18th Century. The main character, the Marquise de Merteuil, makes it her mission to control her previous lover, Vicomte de Valmont, persuading him to seduce other women to get revenge on another previous lover. I decided to set the play in 1760-70s and use the idea that Merteuil is controlling Valmont as a concept, focussing on the quote "It's beyond my control" (Valmont, page 91).

My concept was that Valmont is schizophrenic and Merteuil is a figment of his imagination. This idea would be mainly presented through spotlighting towards the end of the play when Valmont's condition is slowly being revealed. (eg. Merteuil would be spotlit when Valmont talks to her etc.). Additionally the audience would experience Valmont's condition and feel like they are part of the play. The theatre seating would have speakers in the headrests connected to Merteuil's microphone so it will make it seem like she is in their imagination and controlling them as well.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses concept ideas

I designed Merteuil's character (Act 2: Scene 16) in a way that would suggest she was a figment of Valmont's imagination. I would use the same fabrics for both costumes for which they both appear in the same scene. In order to give her an unreal characteristic I decided to cover her face with sheer net (lit with LEDs underneath, controlled by the lighting designer) to give a ghost like effect.

Marquise de Merteuil general research

Marquise de Merteuil - Scene 16

I also designed for Valmont in scene 10 where he reveals that he has gotten one of his lovers pregnant. Because Valmont's role in the story is predominately to seduce other women, I decided to look at feminine shapes such as the ovaries. I then developed a print design inspired by the ovaries and popular fabrics of the time such as brocade. I was also inspired by painters of the 18th Century such as William Hogarth and Francois Boucher in terms of colour palette and their seductive qualities.

Vicomte de Valmont colour palette and print design

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 10

I then designed for Valmont in scene 16 using the same fabric choices as I had for Merteuil to reflect that she was a part of him and in his imagination. The washed out colour palette reflects that he is loosing his mind and there is no life left in him. I developed the idea of using ovaries on brocade and came up with an embellishment design for the frock coat which I realised as my final make. (see here)

Vicomte de Valmont embellishment experimentation

Vicomte de Valmont - Scene 16

Victomte de Valmont realised costume - Scene 16
Designed and made by Bryony Hamer
Modelled by Harry Allen
See more on my final costume here

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

Ballet, in my opinion, is one of the worlds greatest art forms and I just find it amazing how much it emotion it can bring to the audience and how it can manage to tell a story with dance, set, costume and no words.

This Christmas BBC2 played the New Adventure’s Sleeping Beauty. Although I went to see this last year with some girlfriends it was also lovely to watch it in my sitting room with family and to me it really showed a dramatic difference between live viewing and TV. On one hand I would say going to watch it live, like anything, is so much better in the sense that atmosphere from the audience is buzzing and there is nothing more dramatic than listening to a live orchestra play Tchaikovsky’s score- it never fails to give me goose bumps. However, watching it on TV was great as it allowed me to see the close up details of costume which, as a student studying costume for performance, is something I really appreciate. The costumes really do look different close up and from a distance which is helping me understand more why there is such a difference between designing for theatre or film & TV.

A few months ago I went with my classmates backstage to see the costumes (designed by Philip Prowse) for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty and then to see it live the following evening. It was fun to see the costumes in the flesh and then on stage but also incredibly interesting to see how different they looked from a distance. The classical ballet costumes were stunning but completely different compared to Lez Brotherston’s for Matthew Bourne’s choreography.

Birmingham Royal Ballet's Sleeping Beauty.
Note the use of block colour in the costumes to create distinctive shapes that can be seen from a distance and that compliment the choreography.

Birmingham Royal  Ballet's Backstage Costume Department.
Even in costumes for stage, designers include stunning
embellishments and trimmings that are picked up in the light when
on stage.

Birmingham Royal  Ballet's Backstage Costume Department

Matthew Bourne finally finished his trio of Tchaikovsky’s ballets with Sleeping Beauty last year and his interpretation of The Nutcracker 1992 in and Swan Lake in 1995. I went to see was Swan Lake I think in 2007 and I was absolutely blown away by his innovative and genius choreography combined with Tchaikovsky’s score. Instead of the classical female swans in pretty white tutus he uses male swans in tasselled breeches to resemble feathers and a bare chest which not only adds a particularly raw quality to the performance but enhances the dance moves as the lighting reflects on their muscles as they move. This one of his in particular is a must see!

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake.
Tasselled breeches are cleverly used to resemble feathers and the bare chest adds a particularly raw quality to the performance.

His take on Sleeping Beauty involved vampires and fairies with a gothic twist that spreads from the Victorian era through to the 21^st Century in three acts. His contemporary choreography isn't too out there so it is good for a younger audience. I couldn't help but notice elements of Michael Jackson's Thriller in the production, particularly in the third act! It is elements like that which makes Bourne's productions so easy and fun to watch and suitable for any audience.

One of the things I love most about Matthew Bourne is the comedic element he brings to all his productions. It must be so difficult to make people laugh at a ballet without it coming across as tacky so I really applaud him for that. So often when I go to watch ballet I usually don’t follow the story and I find myself distracted by the set and costumes – how can you not?! But I always find that I understand the story line a lot better for any of Bourne’s productions.

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
Costumes by Lez Brotherston

If you are new to ballet or have never been that interested by it, going to see one of the performances by New Adventure’s would be a great place to start. Swan Lake is on at the moment at Sadler's Wells until January 2014. Buy tickets here quick as they sell out fast! Their production of Lord of the Flies (choreographed by Scott Ambler and adapted and directed by Scott Ambler and Matthew Bourne) starts touring in Spring 2014. Check their website for more details.

I leave you with a clip from the BBC with Matthew Bourne and the history of his work.

V&A membership: Pearls; Club to Catwalk

Today I had an interview at the Royal College of Music for my work placement at the beginning of 2014 so I will be working there for a few weeks along with a Bridal company based in Bristol so I'm super excited!
Whilst I was in Kensington I decided to go to the V&A for the last time in 2013 to abuse my membership as I'm going to the Isle of Wight tomorrow for Christmas and to work for a few weeks.

The V&A membership is fantastic, especially for students who live in London. The standard price is £64 which is still great value but if you are under 26, for £35 you get unlimited entry to all V&A exhibitions, a discount in the shop, the V&A magazine (I think it's seasonal) and access to the members room which is very exciting! I personally think it is such a good deal as you need to go to approximately 4 exhibitions to get your money's worth. My boyfriend got me mine as a gift last Christmas - such a great present!

Buy yours here.

Club to Catwalk
Today I went to the Club to Catwalk exhibition which is open until February 16th 2014 and a student ticket is £5 which I think is a good price for what it is. The exhibition shows London fashion from 1980s showcasing many innovative designers. I partly love going to exhibitions to learn about all the talented artists and designers out there and I personally think this is the best way to learn. Some of my favourite designers featured were: Chrissie Walsh, Michiko Koshino, Willy Brown, John Galliano, Anthony Prince, Zandra Rhodes, Pam Hogg and Georgina Godley.

John Galliano - The Lucid Game Collection

Georgina Godley - 1986
1987 Vogue: 'Stretch is fashion's dynamic force, a challenge for designer and wearer alike... It's the sexiest dressing yet, hiding the body and at the same time showing its every movement.'

Chrissie Walsh - inspired by the Ballet Russes

Willie Brown

Pearls
I also went to the Pearls exhibition which is on until January and is £7 for a student. I really enjoyed learning about the process behind harvesting natural pearls and how the beauty of them is that they are simply natural and need no further enhancements unlike any other jewel.

At university I study costume design and have been studying visual culture as well in my past term. So particularly when studying period costume I do a lot of looking at paintings and thinking about symbolism so I particularly liked learning about what the pearls symbolised in different centuries. For example, in medieval times they symbolised perfection and purity. In the 'Portrait of an unknown lady' (shown below) from 1595 the pearls symbolise fertility. In Victorian times Queen Victoria was described to be having a 'gladiatorial contest with jewels displayed as weapons.' and in 1861 she wore black mourning pearls upon Albert's death.

Portrait of an Unknown lady
1595

I didn't get around to seeing Masterpieces of Chinese paintings but that in open until January 19th so I intend to go in the new year. I am also very excited to see future exhibitions such as 'The Jameel Prize 3' (an art prize for contemporary artists inspired by Islamic traditions) which opens tomorrow and 'Wedding Dresses 1775 - 2014' which opens in May. I think once I do my placement at the Bridal company I will be even more excited for this one! Who doesn't love wedding dresses?!

Fashion and Science!

At London College of Fashion we are lucky enough to have an exhibition space which holds regular, free exhibitions based around global fashion, photography, and installation.
Currently the Fashion Space Gallery is holding an exhibition on glass in contemporary art: Glasstress: White Light | White Heat. It focusses on contemporary artists working in glass for the first time including Boudicca, Lucy and Jorge Orta, Hussein Chalayan, and Helen Storey.

Helen Storey- 'The Dress of Glass and Flame

 "The visible, gaseous part of a fire is caused by a highly exothermic reaction, taking place in a thin zone. Heat is so intense it excites the molecules enough to produce light."

Tim Noble and Sue Webster - Glass Narcissus

Koen Vanmechelen

This sort of work is the kind of work I love: exploring the boundaries with different materials. This work crosses somewhere in between fashion, art and science which makes art more like an experiment as opposed to something that is stereotypically appealing to the eye.

The exhibition is open until 23rd February 2014 located at London College of Fashion, John Prince's Street - just off of Oxford Street. Something you can just pop in to have a quick browse after doing a bit of shopping! As a student I feel very lucky to be able to pop into the exhibit in between lectures. Do go and have a look for yourselves!