WEEK #6: Monday

It’s the final week of our Coffee Break With the Ballet series, and we’ve got all kinds of surprises for you to make this week extra fun!  The final Sassyplum Fairy webisode will appear on Friday as the grand finale of our “Coffee Break” series – and believe me, you won’t want to miss it, since it’s got a special bonus surprise at the end!  But don’t worry, we know it’s Monday, the perfect day for fun procrastination tactics, and we’ve got you covered with plenty of good stuff to fill that Sassyplum Fairy-shaped hole in your heart from waiting four extra days for the final webisode.

This week we’re all about tights and tutus . . . the history and techniques of costume design, the evolution of rehearsal wear, and how designers – and dancers – use wardrobe to create a character.

But first, before we dive into the performance side, let’s look at how they’re made!

Pointe Shoes – How They’re Made (And Unmade)

We love this behind-the-scenes look inside the Dutch National Ballet and the Freed Factory (they make our dancers’ shoes too!).   Watch the Freed manufacturers build a pair of pointe shoes, and then watch as a dancer deconstructs the shoes before wearing them.  Every dancer’s routine is different!

Tutus 101

Raymonda at OBT (Photo: Blaine Covert)

Want an insider look at how these tutus were made?  Here’s a peek into our costume shop during the Raymonda tutu build in 2008!

Don’t be fooled by the name – as dancer Sarah Shoemaker points out in this “how-to” video, the best way to get your hands on a real ballet tutu is to have a pro make one for you; the tutus you see onstage take hours of skilled craftsmanship and hundreds of yards of tulle.  Sarah shows off some tutus from the Boston Ballet and talks about the evolution of the costume and the different styles you might see onstage.

WHILE YOU’RE AT WORK:

Tell us about three people you’ve seen in the past week whose clothing tells you about who they are, whether as an indicator of their occupation, personality, or some other factor.