Costumes, Joy or Pain
Most of the time, if a costume fits, is flattering and suitable, it is a joy to wear. If it's a tutu, you know what to do. Detach it from the bodice and wash the stiff, white tutu section in mild suds in a tub, rinse, hang upside down, and when it's almost completely dry, spray starch the layers and gently straighten out any wrinkles. Voilà.
But what do you do if a modern dance costume has to be authentically replicated to reflect a specific piece of choreography, or a performer from another time? Or you just like how a costume looks in a photograph? According to Marion Williams, costumer and set designer, "photographs and a dancer, who wore the costume, are the best research sources." Williams has recreated costumes and a set for the José Limón Dance Company's 60th anniversary performances held recently at the Joyce Theater, as well as for a great many other dance, opera and drama productions. She was also the recipient of a 2004 Princess Grace Award.
"You have to take into consideration the material of the costume," Williams continues. "Is the same fabric available? You have to see how it flowed during movement in the photograph to determine its texture; experiment with the color of the costume under stage lights. Reproducing the fabric in some cases is difficult. And you have to remember that the cut of the costume, sometimes designed by the original choreographer, made a statement in the manner it moved and described the character. Was it typical to its place in time and how did it work with the design of the set?
"In other words, it is an intriguing process that requires a great deal of research. But when you finally see it on stage in performance, the experience is rewarding and has hopefully been a contribution to the authentic continuity of a work. Now, you can only hope that the costumes will last through wear and tours."