Nearly 100 years ago, Leon Bakst, a Russian artist, designed over 300 extravagant costumes for “The Sleeping Princess,” an extravagant Sleeping Beauty Costume ballet production that took place in London. It left Serge Diaghilev in huge debt. These Sleeping kashmir sleeping beauty turquoise were taken along with others from Ballets Russes productions. Some were eventually purchased by private collectors as well as museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Dansmuseet Stockholm. They have been preserved in perpetuity, sometimes hidden behind glass, and are the subject of numerous exhibits and scholarly publications.
Sleeping Beauty Costume Royal, were just waiting for their moment
Segerstrom Center For the Arts’ new production of “Sleeping Beauty Costume” is as close as you will get to true love’s kiss. The now-valuable originals were the inspiration for the 350-400 costumes Richard Hudson designed. Although Hudson’s designs may not be true copies, their weight and size make them an extraordinary tribute to Bakst or Diaghilev by two performing arts institutions. The American Ballet Theatre and Teatro alla Scala have partnered to produce this production, which will be performed at Costa Mesa’s Metropolitan Opera in May before moving on to La Scala in September.
Hudson was visiting New York to conduct final fittings for dancers. The Register spoke with Hudson. These are some highlights from the conversation:
- Alexei Ratmansky had the idea. At the beginning of last year, he contacted me to ask if I was free and if I would be interested in designing “Sleeping Beauty Costume” for ABT. Naturally, I said yes immediately. He then asked if he would take a look at the 1920s production as a jumping-off point. I was clear from the start that he did not want me to make historical reproductions. The lighting is much better than I have, so the costumes would have looked terrible if I did a reproduction.
- Yes, that’s true. But it’s also true of all Ballets Russes’ designer. All those amazing designers Diaghilev worked alongside – (Natalia Goncharova), (Mikhail Larionov) and (Alexandre (Benois) – they were all influential.
It was amazing. It’s not something I have copied. I have just taken some inspiration. A great friend of mine, Caroline Hamilton, is an expert on Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. She did all the research. She provided me with copies of all the renderings, although some are missing. Some costumes were completely new. Bakst’s colors are most often used. Because the 1920s dancers were very different from today’s, I changed the scale of many costumes. They were much larger. They were also quite large so I had to adjust the proportions.
Are the new women’s Sleeping the beauty crop Costume longer because 1921 had higher standards for modesty?
- They are. Bakst’s original tutus were shorter.
- They were. The original costumes now belong to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I visited the museum and was shown some of them. These were heavy fabrics made from real fur. It was wonderful to buy all my fabrics in New York, because the fabric shops are amazing.
- A lot of brocades and silk were used. The production uses a lot gold and silver.
Which costume is your Favorite from the Production?
- The prince is currently wearing a hunt Sleeping beauty pools Costume. The prince is wearing a bright red riding coat and a shorter coat than the ones worn by the other men. I was astonished at how handsome and elegant he looked during the fitting.
- It is always hard to care for animals. There’s a wolf, cats, and rats. Carabosse is accompanied four rats. We had the masks made by Rome. They are beautiful and very realistic looking, but they only weigh about a third of what they should. They are made so that dancers can see clearly while they are dancing. When working with animals, it’s difficult to get the scale right. Yesterday, we fitted the rats and they were absolutely gorgeous. (Laughter).
Were there any Sleeping Beauty Costume that weren’t realized?
- None that I know of. Because of a miscommunication, we had to alter one set of costumes. The Bakst drawing was my starting point for the Lilac Fairy’s attendants. In the back, they wore long, Grecian-style dresses. They dance very much tutu choreography, it turns out. The long dresses were no longer necessary.
Which was Yours?
A. For me, the definition of old-fashioned means to give it a fairy-tale feel – a storybook appearance. A production of “Sleeping beauty and the beast ” must appeal to both Sleeping Beauty Costume children and adults.
