Compare and Contrast Swan Lake performances by the Moscow Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero, and Matthew Bourne's

Compare and Contrast Swan Lake performances by the Moscow Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero and Matthew Bourne’s

  

Swan Lake is one of the most famous ballets in repertoire; it also is a ballet which many choreographers and ballet masters have re-staged. These three performances have presented Swan Lake in different ways. Moscow Ballet presented a performance which was traditional in its costume and choreography. Whereas Les Ballets Trockadero was a parody of ballet although it used the traditional costumes and choreography because all parts where played by men it created a farce. Matthew Bourne’s interpretation of Swan Lake however, moved the furthest away from the traditional ballet. Its performance was more like a theatre production because the stereotypical elements of a ballet where not used the point shoe and tutu which; have come to define ballet productions. Bourne whilst having a mixed cast of male and female he has chosen to cast the swans as only men;

‘The idea of a male swan makes sense ... the strength, the beauty, its enormous wingspan of these creatures suggests to the masculine of a male dancer more readily than a ballerina in her white tutu.’ (Bourne)

Consequently through this essay I wish to contrast the way each production has presented Swan Lake and which is most successful in doing so.

The choreography of the Moscow Ballet was based on the classical choreography of Swan Lake; it had the classic male and female partnership between Odette and Prince Siegfried. There was however, a lacking in energy throughout the performances, after watching the performance with Margrot Fonteyn one cannot compare the technical skill of her Odette to the Moscow Ballet. The use of mime to tell the story was throughout the production as all classical ballets. This style contrasts with the way Les Ballets Trockadero use the choreography to create a farcical performance. Although they ‘follow the original choreography, then unexpectedly toss in a pratfall and some slapstick.’ (Hyde) This is the remarkable thing about the Trocks when they fell comically they get up instantly and continues dancing highlighting their skill as dancers. The way they used the mime was comical and almost pantomime. They used over the top gestures and smiles which would have never been used in a classical performance of Swan Lake. Matthew Bourne’s Swan however, contrasts greatly in its style of choreography it was more contemporary. During one of the scenes in Bourne’s version they watch the performance of a romantic ballet like the Trocks they make it satirical although they are not ‘skewering ballet but the vanity of the ballet dancers.’(Norman,2011) How ballet bases its stories in fairy tale worlds whereas Matthew Bourne creates productions with more depth than just fairies.

The way each production presented the Cygnet dance highlights the difference in choreography and style. Matthew Bourne highlights the animalistic side of the swan through the looks and gestures of the dancers; the movements reflect the freedom of the swans which is what draws the Prince to them. He creates a comical piece by highlighting the youth and playfulness of the Cygnets. The movement and choreography instead of being ballet based, show the character of the swan. Les Ballets Trockadero also uses the Cygnet dance to show comedy however, they are not creating the comedy through characterising the swan rather highlighting ‘the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance.’ (www.trockadero.org). They exaggerate the head movements of the swans and are out of time. The smaller dancer also danced the whole time with a huge grin on his face and waved when he left the stage highlighting the ‘... jealousies of competing ballerinas.’ (Norman, 2011) In contrast the Moscow Ballet took themselves seriously each dance step and head movement was at the same time thus highlighting the grace of the swan and the beauty of ballet. However, unlike Bourne it does not show the character in such depth because these are young birds therefore they can be clumsy and silly.

Although the storyline between the Moscow Ballet and Les Ballets Trockadero is based on the classical Swan Lake they presented the characters in different ways. Les Ballets Trockadero made the male roles less masculine making them seem like wimps especially the male attendant. The swans are portrayed as much stronger and less gentle as they strangle the male attendant and slap him.

The emotions in the Moscow Ballet was lacking compared to the, portrayal from the Trocks. The way the Prince and Odette danced their final dance showed how they couldn’t bear to leave one another whereas with the Moscow Ballet there was no convincing passion. The character of Von Rothbart was not scary enough for the audience yet Trockadero had managed to create a figure with a dramatic stage presence even if the audience laughed at him. Bourne however creates a production which ‘is pure theatre the impression it makes on the psyche and soul is indelible.’ (Roberts) There is not that magical feeling to the production which is essential to the traditional Swan Lake; I feel this is particularly highlighted by the scene when he first encounters the swans. It is set in a park with no eerie mist over the lake. Rather the base of the story is about the prince and how he feels trapped and unloved. Bourne creates dramatic scenes full of emotion; the scene between the Prince and his mum the way he wants to hug her to feel that emotional bond however, she completely rejects him. In contrast to how Odette and the Prince danced in the Moscow Ballet was the scene in the park with the Prince and Swans (Bourne). The swans here are not scared of the prince rather he is scared of them but intrigued by the way they move. As he dances with the lead swan the audience can feel the emotions between them. The swan is allowing him to dance and hold him in contrast to his mother; there is this feeling of freeing for the Prince. In further contrast is the figure of the black swan in Bourne’s production his character of temptation and lust is expressed through every movement and gesture. Whereas the performance of Odile in the Moscow Ballet ‘took us unnecessarily close to pantomime’ (Amey) she made it too obvious that she was not Odette and did not dance with enough enticement to draw in the Prince to this lie. 

The costumes of the Moscow Ballet and Les Ballet Trockadero reflected the classical style of the ballet whereas Bourne’s where far more theatre based. The Moscow Ballet had tutus however; they were not as tightly pleated as Odette’s costume in the Trocks production. The Moscow Ballet tutu’s reflected the feathered dawn of the swans. The costumes of Les Ballet Trockadero reflect the style during the 1930s when Margot Fonteyn preformed Swan Lake. The corps where in romantic tutus so their costumes moved more softly and Odette wore a short pancake tutu. The costume for Von Rothbart for Les Ballet Trockadero created a far more dramatic character through using black and red in his costume. Whereas in the Moscow Ballet they used a bright purple for his cape which failed to create a scary character it needed to be a darker colour to reflect his evil. The costumes in Bourne’s production were beautiful but not at all like the traditional ballet costume they were elegant without being over the top and highly decorated. The Queen’s costumes reminded me of the 50s style the circle style skirt. I liked the way they altered the costumes so that they went from being servants to courtiers, just by changing the accessories. The costumes were unified in the colour palette of blacks, whites, reds, and purples this meant that the whole performance has one style unlike the first Swan Lake we saw were the colours went from being pastels to bright colours. The male swan costumes where masculine although we didn’t get the full impact of how the tassels moved because we watched it on film.

In conclusion watching these productions has expanded and challenged my view on ballet before I had only seen classical productions of Swan Lake although I still enjoy that genre. It was fascinating to see Bourne’s production which I had heard described as the ‘gay’ Swan Lake however he has found ‘a story...more universal than the original 1877 Tchaikovsky... Swan Lake’ (Roberts). At first I was a little shocked by Les Ballets Trockadero; to see these men perform en travesti the roles of both male and female however, in the end I did enjoy the parody as it was incredible to see the men on point. Bourne’s production created far deeper characters compared to the original Swan Lake however; I will always prefer the original because when being performed well the audience are lost in the production. I also enjoy the delicacy and grace which shapes the movements of the ballet dancer.

Bibliography

Amey, R. (2012) REVIEW: Swan Lake, Moscow Ballet – La Classique, at Pavilion Theatre, Worthing. [Online Review] Available From: http://www.worthingherald.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/review-swan-lake-moscow-ballet-la-classique-at-pavilion-theatre-worthing-1-3691049

[Accessed 11^th May]

Crompton, S. (2009) Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells, review. [Online Review] Available From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/6859314/Matthew-Bournes-Swan-Lake-at-Sadlers-Wells-review.html

[Accessed 11^th May]

Eshel, R. Tutu Much. [Online Review] Available From: http://www.trockadero.org/haaretz1.html

[Accessed 11^th May]

Hyde, P. The Trocks Bring Mix of Fun, Footwork to Peace Center. [Online Review] Available From: http://www.trockadero.org/greenville-news.html

[Accessed 11^th May]

Norman, N. (2011) Les Ballets Trockadero de Monto Carlo. [Online Review] Available From: http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/31605/les-ballets-trockadero-de-monte-carlo

[Accessed 11^th May]

Roberts, D. Swan Lake. [Online Review] Available From:

http://www.theatrereviews.com/pastreviews/swanlake.html

[Accessed 11^th May]

Wikipedia. (2012) Swan Lake(Bourne). [online] Available From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Lake_(Bourne)

[Accessed 11thv May]

Evaluation

Evaluation

Through this unit I have been able to expand and develop my knowledge of ballet which has been a subject I have wanted to develop my skills in from the beginning. Through this unit I have been able to consolidate my professional development plan as it has enabled me to realise that I would like to work in the ballet industry. My work experience in the workrooms for the Olympics opening ceremony also enabled me to experience a workroom in the professional environment, and I enjoyed it. Consequently I feel I have discovered the professional environment I would like to work in; for even though tasks such levelling my tutu was monotonous I still enjoyed it. Therefore, in third year I would like to develop these skills further.

Through this unit I have had to develop my time management skills as this was something that needed improving after my last project. Although, I have improved in this area I have realised that the time table which I set my self was unrealistic, therefore daily I timetabled the tasks that needed doing, I found these much easier to meet. My time table was more structured compared to other projects, because Mark spent taught us the skills to make a ballet costume. This has meant that I have had continuous deadlines throughout the project. Therefore, I have had to develop my skills at prioritising tasks whilst still completing other deadlines. That being so I have had to learn that some tasks take longer than others. I found that the piping was a laborious task therefore to complete it on time I rushed a little which I regret because it is not as neat as it should be. Therefore I have had to develop my skills in learning how to allow more time to do tasks which are hard. Consequently, I have learnt how to work independently through this project because; although Mark taught us a lot I had to then fulfil those tasks independently through looking at Mark’s Sample and discussing with my peers.

Through this unit I have developed my contextual understanding of ballet and its costumes, through learning the history of how it developed to become the ballet we see now. Before I feel my view of ballet, was narrow mined as I had only seen classical performances. However, I have expanded my view of what dance and ballet should be through comparing and contrasting the three different performances of Swan Lake. Also through watching performances such The Afternoon of the Fawn and Bourne’s Swan Lake which have and are challenging the audience’s concept of what ballet is.

Through the decoration and sleeve workshop I have developed my creative skills by learning how to use the decoration to convey the character of the performer. Rather than only using the decoration to make it look pretty. I have developed my eye in putting together decoration and using trimmings in different ways to create different characters.

Through this unit I have improved my skills at draping on the stand which will help me during third year if I should choose to make a historical costume. Although, I still need to improve my skill at translating the design lines to the calico to make my pattern more accurate as when I came to pin my design together I found that my neck line design did not match up at the side panel.

Through this project I have also expanded my skills in working with slippery fabrics although, I found it hard especially when cutting out the pattern pieces to keep the grain line straight. Another thing I found with this fabric was that when you unpicked seams it left holes in the satin. This is unfortunate because I found that my bodice did not fit my manikin after I had sewed the hooks and bars to the bodice. Therefore I have developed my problem solving skills through not panicking but adjust the bodice at the side seams.

Although, my costume is not perfect I have been able to develop my skills in costume making preparing me for third year. I have been able to develop my skills from my last project which I wanted to improve on. Through learning further how to interpret a design although at the same time I was able to create a costume which reflects Degas Dancers the blue I mixed echo’s the blues he uses in his paintings. I have developed my sewing skills for I have learnt how to work quicker, although the costume is not as neat as I wanted it to be I am pleased with what I have achieved.

Reflections on Costume

Reflections on Costume

I have thoroughly enjoyed this project I have been able to develop my learning in an area of performance which I have always enjoyed. Through, contextualising ballet in how the costumes and style has developed. I am pleased overall with my costume, I had wanted the fabric to look less handled. However, after I had to alter the bodice it left marks on the fabric and the piping looks a little worn. The decoration covers the area of the design line which is not exactly equal so, that is good although I wish I had sewn the piping on better.

I am pleased with the colour of the decoration against the white of the bodice and net. I think it reflects the design well but also highlights my interest in Degas paintings.

I feel that in third year that I would like to develop these skills and learn how to make a plate tutu although I would also like to make a historical costume as I feel this is something which is lacking within my portfolio.

Reflections on the Costume Decoration

Refections on the Costume Decoration

This is the design which Mark gave each of us so I have been able to develop my skills at interpreting a costume design. I am pleased with the outcome of my decoration I feel that the colour I mixed is a close match to the swatches, it looks good against the white of the costume.

I am fairly pleased with the placement of my decoration although it is not exactly as the costume design places it I feel that this shape flatters the shape of the body better creating more curves. I am going to adjust a few of the petals the three on the left look a little out of place. I am also going to add more at the waist of the bodice coming down to the net. When I was doing the decoration workshop I enjoyed the freedom I had to create whatever character I wanted. That being so I also enjoyed this part of the unit having to interpret a design as there was more freedom here than I imagined there would be but I also enjoyed the structure of learning how to make a ballet costume.

Reflection on decoration and sleeve workshop

Reflection on decoration and sleeve workshop

Learning how to decorate a plate tutu and bodice has helped develop my skills at using decoration to tell the story of the character not just to look pretty. I have learnt the importance in ballet and all theatre that the decoration needs to be read from a distance but still delicate. It also helped to develop my skills in using fabrics in different ways so cutting into lace and ribbons to create the decoration rather than just applying a strip of lace looking at how you can use the decoration in a different way. It was hard at times to know how to develop the decoration for the evil character I wasn’t sure what to do after I had applied the patterned silk. I had to learn not to be precious with my work but test and see if something looked good and if it didn’t change it. I enjoyed the freedom we had in this workshop to express different characters we were interested in. It will be interesting working from our designs to try to recreate what Mark has drawn as I feel it will be very different because there is not that same amount of freedom within the decoration when you are working to the specifications of the designer.

I have also developed my hand sewing skills so that it looks neat, also I have learned that to make a stitch stronger you shouldn’t pull it hard as this distorts the costume, I found this in the Battle for the Wind project when sewing the drapes. Instead it is the amount of stitches you use which makes it stronger.

Through working out how to draft my own sleeve has developed my pattern drafting skills and will especially help me in 3^rd year when I will be expected to draft my own patterns in this way. It also helped me to be more independent in my learning.

I am pleased with the outcome of my samples the cream bodice I feel does need a few more beads to create more highlights but I am pleased with how it shows the delicacy of a character like Juliet. The sleeve is a good shape and certainly reflects Degas dancers although just to make it a little puffier I could have made it wider when pattern drafting.

Sample Sleeve

Sample Sleeve

I have also developed my learning through drafting a sleeve that is suitable for a ballet dancers needs for the sleeve needs to have a much shallower head to make it a closer fit to the dancer to allow for movement.

After researching regency puffed sleeves I drew inspiration from the type of sleeves that Degas dancers would have worn.

To create a puffed sleeve I had to draft my pattern wider to allow for the gather stitch. I used the basic female block as a basic shape and then redrafted it to create a shallower head and a wider sleeve.

At first I was going to create the puffed effect by pleating the sleeve so I made a toile to see whether it would work. However, I found that the pleats made the sleeve lie flat and when I did try to make it more puffed by making it tighter on the arm, I lost the shapes of the pleats. Therefore, I decided the only way I was going to get the volume was through gather stitch. Although this meant I would have to redraft my pattern through making this mistake I have learnt to develop my ability to problem solve. I also realised that I would have to make the head of the sleeve much shallower, at that the gather stitch should go from Seam to Seam on the sleeve. Also to make a better puffed shape the length of the sleeve also needed to be shorter.

So I redrafted the pattern I decided to make my sample sleeve from cotton voile because it is so soft, delicate, and moveable it will create a costume that reflects Degas dancers.

I then gathered using gather stitch 5, the top of the sleeve with two seams and the bottom of the sleeve with only one. I also cut two inside sleeves from net to help hold the gathers in place. I gathered the top sleeve and net sleeves equally.

I then decided to add a little decoration and sewed the sleeve together so that it looked like this;

I am pleased with the shape I have created I think it reflects the regency puffed sleeves well. It does look very delicate and reflects Degas dancers well. I have enjoyed this because I was able to work this out on my own developing my independent learning.

Pinning and sewing on the decoration

Pinning and sewing on the decoration

The decoration allowed me to develop my understanding of interpreting a design as I looked at Mark’s design and his costume to give me an idea as to how I should place the decoration. It also helps to train my eye to work out a shape which flatters and enhances the shape of the dancer.

I decided that I wanted the shape of my decoration to be wider at the bust to go in at the waist at then flare out across the tutu.

I like the shape at the bust however so it doesn’t look like too much of a straight line I think I might flare it out across the bodice down to the skirt more because at the minute it is only coming from one point I think it needs to be more spread out. I am however, really pleased with how the colour I mixed looks on the bodice it stands out well when the petals are close together, but then is very suitable on its own. To create the curves of the petals I pinned one end and then pulled around and pinned the other end.

This is how my decoration developed;

 

 

Sewing on the decoration with invisible thread has been interesting as I have never, used this thread before, it is very slippery and it is hard to cast on however, because it is invisible it is not hard to make the backstitch neat. It is just very time consuming task. However, I really enjoy this element of the costume because I could be creative. Also I could now see the costume taking shape.

Attaching the bodice to the tutu

Attaching the bodice to the tutu

Once the bodice and tutu was finished I needed to attach them together.

First I had to pin on the inside matching the bottom of the waistband to the waistline on the bodice. First I had to find the CF of the bodice and match it to the waistband I found this a little hard at first because I kept on pining it just of the CF which meant the CB didn’t match. So in the end I measured the width and found the middle through that. I then continued pining only on the seam allowance up to the elastic then I pinned coming back from the CB.

I then put the costume on the manikin so because the bodice needs to be pinned on through the piping as I was pining I pulled tension on the piping this meant that all the gathers on the tutu where covered. I did not pin the CF bodice.

I then took the costume off the stand and sewed where I had pinned using back stitch making sure that I only went through the grove of the piping. This was a very time consuming task as I found that in places the gather stitch was showing so I had to unpick it and redo it. However, it was done eventually and I could then swing catch all the inside seams apart from the S/S.

Once the bodice was attached it looked like these I feel I could have made the stitching at the piping neater however, I needed to get it done today so that I could pin my decoration on my costume. Otherwise I would have been very behind on my timetable.

Decoration

Decoration

The decoration on our costumes is meant to look like petals blowing across the bodice from the right side down to spread across the net. We were each given different colours mine was a dark blue, so we had to mix our own paint to try and recreate the correct colour. I used the dynaflow silk paints and mixed a copen blue and ultramarine blue with a turquoise which has created a great blue which is the same colour as the swatch I was given.

I cut our petals from the spare net from the tutu. I used a template shaped like this;

I had to cut out 64 of these and then paint them by hand building up each layer. I didn’t paint the very centre.

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5

Presentation

Presentation

Today we did a presentation together on our ballet project. It was really nice to see all our costumes together as a whole group as it would be in a corps. We had 2min each to discuss different elements of our project. I discussed with Melissa the decoration workshops and the important elements of decoration.

We wanted all our costumes to be worn for the presentation however; we found that only one 1^st year could fit in Melissa’s costume because we had made the patterns from such small manikins. It was still good to see how the costumes would look worn by a dancer.

The presentations also offered us the opportunity to see what the rest of our year had been working on.

Reflections on the Construction of the Tutu

Reflections on the Construction of the tutu

I found that my basque was not as neat as it should have been and I found that I made a few little mistakes because I did not look at the sample well enough. Therefore I have learnt the important lesson of always checking before going ahead and making something. I have however, through this project learnt new skills which I can use during third year and in the working environment so although I have made mistakes I can learn from them and improve my working skills.

I have also developed my skills in learning how to sew net which is hard because it has quite a lot of stretch on it so I found that on some of my panels it was about 1cm longer on one panel and not the other. It was very hard to get it so it didn’t pull in the end I found I just had to be very delicate and not put pressure on the net. I pinned my panels together and I think if I had not done this it would have been easier to keep both panels equal. However, it has not affected the overall look of the tutu which I am very pleased with. I enjoyed the gathering of the skirt onto the basque because I liked shaping it so that it was flatter at the front than at the back.

Although I found the levelling off of the tutu hard because it took so long trying to get it even I actually enjoyed this task as well because I could see my costume taking shape.

This has shown me just how much I enjoy ballet and I do think I want to continue this into third year.

Reflections on Making of the Bodice

Reflections on Making of the Bodice

I have never used a fabric like the slipper satin before and I did find it very hard to use because it moved especially when I was trying to find the bias and straight grain it wouldn’t lie flat. However, I through this I have developed my skills in working with slippery fabrics I have learnt how to handle such fabrics with care so that it doesn’t bruise and fray. Therefore during third year I will be able to use fabrics like this and be confident in doing so.

Up until this point I had not made a garment on the bias therefore I have learnt how to sew it without adding to much stretch. Although I found that some of my pattern pieces were too small to connect the design lines I think the mistakes must have been when marking out the lines on the calico pattern.

 This created problems when sewing on my piping cord which is the part of my bodice I am least happy with. For it meant that my bodice is not completely especially at the bust. Also when I was sewing my piping on I was rushing so, I didn’t spot and correct where the stitch line of the piping cord could be seen. Although I saw and corrected some areas I missed others until I was cutting down the excess and I could fold back the piping cord properly by which time it was too late. Therefore this has developed my learning in the fact that although I need to speed up my making skills getting the garment to look good is more important. Therefore, when making my time table I need to allow more time for such tasks as these, which I have never done before and effect the overall look of the garment.

Although, I did make mistakes this has developed my skills and for third year when doing piping I will know how hard I find it therefore I will take more time over it.

This later development of having to alter my bodice to fit my manikin has delayed my time plan which i have found frustrating however, it was important to alter it. Although I wish I had checked better before I had sewed on the piping so that I would not have had to unpick and re-sew so much taking up even more of my time which should have been spent sewing on the decoration.

Reflections on Making of the Pattern

Reflections on Making of the Pattern

I found the draping on the stand quite hard at first because I had not draped such a fitted bodice before, only the historical blouses we draped on the stand. However, this has helped me to feel far more confident in draping a pattern on the stand which will enable me to develop these skills further during third year. Although I did make a few mistakes when marking out the pattern with the designers tape I have developed my skills in being able to identify how a shape can look odd on the body and correct it.

I have also learnt the necessity of counting and checking over the pattern again before I start pining on the calico as it is so easy to mark out too many panels. Although a mistake like this is correctable it wastes a lot of time having to redo it.

When transferring the lines of the designers tape to the calico I found that my lines where a little shaky so this is something I need to improve. Because the pattern drafting stage is so crucial if this is in correct then the whole garment will be in correct.

Levelling the Tutu

Levelling the tutu

I had to level out my tutu once they were constructed. A ballet tutu is always measured from the ground up so that all the corps tutus are the same level. For this tutu it is 12 inches from the ground however, it is graduated slightly so that it is longer at the back than at the front. It graduates at different points so at the bust line it drops a ¼ then at the side seam ¼ and shoulder line ¼ until it gets to the CB at 11inches.

To make it easier to level it off we cut on layer at a time and gathered the rest of the tutu to the top of the manikin then placed it on the tables so I was level with it.

Before I cut each layer I steamed them well. It was hard to get the measurements accurate especially on the back of the tutu because there are so many pleats. Cutting the net was very hard because I sometimes cut jaggered lines so I had to go back and correct them which made the whole process take longer. It was also hard because I often found although I had cut it to the pins it wasn’t the same level as the last layer so, I had to cut off more net until it was level.

Although I found this task I actually really enjoyed it. It has helped to develop my time keeping skills so that I make sure I have time to do everything else. It has also developed my accuracy in my costume making which will help me in 3^rd year.

Once the tutu was levelled I sewed the hooks and bars to the basque. On the waistband I used the trouser hooks and bars because they offered more strength, and then the other two just the size 3 hooks and bars. I sewed these on using button hole stitch.

Constructing the Romantic Tutu

Construction of Romantic Tutu

Before I could construct my romantic tutu I had to make the Basque which is the base which I have to sew the net to. I followed the instructions on our hand out to draft the pattern for the Basque. I found the instructions fairly easy to follow it was the waistband construction which I on reflection I rushed to make. To get the correct size of the waistband I used this formula: Waistband measurement – 2.5cm + 3cm extension + 7.5cm for C/B turnings. On the petersham I marked out my S/S, C/B, and C/F I did this in pencil however, which I regret because it has left marks on the inside of the waistband. I then sewed the 8cm pieces of elastic to the petersham making sure I matched up the S/S lines. I had to use a zigzag stitch to sew the elastic to the petersham so that it allowed for the stretch. However, I found that the zigzag stitch I used was too small in width so that when the elastic was stretched it made the elastic fray and the stitching come undone. So I had to re-sew it using a larger zigzag stitch. Because of this I found that when I was cutting down the excess petersham in the inner layer I could not cut it as close to the fold as I wanted so when I folded the top layer over it left a smaller elastic section. So when I was sewing the waistband to the basque I had to stretch the elastic quite a lot and it didn’t sit on top of the waist line on the basque.

Once the waistband and basque was sewn together I then had to mark and sew each line for the net the first line was the waist line then the next 4 lines where ½ inch down. The amount of panels in the skirt decreased by 2 each time so the top layer had 13 until the 5 line which only had 5. The reason we had odd numbers for the panel of the skirt was so that there was no seam at the front.

I then had to draft the pattern for the skirt, using this formula: length of bottom line basque divide no. of panels + 2”= top of panel. This measurement needs to be halved because I made the pattern on the fold. Draw straight line at top of pattern piece mark the length of the waist, then from CF go down 3/8” and connect the two points with a curve. Using this curve mark down 36” to create hem line at hem line measure along 14” this is the width of my skirt. Cut out pattern.

So that it is quicker to cut out all 45 panels, the net was already folded 4 times on the role and I folded it over another 4 times so that I cut out 16 panels at once. The net wasn’t folded perfectly so as I folded each layer over, I made sure that my skirt pattern would fit on the net without cutting any corners. I repeated this process a further 4 times to get the total panels I needed. I then separated the panels into each layer and then labelled them.

Each layer of the skirt can then be sewn together there is no seam allowance so the edges just need to be overlaid one another about 0.5cm and then sew down the middle. Mark warned us that we would have to be gentle as the net goes through the machine because it can stretch very easily so that you ended up with one panel longer than the other. So I decided to pin mine together to prevent this from happening.

 However, I found that it still did a little bit even though I was using a domestic, is possibly didn’t help that I was rushing, the net at the seam looks a little gathered and even though I have pressed it. So I will have to learn for next time not to rush and feed the net through the machine gently.

I sewed on two lines of gather stitches again I did this too fast and in places I had to start again so it wasn’t a continuous line. This meant when it came to gathering it on the skirt it didn’t gather as well as it should have done. Therefore, next time I am going to have to develop my skills in not rushing when I have lots of things to do because then I make mistakes. Another thing I should have done was tack the CF line on each layer before I gathered it however I did it afterwards so the CF was not as accurate as it should have been.

I thought that I would find the gathering of the skirt really hard but I actually really enjoyed creating the shape and trying to make each side equal I am pleased with the results. At first I thought I had made it too flat at the front because it looked so see through but once the top layer was gathered it looked fine. When I first gathered the layer 5 I didn’t put enough pins in so when I sewed it on the machine some of the gathers came out, so after that I put lot more pins in. When I blasted with steam each layer before I sewed the next one I must not have done it enough because the pleats where not flat enough, so as I level off the tutu I will steam each layer again.

You can see how each layer gradually built to create my romantic tutu.

Sleeping Beauty Review

Sleeping Beauty

The ballet is based upon the book by Charles Perrault and set to the music by Tchaikovsky, who also wrote Swan Lake who’s the influences can be seen in the choreography. The world the Royal Ballet has created through the costumes and set has created a fairytale world. The colours especially create this sugary pastel coloured world which very much reminds me of the film Marie Antoinette. Although, the costumes merged on the overtop it worked with a production like this. The 3D decoration on the fairies costumes where beautiful although when they did their dance for what the gift was I did not understand all the mime and what they were meant to represent. This probably was not helped by the fact that I remember watching the Disney movie of sleeping beauty so I got confused because of the differences in the storyline.

I thought it was clever how the audience could see the passage of time between when Aurora is first born and turns 16 by the change of hairstyles and fashion sense. Maleficent the evil character in sleeping beauty is wonderfully acted and very scary. Something I was disappointed about was the fact that the prince does not defeat Maleficent and her minions the lilac fairy does making his character a bit whimpish.