BalletMet's Dracula, showing Oct. 30-Nov. 7 at the Capitol Theatre, presents the relationship between Dracula and Mina. Former BalletMet Artistic Director David Nixon choreographed the production in 1999. CityScene discussed the show's costume design with Costume Shop Manager Erin Rollins.
Photo by Jennifer Zmuda
CityScene: How do you portray the themes of the show through the costuming?
Erin Rollins: The show was designed by Linda Pisano in 1998. She uses a great deal of heavy color contrast in the production to show theme, dressing the men largely in blacks and dark browns and greens, and then contrasting against them with pink, red and yellow on the women. The palette allows the lighting designer to take different scenes either very ghostly or very warm and inviting, but it always has a coldness.
Both Mina and Lucy go through major changes in color palette to show their character development: Lucy begins in innocent pinks, then quickly graduates into the inflamed passion of blood red, then resolves into the white of death. Mina retains her identity longer, staying in serene golden yellows and calm blues, until she finally also morphs into white mixed with red. Dracula, on the other hand, shows his character development by slowly stripping down the longer the show progresses. He begins in very formal and opulent attire, but by the time he surrenders to Mina in Act II he is bare-chested and plain. He is only himself.
CS: I heard that there's some preparation involved in making the Dracula teeth. Tell me
Photo by Jennifer Zmuda
more about that.
ER: The fangs are an enormous part of the show. Each dancer who plays a role requiring fangs must have a pair made especially for them. The past two times we’ve produced Dracula, dentist Clare Macauley and her assistants have worked alongside Image Gallery of Dublin to create dental prosthetics for the dancers. They start by taking a mold of each dancer’s teeth. Then Image Gallery creates a piece that fits in the mouth like a retainer and adds fangs to the canine teeth. The process is done early in the course of rehearsals, because wearing the fangs actually changes the way the dancers breathe. They need lots of time in the fangs to get used to the change, otherwise it causes a major distraction for them, especially for Dracula.
CS: How do you make costumes that look extravagant while also making sure the dancers have ease of movement?
ER: Most of the opulence is attained through fabrics, draping and touches of sparkle. The way Linda Pisano mixed historical Victorian patterning while keeping the costumes dance-able is ingenious. She kept the structured look of the women’s bodices, but added fabric under the arms and elastic under the shoulder drapes to allow for full range of motion. A shadow of the bustle is retained through drapery at the back of the skirt, and then the under skirts are kept extremely full to allow leg movement. Most of the embellishment is in the fabrics themselves, with occasional flowers and brooches.
The ball skirts are enormous – they literally fill the stage, and the dancers have to start using them early on in the rehearsal process because they change the partnering. The men’s patterns were similar, simply adding extra fabric to the inside of joints to allow for full range of motion. And in Dracula’s case, his pants are made completely out of stretch, because his movement is so animalistic.
CS: What's your favorite costume in the show, and why?
Photo by Jennifer Zmuda
ER: I absolutely love Dracula’s red cape. It’s enormous and very heavy and only used for one scene for that reason. But it’s so opulent – red velvet with panels of beaded brocades and huge red tassels. It’s longer than the black cape, so it trains on the ground gorgeously.
CS: What challenges with costuming did you face for this production that you wouldn't have had to deal with for other productions?
This production is intensely historical but also intensely fantastical. There is a great deal of specialty makeup, and a lot of historic hairstyling, which equals a great deal of work for everyone prior to each show. The three main characters morph so many times throughout the show that they must have a dresser assigned to each of them, which is relatively rare in ballet. In Dracula’s case especially, remembering what he’s supposed to have on when takes the combined efforts of the dancer and the dresser. The most common comment you hear backstage is 'Do you have your teeth?' Add to this that there are so many dangerous moving parts to the scenery, that there is often fog and fire, and that everything is done in almost complete darkness … it’s a very dangerous show for everyone. No one can let down his or her guard.
About Erin
Erin Rollins has worked in the theatrical costuming industry for 13 years. After receiving her training at Muskingum University and Lethbridge University, she worked in various capacities for companies such as Porthouse Theater, Cain Park, Phoenix Children’s Theater and various Broadway tours with IATSE Union #747. She is currently in her 12th season with BalletMet and her second season as BalletMet’s Costume Shop Manager, having previously served as Costume Artisan, Wardrobe Manager and Assistant Costume Shop Manager. She resides in Columbus with her husband, Derrick, and their daughter, Margot.
