Styling the Swan Ex-S

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God, what I could do for a nice, calm fashion show.

Nice, easy, calm fashion show.

All is forgiven, fashion. Come back.

Jasper did the costumes for my production of Sleeping Beauty

and I loved it so much I thought I should do

Swan Lake for Jasper to do costumes and sets,

which he hasn't done before.

I started getting nervous about Swan Lake three months ago,

so I called Jasper and said, "I haven't seen any designs yet."

And he said, "Can you get down to the fax machine?"

He knows it's downstairs.

'Established in 1978, New York-trained Jasper Conran

'has consistently designed classic yet directional collections.'

And the winner of the British Collections is...

Jasper Conran.

APPLAUSE

'Over ten years of designing has won Jasper Conran awards not only

'on the fashion catwalk, but also on the theatrical stage.

'This year, his designs for the theatre have earned him

'a Laurence Olivier Award for costume.'

Quite a lot of people are amazed by the fact that they look at my

clothes and they can't associate me doing sort of big, frilly dresses.

I wouldn't make theatrical clothes

for women for walking down the street in.

I don't see the logic in it.

I suddenly found that there was an area of my creativity

that I hadn't been using, and I'd been suppressing.

And that there was a theatrical side to me after all.

No, no, I'm not depressed... Yet!

Take a bit out of the curve.

It's just lost something along the way.

And I want it to be more like this than like that.

I mean, I'm trying to get information from Italy at the moment like mad.

And, you know, they're being very Italian about it.

Silver and gold, blue and green. It's all going to be shimmering.

Lovely. Lovely!

Here we are. Swan Lake. OK, Prologue,

which is a new invention, which is about three minutes long.

We fade through from the gauze.

Here we have the Princess.

She's coming along and she's picking the apples, the forbidden fruit.

Rothbart, wicked magician,

turns her into a swan.

So, Act One. There it is.

The little palace is three-dimensional

- and that'll have real lights in it. - Little real lights in the back.

Three minutes change.

Swiftly.

HE LAUGHS This I'll enjoy seeing.

Right, let's go.

Swan Lake.

- This is Act Three, Renton. - Yes.

Ballroom.

- Is it Jasper Conran blue? - It's JC Blue, yeah.

Yeah, I saw that in your bathroom or somewhere.

APPLAUSE

INAUDIBLE

HE SIGHS

You'd prefer a pattern in it?

After eight weeks of a tour, it can tend to get a bit tatty.

Well, repaint it then.

But that's time. That's time and money.

Another costume?

What do you mean, another costume? No, no, no, no, no.

The Scottish Ballet company is at the moment 40 dancers.

We have principal dancers, we have soloists, corps de ballet,

and then I invited some guests because we are doing 63 performances

of Swan Lake in the season and it's very difficult for principal dancers

to do more than three performances a week.

Injuries are a constant worry. One minute you can be jumping around,

the next minute you can be off for 12 weeks.

One girl broke her foot the other week.

I'm not sure, I think there's a couple of people with smaller things,

but they're just taking it easy now in the rehearsals

so that they're OK for performing.

Yeah, I think that's going to be a good idea.

It should be a bit like the night sky.

'What happens is the makers get a sketch,

'and they know that they should only go so far

'before they show me what they're doing.

'We have a fitting which is like a base fitting, just to get

'the fit on the corset right.

'And then I start doing my thing.'

MUSIC: Swan Lake - Dance Of The Cygnets

We all have to try and pretend it looks easy,

but in fact you're smiling through absolute pain.

And your feet are just absolutely aching.

The toes are all joined and squashed up.

It's absolute torture. It's really, really terrible.

But, at the end of the day, you've got to think of

all the advantages of all the stamina we'll have gained and things from it.

So just try and think of the good points to get you through it.

JASPER CONRAN: You expect ballet dancers to be sort of arty,

kind of, you know, pink chiffon-y people.

They're not. They are as rigidly trained and disciplined

as any athlete you could care to mention.

Where is she? That's why I was doing it.

She's changing it dark to a normal colour.

This is how these wigs start out in life.

So you go from...

probably that has ended up like that, you see.

Marvellous transformation.

Are you going to have them all outlined before you have the infill?

It's worked out that way.

Friends - the wonderful, wonderful Friends -

they are Friends of Scottish Ballet.

They do all our embroidery and things, which is fantastic.

Because we couldn't afford to do it otherwise.

I'm very fond of ballet.

Because I'm not working at the moment,

it's something that I enjoy doing.

Five hours last week and then an hour or so, two hours this week.

I think it's going to be, I'd say another five hours,

before I get that finished. SHE LAUGHS

- Oh, f... - Oh, what?

BLEEP

To have this embroidery normally

would cost thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds.

It's a huge, real help.

Bye, ladies.

Tell me, did you design all the embroidery?

Yes, I did.

Well, did you never think that when you did wee curly bits

that the bugle beads didn't fit?

They're little bugle beads.

They're not that little, so you're ending up with bits like swastikas

instead of nicely wee curly bits.

- You live and learn, now, don't you? - Yes.

Right. Today is Friday.

This is when most of the costumes will arrive,

and we've got swans fairly under control.

Um, lots of things are going to come in late. Lots of things.

They're all panicking like mad. I'm not, I'm not!

And... Two, three, four,

one, two, three, four...

REHEARSAL PIANO PLAYS

'We rehearse quite often until 6.30pm in the evening

'and by then I know that everyone is tired

'but I want to get as much as possible done as soon as possible.'

That's it, that's it, yeah.

And then still you can look more profile.

'We have three casts,

'but as yet they've only really rehearsed two casts.

'Even the second cast feel a bit under rehearsed at the moment.

'Galina often makes last-minute changes.

'For example, last Friday she has asked Lorna and I

'to learn new places in Swans for opening night,'

so the both of us are a bit worried about that

because we're thinking opening night we'll just be copying everybody.

Hopefully we'll get a few more rehearsals.

It's a bit of a battle to get the ostrich feathers.

But I think they work rather nicely because what we are going to

have to do is trim them down, just trim them down.

We'll give them a little hairdo, a little haircut,

because what I want is to get the feeling of the swans.

WOMAN: Once I started working with them,

I realised I was terribly allergic to them.

I've had to take antihistamine for virtually the entire length

of the time I've been working with them.

But we employed some extra people to sew the feathers onto the net

because it was easier than having me suffering too much.

SHE SNEEZES

I can decorate up the front of the tutu,

but I can't do anything on the sides.

I can't do any decoration on the sides

because they've got to be lifted on the sides so the dancers...

And they can really rip their hands open, the partners,

if they catch anything.

So you have to be very careful.

You obviously worry if you have a lot of dancing to do that your costume

is going to fit well and you're going to be able to move properly in it.

So that's another thing.

If you're wearing wigs and if you're wearing...whatever you're wearing,

you need to be comfortable with it.

Excellent.

Do you know, I was talking to a taxi driver the other day

and he said, "Och, what are you doing in Glasgow?"

And I said, "Oh, I'm designing a ballet."

He said, "You know, it's really interesting,

"why is it that the ballet doesn't appeal to me?"

He said, "What are they doing wrong?

"They're doing something wrong if I'm not motivated to go and see it."

I haven't got the answer to it.

I wondered whether it was his sort of macho...

You know, footballer thing that he couldn't be seen at a ballet.

But he was quite philosophical and interesting about it.

'I think what frightens people or puts people off on the whole

'is that they don't know about ballet.'

'In everyday life, look at any situation

'and you will see a form of dance.'

MUSIC: Swan Lake - Dance Of The Swans

We are resetting at the moment for this evening.

And we'll have three hours to run the whole thing for the first time.

So the main emphasis is on the flying,

the lighting and the costumes really at this stage.

Nicky wanted more gold in Act Three. I said no.

No taste, darling. No taste.

So Mike and I are coming in tonight at 9pm. And Jasper wants some extra

gold leafing, Dutch metalling, put on.

So, we're going to have quite a late night, I think.

Still a bit orange, my love.

That's white. That's actually white.

We're going to put a correction filter in.

Right. Good.

'The whole look of the thing is very storybookish.'

So we're trying to keep the lighting like that

so when the baddie comes on it sort of goes green

just like a kid's storybook.

The ambassadors...

The ambassadors should wear their costumes tonight if possible.

The what?

The ambassadors need to wear their costumes because...

Darling, do we have money for the time?

Unless they want to do it, I can't ask them.

- I'll ask them. - You ask them. That's fine.

As long as you ask, then it's all right.

Off, off, off.

SHE SCREAMS

The left arm in front.

Left arm in front of him, so that you're actually in front of him.

At the moment, you're behind.

Here's only got a 50-second change,

so what we do is spray the harnesses black

and they'll just go over him and he's all in black anyway.

Designer harness. Wow!

- So it won't look lumpy? - No, it won't, it won't.

It may look lumpy in certain parts,

but then why else do you come to the ballet?

The amount of people that will come up to you and say,

"But what's your other job?"

And it's like, you know, they think maybe you work in Marks & Spencer's

9-5 and turn up here put some make-up on and do it.

But you know, some people do have this stupid idea that

that's how we live.

You'll sit in the dressing room and go, "I can't do this tonight,

"I haven't got the energy, I don't feel like it."

But if you were injured and you couldn't do it,

you'd be sitting there going, "I want to do it."

It's that sort of thing.

'The guy who choreographed it

'obviously had an absolute hatred towards women.'

It's just the length of it.

You stand on one leg and then the next thing you got to do is

jump off that same leg you've been standing on. And it's gone to sleep.

We have to just stand in a position and not move.

Your calf muscles start to go.

Your feet start to cramp up.

And then you move another bit and it's like, "Oh, my God,

"Get me off the stage!"

You try and stand for, like, five minutes without moving.

It's very difficult.

Especially when you've got a light here that's making you hot,

sweat starts to get in your eyes,

you want to blink, you want to itch. So you want to sneeze.

There's nothing you can do. You've just got to stand there.

Phew, I don't know. I might ask you that question.

What is it that I love about ballet?

I don't know.

After you've had a little break from dancing,

it's a very daunting thought to go back to that.

You think, "Oh, it's going to hurt and it's going to be so hard.

"Yeah, forget it."

But, for some reason, it becomes so satisfying after a while.

Excuse me interrupting. What does that feel like?

- It feels pretty secure. - I'll come down later on

and check you're all right.

I've sewn it, but when you josh your head it still might come undone.

Ballet wigs have to be lighter, they have to be smaller.

Opera wigs are usually quite large.

And they can be quite heavy because the singer's going to sing,

but they're not actually moving in the same way.

They've also got to be very secure when they're pinned.

If you're putting buns, ringlets, plaits or bows or anything on,

they've got to be really, really secure

because obviously the person's got to dance in them.

Jasper wants the plaits back at the side.

- Do they get sweaty? - Yes, very.

They get very hot inside.

And they go a little bit white sometimes because of the salt.

That's why they have to be looked after and maintained properly

and washed periodically because otherwise they rot.

Play about with it. How it suits you.

'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Prologue beginners call.

'Prologue beginners to the stage, please. Thank you.'

Oh, gosh. I'm late!

SHE PANTS

It's going all right, actually.

Better than I expected.

I hope everything that has to go wrong goes wrong today

and not next week. Excuse me!

Oh! I can't talk!

MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH

You know your bourree forward? It was lovely.

And it started really nice and then started to break down.

It was really dead right,

and as you broke down it just started to wriggle around.

Act One, did you feel uncomfortable in anything?

- Erm, just grey tights. - No, no!

- We had them over there so that... - But then I'm left-handed.

I thought that it should've been over this side.

I mean, it looks lovely.

It's just it needs one person an inch out and the other person behind.

Everyone was saying, "No, surely it should be opposite from..."

Or one person an inch and the other person half an inch

and it's an inch-and-a-half and it looks like miles.

On the left, this side. That side? That's what we did.

- I believe that's my left. - OK. Yeah, sorry.

Did you give him a note about the cape?

I mean, from one wing it's easier just to come on and you can see it.

The ambassador's beard, yeah?

You were right forward like this. It looks like you're like...

- Do you want me without it? - No, you should have a beard.

All the ambassadors should have a beard.

ALL TALK AT ONCE

Ladies, can we just do the curtain calls quickly just now? Sorry.

And we'll try and get more of the other stuff...

'What I've decided is just keep my cool because everything is late.'

You're doing quite well.

You think I'm doing quite well?

I am doing extremely well

because by now I should be completely hysterical.

Paranoiac hysteric!

I know that everybody's working very hard and doing it.

We'll have it all on opening night. That I know.

Well, we better!

If I've made a cock-up with this, I'm in serious trouble.

Buenos Aires, here I come!

Because, you know, these costumes cost a good 1,000 a go.

I always knew there was something not quite right.

I couldn't put my finger on it.

Couldn't put my finger on it

until I saw in the first dress rehearsal that we had,

I saw that what I'd done was there was just too much white onstage.

Hazel's never done this either.

The greatest bullshitters in town!

THEY LAUGH

I can believe it!

I keep on having to remind myself

that it's not what you're seeing up close.

You're not seeing this up close. You're seeing this from a distance.

We delivered the last costume about 6.30pm. It felt quite warm.

when we finished blow-drying it with the hairdryer and ironing it,

but I think there's a huge element of dampness still there.

I feel sorry for the dancer who's going to have to put it on.

Because it won't be comfortable at all!

'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your 15 minutes call. 15 minutes, please.'

- Excuse me. - Oh!

And three change. Thank you very much. Oh, sorry.

One? I've got two.

I think I'll have some more of these.

And then I would like...

..Firebird.

I'm sure I'm not off to the side.

- Yeah? - Is everyone decent?

Yeah.

Look, I told you about them, didn't I?

Oh!

'I want to defect back to Russia just before every opening night.

'I don't want to be here, I want to be somewhere else.'

ORCHESTRA PLAYS

BUZZING AND SPRAY-PAINTING

STAGE MUSIC OVER INTERCOM

APPLAUSE

You've got blue fingers.

It was a navy blue hand just earlier.

Yeah, we've ordered a bolt.

MUSIC DROWNS SPEECH

How are the feet bearing up?

Oh, they were absolute agony in Act Two,

but we've only got one act to go, and then it's all over.

One more act to go, then we all get drunk.

WOMAN: It was wonderful. Absolutely fantastic.

MAN: The dancing was first-class. Erm, colourful.

Really, really entertaining.

GIRL: I thought the swans were beautiful.

WOMAN: It was wonderful. Wonderful. Very emotional.

BOY: Well, it was OK.

It was a bit boring, but it's a lot better if you're at the front.

MAN: This is our first time at a ballet.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, the music and the dance.

GIRL: I liked the bit with the swans.

They were like birds.

MAN: Well, it is a bit arty-farty, but it's actually great.

When I told the boys at work I was coming,

I was virtually destroyed with laughter.

But I'll definitely come back.

Really, really enjoyed it. Really chuffed.

You don't do it like that, you do it like that!

Oh, I don't feel anything anymore.

Just on stage you're in pain, but after it you forget it all.

There's always a sort of sense of sadness

when you've finished something,

when you've been working so intently with so many people.

And, you know, you're leaving them behind.

Because you get very fond of them.

You know, I love being here.

I enjoy it very much.

Would you do it again?

Oh, yes. If I got asked, I'd be back in a minute... Yeah.