Tunic Worn by Vaslav Nijinsky - Ballets Russes Production of 'Le Dieu Bleu' (1912)
Hellow guys, Welcome to my website, and you are watching Tunic Worn by Vaslav Nijinsky - Ballets Russes Production of 'Le Dieu Bleu' (1912). and this vIdeo is uploaded by John Hall at 2013-08-31T07:25:02-07:00. We are pramote this video only for entertainment and educational perpose only. So, I hop you like our website.
Info About This Video
Name |
Tunic Worn by Vaslav Nijinsky - Ballets Russes Production of 'Le Dieu Bleu' (1912) |
Video Uploader |
Video From John Hall |
Upload Date |
This Video Uploaded At 31-08-2013 14:25:02 |
Video Discription |
In 1987, the National Gallery of Australia purchased a costume worn by Vaslav Nijinsky in 'Le Dieu Bleu'.
The ballet was choreographed by Mikhail Fokine to music by Reynaldo Hahn and with costumes and sets by Léon Bakst.
That the costume was Nijinsky's and that it is genuine seems supported by the dancer's name on the lining and by a customs marks for entry into Germany for the 1912 Ballets Russes tour in that country. As only a few performances of this work were given after its premier in 1912, it can be assumed that this costume was worn only by Nijinsky.
What is quite fascinating for me is that there is Dieu Bleu blue body paint on the inner lining of the tunic, make-up that would probably have been transferred from Nijinsky's body during performance.
The excellent condition of the tunic can be ascribed to it being so little used. And also to the fact that it was made by two of the top Parisian costumiers of the time, M. Landoff and Marie Muelle. Madame Muelle in particular is known to have insisted that only the best quality fabrics be used and that decorative elements be appliquéd or embroidered rather than stencilled onto the fabric. She was also said to have had a secret metal thread that never tarnished.
I've put together a selection of images related to the ballet and to the costumes together with an interview with Debbie Ward, Head of Conservation at the Gallery.
The notes that accompany the interview on the Gallery's internet site state:
'The costume is largely made from silk, satin, velvet ribbon, braid and embroidery thread, although set against the luxury silken fabrics are panels made from a simpler cotton or rayon material patterned with a floral, lotus-inspired design. The tunic's dominant colours are pink, blue, gold and green and black and triangular and diamond patterns sit beside curves and half circles. Emerald green jewel-like sequins spill down strips of olive green braid.
Some parts of the tunic have been machine stitched. Others have been sewn by hand. The faux mother of pearl decorations along the hem of the tunic, for example, were hand sewn onto the fabric and the tacking stitches joining them together in a row can be seen where some of the decorations, now extremely fragile, have fallen off. The tunic has a row of metal fasteners, hooks and eyes, running right down the back—no zips, no Velcro in those days. Nijinsky would have simply held out his arms as the tunic was slipped on by his dresser, who would then have hooked him into the costume.'
What is particularly good about this film footage is that the camera gets up very close to the costume itself so you see detail that is usually inaccessible -- even in a museum context.
Enjoy! |
Category |
Education |
Tags |
Ballets Russes | Ballet Russe | Serge de Diaghilev | Vaslav Nijinsky | Dieu Bleu | Léon Bakst | ballet | dance | classical ballet | theatrical costumes | costumes | Mikhail Fokine |
More Videos