tutus and pearls

**edited I was asked for more details by a couple people!

This was really hard for me.

But it was time.

A former student of mine called and asked to use the costumes from my ballet.

Now basically for the last 12 years they have been wrapped up in storage.

I have used them in demonstrations and a couple small things. 

But really they haven't been getting the use they should.

She is choreographing Cinderella for this fall and the costumes could really help get her production going.

So for over a week I sorted, hung, packaged and mailed over 70 costumes off to the Southwest.

** Snow Queen, snow, Kay, Lady of the garden, snow, snow, snow, Gerda, snow, snow

**Angles

**Townspeople

**Part of the flowers

**detail of the Snow Queen

**Townspeople

**about 20 "flower" leotards

**more detail on the Snow Queen

**Rosebuds

**Raven

**The Rose

**Wood Nymphs

**the under layer of the flowers

**not pictured- the river, the gypsies, grandmother, robber maiden, Northland lady, the Princess

Maybe someday I'll be back into the world of ballet.
But for now at least I was able to help someone else.


I was asked of more details this it the basic scoop.

The world of ballet.....

OK years and years ago. Like February 2000 (and the months leading up to that) I produced and choreographed a full length ballet adapted from  Hans Christen Andersen's tale "The Snow Queen". The costumes were a mix of things. I had a mom who went to school in fashion design and engineering. Now her profession was engineering but her hobby was design. She was willing to take a class on making tutus.  She learned how to make professional  Romantic length and pancake tutus. We discussed a lot and she was able to make from scratch with out patterns or anything exactly what I wanted. Really she was absolutely amazing! There were 2 principal dancer and 8 more soloist all had handmade costumes that fit exactly them. And another core de ballet (group) dance that had handmade original costumes. Some of the other lesser dances had costumes made by other moms. Some we bought the basic satin leotard and pull on tutu then added layers on top or under to make it what I wanted. Lots of flowers, feathers  and "bling" were added to make it more professional. We made head pieces and jewelry.  In total I had nearly 60 students  ages 8-16, most of which danced 2 parts. We had about 90 costumes in the production. Not all of the costumes were pictures. We had a committee for set design and yes I had someone come in to do the make up and  help with hair, although most ballerinas can put their hair in a bun. We lived in a college town so there were always people to do that kind of thing. No tanning, not necessary for ballet!!

Anyways it was an amazing experience. I really miss it sometimes.  I sometimes think i did more at 24 than I can do now. Well maybe not more but defiantly different. 

But we moved 4 months later. And even though I have taught off and on nothing at all near that level. When I started teaching at that studio in Pullman they only offered one class in ballet. When I left I taught more than 25 hours of ballet classes a week. 

So that's it!