There is nothing like being back stage when the Stage Manager calls "Five minutes to places please, 5 minutes". Nothing like it in the world. The energy soars and gets mixed in with a little bit of adrenaline, and after twenty years of being back stage it hasn't lessened.

Being back stage of a dance concert is very different from the Opera or Theatre for me. The energy is much more physical. That would be obvious given the nature of dance, but there's more to it than that. Dancers will do a lot of "psyching" themselves up in preparation for a difficult role or dance piece. Often emotions can run high in anticipation or fear. A Dancer does not necessarily put on a character when they go on stage so much as they put themselves out there. Their body is their tool and through this tool they express who they are as well as their feelings and emotions. An extraordinary evening of dance happens when a dancer finds their "voice" and gives truly and deeply of themselves.

So what does this have to do with costumes? Everything I should think. As Wardrobe Supervisor I have always believed that my job was not only to take care of the costumes, but also what's inside them. I feel it is important for the dancer to feel that they have support all around around them, all the time. That when they go on stage, they have no distractions or upset to prevent them from giving their best performance.

A dancer wants to feel comfortable in their costume. Not only that it fit well, but that it should also suit them. Color, cut, style etc. This can be a delicate issue given that the Designer is creating what they feel is appropriate for the piece. Fortunately, most Choreographers understand this dilemma and work closely with their Designers. When a Designer is hired without any dance experience, my diplomatic skills are put to the test!

When I "pack in" my costumes into a theatre, I always make clear to my wardrobe staff what my thoughts and philosophies are. I enlist them in these ideals in support of the company. I take the "temperature" of the company when they come into theatre and work to remove any problems they are having. If I can't, then I find somebody who can. By doing this, I can prevent a small irritant from becoming a large problem later. This ultimately makes my job easier in the long run. Illness and injuries can't always be avoided however. In some strange way, they both seem to be contagious! Sometimes the only remedy is a cup of tea and kindness.

The majority of my work experience has been learned on the road and often through mistakes (the best teachers!) I learned some very helpful hints and tips from some generous wardrobe help and am grateful to them all. Now I find myself back with a dance company I dearly love. The North Carolina Dance Theatre. We do a lot less touring now than we used to. NCDT has a costume shop now and so I find myself spending a lot of time there instead of on the road. In other words, since we have the facilities to build our own costumes, we will. As my draping skills are fairly weak, I will be spending the summer learning as much as I can. I just had a wonderfull Tutu Tutorial from the ladies at the North Carolina School of the Arts in the Dance Costume Shop. They are finishing up building their new production of The Nutcracker this summer and I will sew some there. (Maybe more on this later) Stage Manager just called "five minutes"! Gotto go...