My newest book:
Costume Game
Can you match the costume to the ballet?
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My daughter danced in lots of ballets this season with New York City Ballet, and she has given me pictures of some of her costumes. Can you guess which ballet each costume is from? Here is the list to choose from. (To make this a little tricky, I'm listing all the ballets Lydia was in, which is more than the pictures you see here! Plus some ballets have more than one costume, and some costumes look really different from what we see on the stage with the lighting!) Here goes: The Nutcracker, Chaconne, The Four Temperaments, Vienna Waltzes, Coppelia, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, La Stravaganza, Stars and Stripes, La Valse, Tschaikovsky Suite #3, Swan Lake, Simple Symphony, Ballo della Regina.
It has been a real eye-opening to me to see how hard the corps works! Since November, when the Nutcracker started, she has had less than 10 performances off when she didn't dance in one ballet or another. Six days a week they have class, rehearsals and performance, often spending 12 hours a day at the theater. There was one Saturday I remember when she danced both the matinee and evening performances, when she was in four ballets and a total of seven different costumes that day! She has just finished her first season as a company member: she jumped right in, feet first! Lots of work, but lots of joy and excitement too! And I can't even tell you how much fun I have had seeing this all!
Check your answers (all ballets unless noted are by Balanchine): 1: Melissa Barak's Simple Symphony 2:The Nutcracker, party parent 3:Chaconne, first costume 4:Ballo della Regina 5:Preljocaj's La Stravaganza 6:Stars and Stripes 7:Vienna Waltzes, last waltz 8:La Valse 9:Tschaikovsky Suite #3, 2nd movement 10:The Nutcracker, flowers
PS Click here for Costume Game #2 for more costumes at the end of the spring season.
You must be very proud of your lovely daughter! I, too, am amazed at how
hard the Corps works and the sheer number of ballets they are in. Lydia
looks very beautiful on stage and I hope she has a long career at NYCB!
Thank you so much! She certainly has been enjoying her first season. After
this week performing in DC, they get a much needed 2 week break!
it's amazing to look at the costumes close up. Such beautiful pieces of
art on their own. Thanks to you and to Lydia for posting them.
Most of the costumes for the Balanchine ballets are by Karinska. Lydia wore
her first Karinska's costume as a soldier in the Nutcracker when she was
nine, and ever since she has always talked about how exquisite they are,
sewn with so many wonderful details and beautiful fabrics.
Congratulations to Lydia on a wonderful season! She is a beautiful dancer
and I could always spot her onstage. I loved watching her the few times I
was able to get to the theatre this season.
Thank you for writing! It has been so exciting for Lydia to be dancing in
all these beautiful ballets! I know she can't wait to see what ballets she
will be learning next - they have a month's rehearsal period before the
spring season starts April 28. Hope to see you at the ballet then!
and somehow I managed to pick a day to see NYCB when Lydia was NOT
performing! Rather amazing given the schedule you described.
GORGEOUS costume pictures. The new Barak costumes look very pretty.
Lucky Lydia!
There are still some costumes I hope she will take pictures of, especially
the black swan. The spring season will start up before we know it! Hope to
see you then!