That is what the idea is here. Same concept of the stilts and panier
underneath. Do you have a pattern for that? I have lots of online "Gown"
patterns that I might be able to use but none of the exact one to use. Can
you send me a copy of your costume stetch or what pattern you used? We WILL
NOT BE USING YOUR DESIGN, just how to make ours.
We had planned to use PVC pipe or bend bamboo for the skirt roundness/shape.
Someone told us about how to make the skirt like a float with a base. This
way we don't have to use the stilts. I'm not sure the base will work or not.
If we can get it to work, the kids will ride onto stage and jump out when it
stops. It'ss be on casters with the dancer standing in a secure frame so he
can be taller than normal without the stilts. Whoever is chosen to be Mother
Ginger won't have to know how to walk in stilts. we hope to ask a local
celebraty to "become" Mother Ginger.
We also thought that some of the decorations on the skirt look like those
little cookies that are on a gingerbread house. The kids will come out from
under the skirt and pull one of the cookies off the dress. It becomes their
hat. The hat is on with velcro. That was my idea. It also gives them
something more to do than just jump out and dance. It adds a bit of humor ot
the scene.
My daugher thought it would be funny for the wig to fall off. Maybe the
character can remove it in curtain call. That would be funny for people to
see that it is the celebraty.
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 12:22 AM
Subject: Re: [h-cost] "twice-turned dress"
In a message dated 1/8/2006 11:28:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I'm making a Mother Hinger costume for my daughter's ballet this next
Christmas. Any suggestions? It's a robe a la francaise type like Marie
Antoinette puffy one.
**********************
We did "Nutcracker" every year at school [NCSA]. I remember our Mother
Ginger was played by the tallest man in the dance department. The huge
pannier was
at 1st made of plywood and weighed like 800 pounds. Later it was fashioned
out of PVC pipe....the plastic piping plumbers used. What a relief for the
dancer! He also wore plasterer stilts....or something like them, that made
him
over a foot taller. We made long frilly pantaloons to cover these....and
you
did catch a glimpse of them when the children [8 or them] promenade out
from
under her skirts and, after their minuet, run back under.
The contraption looked like an open robe with a contrasting petticoat but
in
reality the skirts were all attached to the pannier and the bodice was
separate. The dancer would pull a cord at the point of the bodice and the
[faked]
petticoat part would draw up like an Austrian curtain to let the children
out
and back in.
The gown was all cinnamon and coffee-with-cream colored taffeta with lots
of
swags and huge satin flowers and bows in pastel colors at the top of the
panniers....decorated with white lace. She looked like a big fancy iced
cake.
She had a towering 1770s do with a huge delicate mob cap with lace and
bows
and things perched on top. A great costume.
The dancer would swing those big "hips" back and forth while the children
danced their minuet.
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