1st Edition

Costume in Motion A Guide to Collaboration for Costume Design and Choreography

By Shura Pollatsek Copyright 2021
    218 Pages 133 Color Illustrations
    by Routledge

    218 Pages 133 Color Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Costume in Motion is a guide to all stages of the collaboration process between costume designers and choreographers, documenting a wide range of approaches to the creation of a dance piece.

    Featuring interviews with a diverse selection of over 40 choreographers and designers, in-depth case studies of works by leading dance companies, and stunning original photography, the book explores the particular challenges and creative opportunities of designing for the body in motion. Filled with examples of successful collaborations in contemporary and modern dance, as well as a wide range of other styles, Costume in Motion provides costume designers and choreographers with a greater understanding of the field from the other’s perspective.

    The book is designed to be part of the curriculum for an undergraduate or graduate level course in costume design or choreography, and it can also be an enriching read for artists at any stage of their careers wishing to hone their collaboration skills in dance.

    1. Role of Design and Costumes in and for Dance  2. Styles and Genres of Concert Dance Costume  3. Styles of Collaboration  4. The Process—Foundations—Developing Initial Concepts  5. The Process—Explorations—From Concept to Production  6. The Process—Finishing—Declaring a Final Product and Beyond

    Biography

    E. Shura Pollatsek is a professional costume designer for stage and screen, a Professor of Costume Design and Technology at WKU, and an award-winning author of many nationally published articles. She is also the author of the book Unbuttoned: The Art and Artists of Theatrical Costume Design, another collaboration with Mitchell D. Wilson. She has designed costumes for theater and dance performances across the US and internationally, and for National PBS television and Showtime. During a decade based in New York City, she worked for Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, the Metropolitan Opera, and at many leading regional theaters.

    Mitchell D. Wilson is a National Press Photographer of the Year winner who travels the world capturing time and place in stills and motion. His work has also been recognized with Primetime Emmys, both the DuPont Columbia Award and the Peabody for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, two International Documentary Association Awards for Best Documentary Series, and many others. He began his career as a Combat Cameraman and underwater photographer in the elite Combat Camera Group of the US Navy.