The clever creatives behind Bangarra Dance Theatre are big fans of exploring worldly wisdoms through dance. Their next subject? The all-consuming force of light. From June 4th, Bangarra is taking their breathtaking show Illume on the road, visiting a bunch of corners around the country with their top-notch dancers in tow.

The mastermind behind the costumes featured on stage in Illume, Elizabeth Gadsby, sits down with us for a chinwag in between rehearsals and fittings. As a production that explores the importance of light and how it has been present in a rich and ongoing history of Indigenous cultural existence, Elizabeth discusses how she went about crafting exquisite costumes to suit.

What specific considerations did you have to keep in mind when you began to design the costumes in Illume? First and foremost, Illume is a work in collaboration with Goolarrgon Bard artist Darrell Sibosado reflecting his Country. In this context my main considerations are how to best reflect and represent the stories of this place that have been shared with us. One of the ideas the work explores is the nature of light, particularly as observed through the practice of mother of pearl shell carving. The way the light moves through the shell layers and illuminates them, changing colour and tone depending on how you observe it.

What sources did you draw inspiration from when you were designing for this production? Some of the inspiration comes directly from Country. The mother of pearl shell, the Manuwan trees, the colours of the ocean and the pindan cliffs. We also looked to interesting forms of construction or embellishment to try and capture these textures.

How collaborative is the process of designing Illume’s costumes? Every role in making live performance is deeply collaborative. I am in constant conversation with Darrell and Fran about how to capture the ideas of the work in the costume. The set designer Charles and I have long discussions about how the costuming will interact with the scenography. Damien (the lighting designer) is constantly contributing on how the fabrics will look under light. The dancers help test the costumes as we build them so that I can make adjustments to the cut to work with the choreography.

My costume team (Jess, Sally, Val and Ros) are incredible problem solvers. We work together, interpreting my costume drawings and references to land on an efficient construction method that will best capture the texture, movement and drape of the design. Once in rehearsals, my role really is to be intersecting with every other team member as we build a cohesive world.

 

 

 

 

 

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How hands-on is the rehearsal period for you? Rehearsals are an exciting time when we all get to see the ideas form into a tangible reality. I spend most of my time in the costume room, giving feedback on how things are progressing and helping to make the thousands of decisions after something has been designed. I use fitting times with the dancers to test ideas, often draping directly onto the body. I like to spend as much time as possible in the rehearsal room, or at least watching runs over Zoom. It is also much easier to resolve things as this stage when all of the creatives are physically in one place, so we all try to prioritise that.

How do the costumes you designed reflect or intersect with the central idea of light? Across the costumes for Illume, I am engaging with how the fabrics hold luminosity. This is seen through varying levels of reflectivity found on a spectrum of fabrics from large sequins through short plissé and softly luminous silks. I have also been challenged to try and capture the quality of luminosity found in the mother of pearl shell. Some of the costume pieces are about how they are seen in almost pure darkness. Others interact with sculptural LED rope across the body. Each of the pieces have their own nuanced story of light to tell.

Snag tickets to Bangarra Dance Theatre's Illume here.