Diogo texted me and asked: Do you know anyone who can draft patterns? He needed eight custom garments for a dance production. The production was about a month away. The fabric was synthetic, and needed to be dyed different shades of gray. It was also Mardi Gras season.
I started the next day. I tapped my frequent creative collaborator Denisio to help with every step in the process. I bought an 80 quart stockpot and propane burner to turn my backyard into a dye lab. Then it rained. Which didn’t matter much, because the original plan wasn’t going to work anyway. So I set up at my kitchen table to construct while Denisio dyed hundreds of cut pieces to match specific shades of gray, passing them off when they were dry.
With the garments nearing completion, I passed them to Denisio for their expert hand in closing the vests and putting on the waistbands. It was also the final weekend of Mardi Gras: depending on how you do it, most people will at least do something every day between the Friday before and Fat Tuesday, if they can.
On Friday, I started drafting my Mardi Gras day costume: a custom garment in white twill for people to draw on, and by Saturday I was done. Mardi Gras was a stormy one this year. We danced until the sun went down, and when the skies opened, ran to a friend nearby and jumped in the pool as the rain kept falling.
A few days later, I brought the final garments for review, a week ahead of deadline. But we were asked to bring all of the vest bottoms down, to hit near the full hip rather than the waist. The garments were needed in six days. I finished hand sewing the closures a few hours before the first rehearsal.
Sitting through that rehearsal, alone in the stands, I saw the production’s many pieces as a coherent performance for the first time. When Edward and Joshua entered for their piece, I cried. I watched two rehearsals and all but two of the ticketed performances and cried at each one. I went with Denisio to opening night, and I went with Vanessa to closing night. Closing night was sold out, so Diogo tooks us upstairs by the lighting board and gave us a couch overlooking the seats and stage. It was a moment of profound joy for me. Never in my life have I felt so content.
Producing costumes for DUSK was a big step forward professionally. I owe gratitude to everyone from the Marigny Opera Ballet, to Denisio, to Vanessa, to all of my friends who came out for the rehearsals and performances, and to the Material Institute staff. I feel so often that the people around me aren’t just supporting me, but are rooting for me. This process was no exception.
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