National opera and ballet productions are the highlight of Astana Opera’s repertoire, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
Glorious music, talented performers, resplendent sets, and, of course, costumes that convey the wealth of spiritual and material culture of the Kazakh people create a unique atmosphere, making all Kazakhstanis feel extraordinary pride. In anticipation of Nauryz, our country’s main holiday, costume designer Dariga Taishikova reveals some of the secrets of creating costumes for national operas and ballets.
“National clothing contains a lot of symbolism and deep meaning. The Kazakh costume represents an entire belief system of human existence, connecting the past and the present. By looking at traditional garments, it is possible to understand what clan and region a person is from and what status he or she has. Therefore, in order to preserve the historical heritage and canons, and, no less important, to pass down knowledge to successors, it is necessary to carefully work with material and cultural values,” Astana Opera’s costume designer Dariga Taishikova notes.
Work on the national costumes for productions starts with an analysis of the stage director’s concept, which is the same for the entire production. In such operas as Akhmet Zhubanov and Latyf Khamidi’s Abai, Mukan Tulebayev’s Birzhan – Sara, Yevgeniy Brussilovsky’s Qyz Zhibek, strict adherence to historical canons can be traced. The method of stylization was also used here, which allows for not going into excessive reconstruction, as is done in museum works. In other repertoire productions, Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev’s Alpamys, Balnur Qydyrbek’s Qalqaman – Mamyr, the historical accuracy of the costumes, as well as the character interpretations, was not required. Work on such productions is always dynamic, with active experimenting with fabric textures.
According to the designer, the specificity of creating national costumes for operas is distinguished by the opportunity to demonstrate their multi-component nature. Meanwhile, in the process of manufacturing ballet costumes it is necessary to modernize technologically, play with details, so that the costume does not hinder the dancers while performing complex choreographic numbers.
“The technology of costume tailoring corresponds to theatrical canons, because creating stage costumes is significantly different from manufacturing everyday clothing. The choice of fabrics and accessories happens separately for each character or group of performers. Most often, natural fabrics are used for national opera productions. Such materials are more environmentally friendly, easy to wear, and retain their shape and shade when interacting with light and sets onstage,” the specialist remarks.
“When creating theatrical costumes, the designer has a certain freedom of visual expression, choice of materials, textures and colors. Costume designers can use their own palette of colors and shapes, trying to harmoniously combine with other elements of the stage, proportions and scale. Thereby, the characters onstage are spiritualized through color, light and shapes, showing the plastique of performers’ movements through the ductility or rigidity of the fabric. Decorative elements help to add accents, demonstrating the heroes’ personalities and features of the characters’ interpretations,” the designer emphasizes. “In a costume designer’s work, in combination with music, opera or ballet performance, sets and lights, the characters become more dimensional, alive, structural and realistic.”
The Kazakh costumes are often richly decorated with silver, gold, inlaid with pearls and gems. These elements are specially created in the Prop Shop. For example, for the production of Rakhmadiyev’s Alpamys, a total of almost a thousand metallic elements and décor pieces were made. These were used as single jewelry or sewn into garments as décor. National wear garments also get decorated with hand embroidery, appliqué, print, beading, gemstones, and many other things, which serve as amulets in Kazakh culture.
“Ornamentation has a special meaning in national wear. It is a separate vast layer of the material and cultural heritage of our ancestors. As a costume designer, you need to be well versed in this subject, even if there is no goal of maintaining precise historical accuracy,” Dariga Taishikova says. “It is important to understand which patterns can be used in clothing, and which, for example, on carpets, dishes, etc.”
Certainly, costumes are one of the most important aspects of theatrical design. A large creative team, skilled craftspeople who possess the secrets and mysteries of the craft work of their manufacture. However, their task is also to preserve and pass on the invaluable knowledge that constitutes the unique material and spiritual heritage of the Kazakh people.