Ballet Theatre Company Announces THROUGH THE TULLE Exhibit

Ballet Theatre Company's 22nd season has been dedicated to its talented "tutu makers" whose work has gone above and beyond the stitchings of costumes to ensure Greater Hartford the highest quality of professional performances, education, and cultural experiences.

Just as a dancer trains countless hours to perfect their performance on stage, a seamstress works countless hours to perfect each aspect of a costume. To pay tribute to these artists and to feature this crucial component of ballet production that is too often left out of the spotlight, Ballet Theatre Company is presenting a touring costume exhibition, Through the Tulle, in museums throughout New England. Viewers of all ages are given the rare opportunity to learn about costume creation and examine up-close some of BTC's most valued costumes.

Throughout BTC's 22 years, the company's full-length classical ballet productions and intimate contemporary performances have not only been recognized for the quality of dancing and choreography, but also for its incredibly detailed costume designs. It comes at no surprise that under the leadership of seamstress Tracy Dorman, BTC has developed a vast repertoire of costumes that include hundreds of styles, time periods, and designs.

"I think that costumes and costume design, too often get lost in conversation since the quality of dancing or choreography is usually the center of discussion. As BTC's 22nd season opens, I feel that now is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on a facet of ballet that is just as interesting and impressive as the dancing. If you were to ask an aspiring young dancer why they might want to become a ballerina, I'(M) Willing to wager that their answer will include wearing a beautiful tutu!"

-Ballet Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Stephanie Dattellas

A large component of Through the Tulle includes educational references of ballet designs through various decades, descriptions of different sewing and stitching techniques, as well as the typical ballet pieces included in most major classical ballet productions. As viewers enter the exhibit they will be greeted with a collection of costumes specifically grouped together to tell their own unique story, accompanied by details relating to the design, designer, the costume's significance, and other important factual information.

A first glance of the exhibit with a limited number of selected costumes opened on Oct. 1 and will be on display at the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society through Oct. 28. A grand opening event was held at the museum on Thursday, Oct. 1 and included a discussion with BTC's artistic director, costume designers and dancers followed by a Q&A with attendees.

The exhibit will be open in its entirety at the West Hartford Art League from Nov. 1- 22. To finish out the year, the exhibit will make its way to the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington. Exhibit locations for 2021 will be released at a later date.

Learn more at https://www.dancebtc.org/through-the-tulle.

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