Behind the scenes at Invitation to the Ballet

Posted on November 3, 2010

In this month’s issue of the magazine, Jann Parry looks at The Lowry’s exhibition on Ninette de Valois and The Royal Ballet.

Our gallery shows work behind the scenes at the exhibition, as Bernard and Judith Doré prepare costumes for display, with Jann Parry and Cristina Franchi, curator.

Photographs:

Exhibition banner at The Lowry

Bernard and Judith Doré in the workshop, with Sarah Lamb’s sparkly tutu from Electric Counterpoint in the foreground.

View of the workshop, including Sarah Lamb’s Electric Counterpoint tutu, Margot Fonteyn’s tutu for Act I of The Sleeping Beauty (pink with gauze sleeves), Anya Linden’s orange leotard from MacMillan’s Agon and Fonteyn’s greenish Cinderella tutu.

Judith Doré, Jann Parry and Cristina Franchi look at Anthony Dowell’s Oberon costume from The Dream.

Judith Doré mounts Fonteyn’s Firebird costume onto a mannequin. In the background, costumes include Tamara Rojo’s dress from Carmen and a dress uniform jacket worn by David Wall in Mayerling.

All photographs © ROH Collections

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.