Genevieve Penn Nabity as the Sugar Plum Fairy in 2022, dancing with Larkin Miller as the titular Nutcracker.Karolina Kuras/The National Ball/Supplied
It took a team of 12 people at the National Ballet of Canada, including a fabric buyer, costume cutter and jewellery maker, to create the Sugar Plum Fairy costume that shines and sparkles in Act 2 of The Nutcracker. Debuting in 2022, it is the most recently constructed costume to appear on stage in the company’s production, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
The Sugar Plum Fairy includes 19 layers of tulle in its tutu and is just one of 240 costumes involved in The Nutcracker – 187 of which appear on stage each show. And with less than 24 hours turnaround before each has to be worn again, the work by the team of 13 who care for the wardrobe is just as choreographed as the performance on stage.
But from a seat in the audience, you’d be hard-pressed to notice a change from the original iteration of the costume. That was intentional.
Stacy Dimitropoulos, the ballet company’s head of wardrobe production, said the costume took two and a half years to create. “It was trying to source the materials and then we had to dye and hand paint materials,” she said.
The goal was to have it appear exactly like the original version of the costume that was made three decades ago. Because of the demands of the star performance and the attention it gets from audience members, repairs on their own were no longer an option.
Stacy Dimitropoulos, head of wardrobe production for the National Ballet of Canada, aims to keep the original designs of the Nutcracker costumes alive.Karolina Kuras/The National Ball/Supplied
“My goal is always to replicate the existing design as much as possible. And with the Sugar Plum, that was definitely a challenge because a lot of the fabrics were purchased over 30 years ago and they’re just not available anymore,” Dimitropoulos said.
The wardrobe team succeeded. Set and costume designer Santo Loquasto, who oversaw costumes when the company’s show was first conceived, described the new version as simply “more sparkly,” which Dimitropoulos said was the objective. “I don’t want to veer from the choices Santo made originally. This is a fresher version of [the costume].”
After each show, the team looks for makeup stains, jewels that need resetting, a bar or hook that needs replacing, or tightening that’s required if a costume has been stretched.
There’s also the sweat. While each dancer wears a base layer – a T-shirt, leotard or tights made of wicking fabrics – the costume itself can be heavy. For instance, the coat in Act 1 worn by the dancer performing Uncle Nikolai weighs nearly 10 pounds. And the energy of performing is not unlike running a half marathon.
Cleaning starts as soon as the dancer has changed out of wardrobe pieces – especially important on days with two performances, which leaves less time for maintenance. They use different types of sprays to disinfect the costume. “Then we lay it, usually, upside down and inside out with a large fan that hits it so that it’s dry by the time the next person has to wear it,” Dimitropoulos said.
There are 240 costumes involved in The Nutcracker, 187 of which appear on stage each show.Bruce Zinger/The National Ballet/Supplied
The key ingredient in the primary spray? Vodka. Dimitropoulos jokes about getting looks after exiting an LCBO store with her arms full of vodka bottles.
“Vodka-alcohol is one of the mixes that is universally used in theatre. It’s a great natural disinfectant to use. We’ll spray the costumes down with that, and we’ll use that even in footwear and with wigs,” she said. The formula is a 1 to 1 ratio of vodka and 70 per cent alcohol.
The team also uses enzyme-based sprays to get makeup out and other store-bought ones that combat bacteria. Then there are nine loads of laundry done after every performance.
It’s a process that’s been perfected given that, before this season’s run, there had been 672 performances of the show by the National Ballet of Canada, with many of the costumes being originals.
“It’s a testament to how they were built that they’ve lasted 30 years and still look great, to be honest,” Dimitropoulos said. “We’re hoping to keep this Nutcracker for another 30 years, so part of our process is looking to see how we can continue with the existing costumes.”