美国国家公共电台 NPR Above The Ballet, Where The Tutus Are Made

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Next week, New York City Ballet will present its sixth annual fall fashion gala, where fashion designers are paired with choreographers to create new dances and new costumes - and perhaps one for BJ Leiderman, who writes our theme music. You wouldn't think this is a promising³ story for radio. But Jeff Lunden visited the City Ballet's costume shop to discover how designs on a page become costumes onstage.

JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE⁴: City Ballet's costume shop is located on the eighth floor of a building in Lincoln Center. There are spectacular views of the Hudson River, but no one's looking out the windows. They're all working with a quiet intensity⁵. Marc Happel is director of costumes for the City Ballet.

MARC HAPPEL: It's a shop full of 18 people - amazing craftspeople, machine operators, hand stitching, we have three drapers. The level of costume making here is probably the highest you could get.

LUNDEN: Happel has run the shop for 11 years but, before that, worked on Broadway and at the Metropolitan⁶ Opera. In addition to preparing costumes for the regular season, the costume shop has less than three months to build garments designed by people who don't usually worry about athletic⁷, sweaty dancers. That's where Happel provides invaluable⁸ assistance.

HAPPEL: Many times, the fabrics¹⁰ that they do come up with we often use in ballet, like chiffon or organza or crepe de Chine. But what we have at our disposal is companies that make stretch chiffon and stretch crepe de Chine. So that's to our advantage.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER: Marc knows the reality of everything.

LUNDEN: Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is on the board of the City Ballet and came up with the idea of the fall fashion gala six years ago. She sees Happel and the costume shop as invaluable partners.

PARKER: He can solve the inevitable¹¹ technical questions that come up. Because yes, they know all the layers that are required. They know how every fabric⁹ moves. They know what a seam does, what a hem² does, what stretches, what doesn't, what absorbs, what doesn't, what can be lifted, what can move.

LUNDEN: And the designers value working with Marc Happel, too. The first gala featured designs by Valentino. And Happel says the Italian couturier was very hands on.

HAPPEL: To the point where he would call me when he was on vacation on his what he called a boat, which I knew was a six-story yacht in the Mediterranean¹². He would call me because he had just had a thought that the black ruffle¹³ on this one costume should be pleated and not ruched.

LUNDEN: But the ultimate client is the dancer.

HAPPEL: My job is to make them as comfortable and as happy with what they're wearing so they're not really thinking about it too much.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You think there's a way this could snap?

HAPPEL: Yeah.

LUNDEN: While a rehearsal¹⁴ of "Swan Lake" is happening onstage, backstage Happel and one of his drapers are fitting a costume by designer Tsumori Chisato on ballerina Sterling¹⁵ Hyltin. The fabric is hand-painted, and the tutu looks like a hatbox. While choreographer¹ Justin Peck looks on, Hyltin does movements from the ballet, looking in the mirror the whole time. Afterwards, she says the costume is incredible.

STERLING HYLTIN: I mean, I wear a tutu a lot but not a tutu that's that structured and geometric. And I think that it's going to be a lot of fun to sort of - learning how it moves and seeing how that influences the way I dance.

LUNDEN: The dances and costumes will live beyond the fashion gala as part of New York City Ballet's repertory. But Marc Happel doesn't have time to worry about it. There's just too much work to do.

HAPPEL: I always say it's like you have four freight trains heading to the station at the same time, and you're just hoping in some ways that they all get there at the same time and we have a gala.

LUNDEN: Trains are set to arrive at 7 p.m. on Thursday. For NPR News, I'm Jeff Lunden in New York.

1 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

2 hem   

n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制

参考例句：

• The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
• The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

6 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

7 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

8 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

9 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

10 fabrics   

织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地

参考例句：

• cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
• The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。

11 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 ruffle   

v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边

参考例句：

• Don't ruffle my hair.I've just combed it.别把我的头发弄乱了。我刚刚梳好了的。
• You shouldn't ruffle so easily.你不该那么容易发脾气。

14 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

15 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。