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"Black Swan" Tutus on Display at MOCA's Rodarte Show
Whether it was the allure of elegant dancers on their tippy-toes, the charms of Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, or the appeal of a disturbing thriller that drew you to the cineplex to see Black Swan, the art of the dance was a big part of the visually dynamic Oscar-nominated film. Part of the world of ballet are its costumes, and the dark-versus-light of the evil and good swans played out on the stage and in the feathers and tulle of the dancing garb.
The costumes, designed by Pasdena-ites Laura and Kate Mulleavy of the line Rodarte, are being prepped for another sort of stage debut right now: Art. The Black Swan tutus will be twirling once again for visitors to take a gander at up close as part of a Rodarte show opening March 4th at MOCA at the Pacific Design Center.
The Mulleavys are self-confessed horror movie fans, and were thrilled to take on the task of layering up the tulle to make the tutus--the pretty that decorates the often un-seen ugliness of the dance world. Next week, visitors to MOCA at the PDC can check out the layers themselves.
“By removing the garments from the figure and creating an installation around them, the focus will be entirely on the dresses and tutus as singular sculptural objects rather than pieces that are reliant on their relationship to the human form,” said Associate Curator Rebecca Morse. “Their inherent narrative qualities will be revealed.”
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"Rodarte: States of Matter," runs March 4-June 11.
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