COUNTDOWN TO SHOWTIME

Hope to see you all there this Saturday!
Dates and information are on the right of the screen... link to the trailer for the show there as well, so you have an idea of what to expect.
Also, if you have any questions about the performance
or gallery show send us an email at tickets@projectmetanoia.com.

Thanks,
Kelly and the whole cast and crew of Metanoia

Photo Shoot

The days seem to be rushing by so quickly! I have been working nonstop on costume construction and getting everything prepared for the show. I'm finishing up the final costume for the last set and am ready to start working on the models' costumes.

The other week I organized a photo shoot for the dancers. We needed photos to use in the promotional materials for the event, which are being designed by Erika Bilbo and will be ready soon.

The photo shoot was held in the Schaffer Lighting Studio with Scott Peters as our photographer, assisted by Justin Gurevitch. Holly Piselli came back in to coordinate all the girls' makeup and Tiffany Dewald, who I had never worked with before, came in to do their hair.

Holly tried a lot of new techniques this time and it went great. Everyone was very pleased with her work. I was also extremely impressed with Tiffany's work on the hair styles.

Despite a hectic shoot schedule, with three separate segments, we made it happen and it was a huge success.

Moving forward from the photo shoot I am focusing on bringing all the looks together and preparing for the show. Invitations will be in the mail soon!

A Little Self Reflection...

When I look back to fall 2008, when this project really started, it’s incredible to think about all the research that went into even getting the fashion department and the university to approve Metanoia as an independent study, much less the costumes and show themselves. It is very satisfying to be making all my ideas finally come to life.

I’m so excited to be nearing completion, and even though there is still so much that needs to be done, I’m confident in myself and my amazing team and know we will achieve everything we set out to do.

Currently, my focus is on finalizing the designs for the dancers’ costumes, experimenting with the embellishment techniques I plan to use on the white jersey, and working with the dancers to develop their routine and improve the accessories they will use.

Photo Shoot - East and West Coast - Coming Soon

Once the dancers’ costumes are complete there will be a photo shoot in Syracuse with Erin and Marie Claire, and another in Seattle, where our choreographer Kendal is currently living.

The photos will be used by our graphic designer, Erika Bilbo, for the Metanoia booklet and promotional poster series. I have been working with Erika a lot lately, going over design ideas and planning for the photo shoot.

While the pressure is on to have the costumes finished for the shoot, it is helpful to have a deadline other than the premier to work towards. The photo shoot will also be a good opportunity for me to see my costumes in action and see what alterations I may want to make before the performance.

Final Costume (re)Designs

January 2010

I focused my first month back on pattern making for the new costume designs. In addition to the original patterns used for the costumes in the promo video, I plan to make 2-3 different costumes for the dancers. Each costume will be specifically designed to complement the specific accessory – each described in detail here – it is worn with and the purpose that accessory serves.

If you remember back in December, my designs for the promo video were forced to be reevaluated because of a time crunch. I have already revised the pattern for the original bodysuit the dancers wore in December, and plan to use January and February to make all the things I wish I had been able to earlier.

NYC (again)

Shortly after returning to Syracuse I had to make a trip to New York City one more time to buy fabric for the final costumes. I had done a lot of work while in Florida and had a pretty solid idea of what I needed, so this should be my last trip.

While there I had the opportunity to see Fuerza Bruta (photo above). It was an incredibly inspirational performance and was the perfect thing to jump start my return to Syracuse and working on the project.

Back to Work

So, it’s been a while since the last project update and a lot has been happening.

Following my time in Florida I moved myself back up to Syracuse and dove into all things Metanoia. The bulk of my first week back was spent tackling production tasks. I had meetings with various people to secure my dates for the Case Supply Building, where Metanoia will premier on April 24, and then for the gallery show at XL Projects.

I am very happy, and slightly relieved, to report that everything went well with those meetings. As you can see, the show dates have all been posted on the blog, and I will be sure to remind everyone when we get closer.

Trailer

Metanoia - Full Trailer from Project Metanoia on Vimeo.

Metanoia - Teaser Trailer from Project Metanoia on Vimeo.

My (Mini) Winter Vacation

December 7 – January 13

While fall semester was officially over at Syracuse University, it didn’t mean I was on break for the next month. Two days after the promo shoot, Kendal and I went to New York City to spend five days doing research for the show. We saw Chicago and Wicked on Broadway, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums, and were constantly brainstorming about the show.

After NYC, Kendal flew home to Seattle, and I went to visit friends in San Francisco. While there, I shopped around for inspiration at fabric stores, flea markets, and thrift stores. San Francisco is the perfect place for this and it was a nice change of scenery from Syracuse.

Following my two short vacations I was offered a freelance project for the band Lotus. I have done costume work for them before, and they asked me to do their wardrobe for their New Year’s Eve show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Their garments looked fantastic, but following the show I was more than ready to get back to work on Metanoia.

Now, I am in Florida visiting my mom and preparing my final designs. The illustrations I am currently working on will be used in the graphic design pieces that are being created for the Metanoia artwork. They will also help me move forward with my design ideas for the next phase of this project.

Project Prep

November 30 – December 4, 2009

It was finally time for the promo video shoot. It seemed like I had been waiting for months for this week to arrive, but the second it did time couldn’t have moved any faster. Everyone was ready to go; the costumes were in the final stages of construction, my choreographer Kendal Bogan was in from Seattle and rehearsing with the dancers, and the rest of the crew was scheduled to arrive in Syracuse for a production meeting/dinner the day before the shoot. Even my first choice location, the Case Supply Building, which I thought had fallen through and had already found a replacement for, ended up becoming available last minute. Everything was running smoothly.

My cast and crew for the promo video included the following positions:

Production

Kelly Bogan – Producer / Director

Christopher Toppino – Producer / Assistant Director
Justin Scuteri – Production Manager

Kristin Lubsen – Assistant to the Director

Camera

Hank Vohrer – Director of Photography
Adam Brown – 1^st Assistant Camera

Grip and Electric

Scott Peters – Gaffer

Bryan Blatt – Gaffer

Hair and Makeup

Liz Lanza’s Hair Salon – Hair – http://lizlanzas.com/

Holly Piselli – Makeup – http://www.a-listartistry.com/

Cast

Erin Christine Scialabba

Mary Claire King

Kendal Bogan

Accessories: Design and Purpose

November 30, 2009

The following is a breakdown of the three accessories I created for the dancers to wear in the promo video.

Two Person Leather Belt aka “The Counter Balance Harness”
The idea for this harness originated from the group auditions held at the beginning of last semester. I had Mary Claire and Erin both wear a harness that connected them to each other with two ropes, each about eight yards long. The purpose of the harness was to constrict the dancers’ movements. Each was forced to respond to every shift in weight experienced by the other. The “Counter Balance Harness” took on a life of its own when I re-designed it with a focus on what the dancers needed to move freely and comfortably. Together, Mary Claire, Erin, and I decided to use leather, as it provided enough structure, flexibility, and stability. This harness became our favorite dance accessory because of the sense of freedom and experimental ability it provided for the dancers.

Three Person Belt
The choice to design a three person belt was an obvious one once we started working on the two person belt. Having three people in belts allows for two dancers to stabilize one dancer as they perform. More weight can be supported with this belt, therefore allowing the performer to conquer more extreme poses and angles.

Fabric Circles
The fabric circle was introduced to the dancers during our last rehearsal. We are still working on mastering the incorporation of this into our performance, but we were attracted to it for the promo video because it provided even more freedom than the harnesses to the dancers. It also doubles as a garment when not in use. The dancers loved experimenting with the fabric circle. It helped them develop more expressive movements than they had with the harnesses. For me, this accessory embodies a more free form version of the harness.

White: The Way to Go

November 26-29, 2009

As soon as I was back in Syracuse I began separating my fabrics and preparing my dye baths. In total there were 18 baths, dying my new fabrics a variety of reds, purples, yellows, and teals. With my video shoot quickly approaching I didn’t have much time to have my dancers’ costumes ready. The dying process ended up taking four full days, and much to my dismay, I had to reevaluate my plan for the shoot.

While I was frustrated that I didn’t have more time, I knew that changing my construction plans was the best decision to make. I decided to make white body suits for each of the dancers and a series of colored fabric circles and leather belts to accompany their suits. White was definitely the way to go.