Igor Stravinsky’s retelling of the Russian folktale, The Firebird, on the eve of the Bolshevik Revolution points to the pending dissolution of the national identity. Prince Ivan, entrusted with the future of Mother Russia, finds himself in an enchanted forest where he is confronted by a vast, evil force. He also meets the Firebird, the soul and essence of the land.
Prince Ivan
Prince Ivan’s costume, inspired by Tzar Nicholas’s Winter Palace Gala robe, is reinterpreted as a traditional hunting suit.
In contrast to Prince Ivan's realism, the airy lightness of the Firebird’s costume (in tule, chiffon, and feathers) reveals her ethereal identity as the soul of Imperial Russia.
Designs for the Princesses' dance dresses were inspired by the Faberge Imperial Egg, symbols of opulence and fertility.
The crown, sleeve, and bodice designs for the princesses' tutu's were inspired by regalia from the final Winter Palace Ball. The tutu's, in tule, nylon, and silk gauze, with gold appliques and cording are constructed for rigorous movement.
The romantic tutu silhouettte, embellished with traditional Russian mandala motifs link the Princesses to old world Russia.
Dame Margot Fonteyn
Les Sylphides,
1950
Koschei and His Minions
The evil sorcerer, Koschei, wears a towering headdress and royal purple tunic, enlarging his stature and making him a formidable opponent to Prince Ivan.
Koschei's minions are designed as life-size bunraku puppets. Their sectioned body pieces break apart and envelope Prince Ivan in a swarm of chaos during the mortal combat.
Bunraku puppet and puppeteers from
Alice in Wonderland
