SKETCHBOOK STYLE
Each Ballets with a Twist costume is a work of art. From sketchbook to stage-ready style, costume designer, Catherine Zehr, spins inspiration and skill into every detail. In our recent Sketchbook Style series on Facebook and Instagram, we took a look at her process.
EAU DE VIE
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
Not your average after dinner drink — Eau de Vie merges mystery, rumors and romance in a balletic bouquet.
Catherine Zehr’s dashing costumes tie it all together! Catherine shares more:
“The tutu was inspired by the colors of a sunset. The lowest layer is orange followed by shades of yellow, gold, olive and blue gray. It glows from within!”
SMOOTH CRIMINAL
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
A dictator adorned in pink, petulance, and shimmery shades — Catherine Zehr fills us in on the look for Smooth Criminal:
“Right from the start I felt the jacket for our dictator needed to be pink. I ordered a light pink bengaline fabric from Tutu. com and it was the perfect color. It's a costume shop where I learned how to make a tutu more than fifteen years ago. Now I teach for them. I stitched the entire Smooth Criminal hat together by hand."
ABSINTHE
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
Like the green of this dreamy drink, our Absinthe is color, personified. Catherine Zehr’s daring details shine through.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
This charming cocktail takes the cake each time she takes to the stage. Her look is fabulousness fit for an iconic namesake.
Catherine Zehr shares a bit about her creative process:
“This costume has many layers, from the bloomers, to the small white tutu, to the black skirt with attached veil. I appliqued each pink dot in a swirl design on the top layer of the black dotted tulle skirt to mimic the fizzy bubbles in this mocktail drink.”
ZOMBIE
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
Even the undead do the Twist when Catherine Zehr is in charge. Geometric, glittery, and glamorous, our faithful (and fated) Zombies skated from sketchbook to stage in the most capable of hands.
Catherine tells the tale of costuming her walking dead darlings: “All of our zombies are in shades of iridescent black and grey with hints of blood red. The grey sequin hat was actually inspired by the spiral from the opening of the TV show, Twilight Zone.”
DOUBLE VISION
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
Dreamy, elegant and enigmatic — Catherine Zehr decreed only the finest frocks would fly for Double Vision. (Nothing new for this costume maven!)
ROY ROGERS
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
A riotous ride calls for some richly detailed duds. Catherine Zehr has it covered. The fiery tones of this tutu? Perfection!
Can one ever, really, have enough tulle?
“Our Roy Rogers girl tries to attract the attention of the uninterested boy throughout the dance,” Catherine shares. “She needs to look sweet, like the mocktail, but also flirtatious. No matter what, she gets her man in the end!”
HOLY WATER
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
More than mere H2O, Holy Water is a balletic balancing act — power and piety collide with a magnificent musical score to boot. Catherine Zehr mines the medley and adds her own artistry, making this classic Twist number one to remember.
Catherine shares some inspo: “The costumes in this 60s inspired gospel music piece were influenced by the sequin gowns worn by the Supremes in their heyday.”
HOT TODDY
from Cocktail Hour: The Show
A high stakes operation steeped in sass and class, Hot Toddy is quite the on-stage affair. As with any intrepid undertaking, a killer outfit is in order. Catherine Zehr’s masterful costuming does the trick, as always. She shares more about the inspo behind this iconic Twist hit.
“The color of the Hot Toddy cocktail influenced the palette used in the ladies 1920s style costumes for this piece. The men look dapper, channeling Fred Astaire while sporting their top hat, white tie and tails and the ladies glow in warm tones, pearl accents and feathers.”
A Hot Toddy may not be everyone’s cocktail of choice in the summer months, but a summertime sketch is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks, Catherine, for the drawing lesson!
P.S. Stay on the lookout for more from this classy clash of a cocktail. We’re cooking up a “Hot” project to bring a little summertime into the colder months!