Bodies in Motion: Stories, Clothing and Dance

Two things I can't resist: beautiful photography and beautiful clothing. When Alison Cook Beatty of New York-based ACB Dance Company contacted me about her dancers, she included a few breathtaking photos of these gorgeous ladies in motion. 

                             

Photo credit: Paul B. Goode, courtesy of ACB Dance Company

The symmetry between dance and costume is fluid and one that can not easily be broken. Alison and a few of her dancers took the time to share their work with me and explain how they carry their personal style in to their performances. Keeping reminders of family and self seem to be an important part of what these dancers carry on to the stage with them; a fuel to the emotionally charged stories they portray every day through their bodies and their work. Enjoy this little peek! 

Artistic Director: Alison Cook Beatty

"[This] is myself and my sister in law Darcy. I am wearing a favorite shirt I bought at wonderful store called OFF BROADWAY near 72nd on the Upper West Side. After ballet class at STEPS I used to go waltz around the store." 

"[This] is at another one of my favorite shops called The Fairy Store. It is on Newbury Street in Boston. I graduated from The Boston Conservatory. This was one of my favorite spots to go exploring. Cowboy boots are a must! "

"[This] photo was taken by a photographer named Paul B. Goode. I was wearing a pair of vintage high waisted jeans that a good friend of mine by the name of Sara Gerstein gave me. I love them! Paul lent me the shirt for the shoot and said I could keep it. It's one of my favorite tank tops to this day because the material is so soft." 

Photo credit: courtesy of Alison Cook Beatty

"My husband Nick and I on our wedding day at Martha's Vineyard. I think I can say this is my favorite dress. I bought the dress at Pronovias. I put it on and started dancing in it! The woman helping us at the store, I remember her name, Lisa, handed me a glass of champagne and said 'Cheers, you found the dress!' My Mom and I danced together and toasted!" 

Alison shared with me that she worked for a time with designer Norma Kamali, probably best known for creating the red swimming suit so iconically worn by Farrah Fawcett. Alison worked in Kamali's Wellness Cafe:

"It was a wonderful fit for me, being a dancer. I got to learn about products of beauty care, and food that helped maintain and improve health. Norma herself was a wonderful person to work for. Such an inspiration. I would often see her in class at Physic 57 around the corner after work in her sunglasses taking class. She is a hard worker! I loved reading the books she had in hercafe about the collaborations she did with choreographer Twyla Tharp. I actually ran into Norma a few months ago at City Center seeing ABT performing Twyla's In The Upper Room; Norma designed the costumes. It was great to see her and invite her to the World Premiere of my piece at The Joyce Theatre TINTINNABULI being performed by Ballet Next. Another great perk about working there was the discounts on the clothes. I love my fringe shorts and Norma has a great collection at Walmart's online store that is affordable for everyone. I recommend everyone check it out! I would love to work with her in the future." 

Dancer: Stephanie Van Dooren

"When it comes to my rehearsal clothing my main concern is simplicity and comfort. I want to make sure I don't get stuck to my dance partner and be able to move around without fabric that's holding me back. I usually wear something without frills that shows off my lines. Most directors I work with ask to keep it clean and neat so the body is clear from distractions. While dancing, I let 'me' shine through by wearing my mom's  lapis lazuli ring and by wearing my hair partially down.

In daily life I love to wear more unique items that define my character. My best clothing comes from vintage stores, I love having 'one of a kind' pieces.  I don't wear a lot of jewelry but what I wear has to define me. My favorite ones come from my mother & grandmother and mean a lot to me."

Dancer: Lauren Jaeger

"When I am dancing, it is extremely important for me to feel comfortable and uninhibited.  A leotard or shirt that is constantly falling down (or even off!) will obviously not work.  However, just having the clothing stay on isn't the only important part. In a profession where the body is the tool of expression and everything you do relies upon the look/shape/passion of this tool, there is always (even if only subconsciously) an awareness that people are looking at your body and that you want it to look its best.  As a dancer, you want your focus during class and rehearsals (not to mention performances) to be on your craft, not your vanity.  In this sense, it is equally important to like what you look like and feel like you look good before you take your first plie or contraction of the day. Just as in "real life"  dancers' preferences tend to change throughout the course of their careers.  

At this point in my career, I tend to feel my best in lightweight clothing and leotards in varying colors.  I've been trying not to wear too much black because brighter colors seem to make the day more exciting!  Loose flowy shirts make great additions to dance attire for class. I also LOVE turtlenecks for cold weather.  Heat Tech (by Uniqlo) and H&M sell my favorites: lightweight and flexible. If it's particularly cold, or I'm warming up for a performance, or taking a stretch class, my Lululemon dancer pants are a must.  Rehearsal attire sometimes needs to be more strategic than class or warm-up attire.  Some pieces are performed with skirts, so we need to rehearse in them.  Others might involve a lot of floorwork, so extra padding is something to think about.  The most important variable to be aware of is partner work.  You need to wear something simple, not too slippery or rough, usually nothing bulky, but you still need to feel good about yourself.  Anything too complicated or bulky and you risk injury, any insecurities will also prove detrimental to the movement quality and working with your partner.  In addition to the usual leo and tights routine, lately I've actually been enjoying some stylish unitards by Class-in Dance Shop.   

In regular person life, I have a few styles I like to play with.  My favorite look is classy and sleek with a modern edge to it.  I love to wear my dark grey/black skinny pants, with my brown or black turtle neck, black or brown boots (with a 2 in. heel) and my black and brown leafy leather jacket. (it actually is a mesh jacket completely covered in leather cutouts shaped like leaves, found at a street fair in NYC)  On a colder day, when I just feel like being comfortable, I stick with the skinny jeans (or leggings) and boots, but throw on a big, long, bulky sweater (sometimes over a turtleneck   instead of the sleek jacket.  In the spring and summer, I wear a lot of fun and playful sundresses with lots of color.  

Photo credit: courtesy of  Lauren Jaeger

On a non-dressy day, you will find me in jeans (or shorts) with a flowy shirt. That leaf jacket also works as a great evening jacket for dressier occasions. I like to look like 'Oh! I bet she's a dancer!' when I'm walking down the street. My main fashion accessories are earrings and watches. For dancing, I stick with small earrings, unless I'm partnering, then they come off!  I always wear a small and classy watch for everyday, class and non-partnering, non-floorwork rehearsals. If the rehearsal becomes too vigorous, I take off my watch to prevent injury (and my watch from breaking!)  Outside of class and rehearsals, the earrings vary in size, but the watch stays the same."

Learn more about ACB Dance company, discover upcoming events and sign up for their mailing list, all on their official website. You can also connect with them on Facebook.