Natalia Moravski takes us behind the scenes in a Ukrainian dance company, where a team of volunteers make complex costumes that sometimes envelop the whole stage.
Lehenda was opened as a dance school and company in 2014 by Melanie Moravski Dechnicz. The goal was to teach Ukrainian dance and culture to anyone who wanted to learn. It included Ukrainian dance, classical ballet, acrobatics, strength and conditioning. Lehenda rented studios from Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance: we are still based in these same studios.
We’re always showing something that involves the history of Ukraine. I always thought that advocating for Ukrainian culture was important, but it has a special meaning this year. It seems like we have been fighting for our freedom forever, certainly most of my life. But with the current war, everything was just so different. It was so hard to dance at the beginning, but then it was just so important to keep dancing, to keep putting on performances and to advocate.
Ukrainian dance costumes are quite complex. Each region of Ukraine has a different style of costume, with different possibilities within each region. There are many layers to each piece of costume such as petticoats, skirts or wraps, aprons, shirts, vests, jackets and headgear. We like to have costumes true to the region, even though they are adapted for dance. We look at the choreography to ensure the costume will have the right movement and feel.
Finding fabric and braids in Australia can be very difficult and take a lot of time. Fabrics and braids are sourced from all over the world.
The costumes can be quite complex in our storytelling pieces. We have many animal costumes, which can change into something else in front of your eyes on stage. Some costumes can even form part of the set. The character of Lybid is said to come from the river. In our work Kyiv, she rises and wears the river which covers the entire stage, like a cape.
We are currently getting a costume made by an artist in Ukraine which involves a lot of embroidery which we could not do here in Australia. We also purchase woven fabrics which cannot be sourced here from a factory in Ukraine. Embroidered shirts have also been purchased, mainly for the school.
We meet when the opportunity arises for new costumes in the lead-up to new productions. We usually meet at the costume designer’s home, this is also where the majority of the costumes are stored.
We are so grateful to all our volunteers, without them our dances would not shine like they do on stage. Some volunteers are parents or families of dancers, and some work with Lehenda to have a connection with the Ukrainian culture.
Volunteers often receive tickets to our productions, and when we can they are given gifts. Occasionally we will have a Christmas party when all are invited to celebrate the work that’s been done.
Natalia Moravski is head costume designer for Lehenda. Visit www.lehenda.com.au like lehendaukrainiandance/ and watch www.youtube.com
