Boston Ballet

Boston Ballet Costume Team Takes Great Pride in Work

More than 2,000 yards of net and tulle and 200,000 jewels were used to make the costumes

NBCUniversal, Inc.

There's of course the auditions and rehearsals, but the costumes are as important as anything else.

The Boston Ballet unveiled new costumes for the “Nutcracker” seven years ago, and those costumes are lovingly cared for by the company’s costume shop.

There are 350 costumes for the different casts, with 182 in every show.

“I love fitting the kids,” said children's fitting coordinator Erica Desautels. “It’s really fun. It’s really tiring.”

Desautels’ job is about more than a perfect fit: there are lessons to be taught.

“This is how a professional costume show operates. This is how you have to behave at fittings. This is how you have to behave in your costume," she said. “I think the kids do understand, once they’re on deck, in the wings, they understand the gravity of what’s going on.”

No detail is overlooked, which includes a bit of theatre magic, and the team of 12 takes great pride in their craft.

It's the team's attention to detail that brings the “Nutcracker” to life, and their months of hard work culminates when the curtain rises.

“It feels relieving for sure, to say, 'oh look like great, we did it. Great job everyone,'" Desautels said.

More than 2,000 yards of net and tulle and 200,000 jewels were used to make the costumes.

Contact Us