Fit for the Gods – Costume Appeal

Help us recreate the glamour and grace of 1960s Paris

Step back in time and join us to recreate an extraordinary work by the legendary Gene Kelly. Starstruck: Gene Kelly’s Love Letter to Ballet is Scottish Ballet’s bold new reimagining of Kelly’s joyful Pas de Dieux created for the Paris Opera in 1960.

Kelly’s ballet, where Greek gods masquerade as mortals and merry mayhem ensues, will feature set and costumes designed by Tony and Olivier award-winning Designer Lez Brotherston. The glorious sixties Parisian designs will add lustre to Kelly’s energetic choreography, and the mischievous adventures of Aphrodite and Eros!

We need your help to bring this delightful ballet to life.

The past 15 months have been a challenge, with many tours either rescheduled or cancelled, putting a real strain on the company. With so much uncertainty still ahead we are, literally, in the lap of the gods!  But we aim to be back on stage by the autumn, and with that in mind, Starstruck is the perfect antidote for our dancers and audiences alike.

Scottish Ballet’s Wardrobe team is working tirelessly to craft nearly 100 costumes for Starstruck, including sourcing historically accurate fabrics and period accessories inspired by the original designs.

Set to Gershwin’s jazz-infused Concerto in F, this will be the first time Kelly’s ballet has been performed in the UK. Please help us celebrate the UK premiere by supporting our Fit for the Gods Costume Appeal.

I would like to support Scottish Ballet’s Fit for the Gods Costume Appeal:

We welcome cheques too! Please make them payable to Scottish Ballet and send to:

FREEPOST RTCE-KABC-XHJJ, Advancement Department, Scottish Ballet, 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow, G41 2PE

To make a payment over the phone, please call Olivia Calder on 0141 331 6291.

If you live in the US and would like to make a tax-deductible donation, you can do so here.

Meet the characters and the costumes you'll help to create...

Aphrodite/The Star Ballerina Day Outfit

As the ballet is set on the cusp of the 1960s, this pastel green Houndstooth two-piece suit harks back to elegant ladies’ daywear designs of the time. It will serve as the Star Ballerina’s Day look and is one of her four costumes. Her pinched jacket and pencil skirt will be made in a way that has enough stretch to perform in. Paired with a chic fur stole, the Star Ballerina will look every inch the Goddess.

Aphrodite/Star Ballerina – Evening Wear

Transformed from her glamourous day outfit, the Star Ballerina emerges in the finale clad in the glitteriest of dresses. The gold sequinned fabric will illuminate her as the Star Ballerina of Goddess stature. The dress will sit neatly on top of a black slip, complete with sheer black tights and black satin pointe shoes. Although heavy with the weight of the embellishment, the shift dress allows for ease of movement.

Eros/The Pianist

The mischievous Eros is also the Pianist in the dance company. His mythological wings meet the 1950s aesthetic of his vest and slacks, weaving together these two storylines. The wings will be handmade by props designer, Robert Allsopp, who created wings for the sylphs in Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling. Eros/The Pianist also wears a hat reminiscent of the bygone days of Bogart and Sinatra. Help us give this classic outfit a new set of wings!

The Lifeguard

This classic lifeguard’s dark navy bathing suit will use material that looks like historically accurate Lycra, matte not shiny, which was first developed in 1958. The costume will be made to look worn and dated by using bleach, dye, and yes, grating!

Female dancer in rehearsal

This rehearsal costume is reminiscent of 1950s rehearsal gear worn by the likes of Ann-Margret and Eartha Kitt. The costume’s beauty is in its simplicity; the Breton stripes evoke the Parisian fashion of the time. Pass the body glue – that leotard is going nowhere! It will be held in place by this much relied-on dancer staple.

Male dancer in rehearsal

Complementing the female version, the male rehearsal costume has the same laid-back style; T-shirt, short shorts (think John Travolta in his Grease track wear!) and a bandana to mop up the sweat - far removed from what we see in dance studios today. And who can ignore those green, woollen legwarmers?!

Starstruck, with original choreography by Gene Kelly and additional material created by Scottish Ballet CEO/Artistic Director Christopher Hampson, is a re-staging of Pas de Dieux created in 1960 for the Paris Opera Ballet and performed only twice since then. Warmest thanks to Patricia Ward Kelly, widow of Gene Kelly, and The Gene Kelly Legacy Fund, Trusts and patrons for helping to support the commissioning of the ballet.

If you are interested in receiving information about leaving a gift in your Will to The Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund, please contact Antonia Brownlee at antonia.brownlee@scottishballet.co.uk.