Costuming & Theatre Wardrobe Internship
July 10th - August 1st 2019
My internship was done at The Joffrey Ballet located on 10E Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601in downtown Chicago. I did my internship specifically in the wardrobe department of The Joffrey Ballet. The wardrobe department is where all of the Joffrey’s costumes are made and repaired for shows. I reported to Ellie Cotey whom is the head of the wardrobe department, she gave me all of my daily assignments.
About The Company
The Joffrey is a world-class, Chicago-based ballet company and dance education organization that believes in including everyone. The Joffrey is centered and founded upon diversity, they believe that no matter what shape or ethnicity you are you can dance. They are committed to artistic excellence and innovation, presenting a unique repertoire encompassing masterpieces of the past and new cutting-edge works. The Joffrey achieves its mission and beliefs by providing arts education and accessible dance training through its Joffrey Academy of Dance and Community Engagement programs. The Joffrey reaches out to the community especially the youth because, dance and the performing arts provides an amazing way to express oneself and grow in life. The Joffrey Ballet is committed to honoring, nurturing, and advancing dance through the lens of diversity, inclusion, and equity in all aspects of its programming, services, and organization.
Why Did I Choose Joffrey?
I chose the Joffrey Ballet because, I want to go into costume and theatre design when I graduate. I felt having my internship in a costume department of a well-known ballet would give me the much-needed real life experience of how a costume and wardrobe department operates. Having my internship in a setting such as this I felt would help prepare me for when I graduate and go into costume and theatre design. I was able to work and observe in an environment that I intend on going into for my career.
Internship Objectives
•My tasks consisted of helping with minor alterations and construction prep projects while assisting in craft and accessory repairs.
•Sorting and organizing of costume stock and supply along with database updating and laundry were also a major part of my job.
•Overall, I obtained a good understanding of how a costume shop operates; and was able to apply my skills as a designer and learn new ones in the process.
Skills I Gained
* Multitasking
*Teamwork
*Understanding the broad scope of the costume and theatre filed.
*Flexible to take on any work that needs to be done.
*Willing and excited to learn new methods and techniques.
Assignments
Making Hat Box Covers
•There were special carriers that were used to transport hats to shows but the carriers didn’t have covers on them to keep the hats from falling out during the process of transporting them.
•My job was to sew the covers and tabs on the carriers and glue on the Velcro.
Elastic Strings for Masks
•A bunch of black masks were purchased as accessories for an upcoming performance but they wanted elastic instead of ribbon to hold the masks on the dancers faces.
•So my job was to remove the ribbons and replace them with elastic.
Labels
•During inventory I was given the responsibility of making sure each dancer had two towels with their last name sewn onto them.
•If a dancer was missing a towel or was new I had to make a name label and sew it onto a new towel for them.
•After I made sure each dancer had two towels I organized them and placed them in their proper spot.
Making and Sewing Horsehair
•There needed to be either bows or strips of horsehair sewn into the dancers hats so that when they put them on the bobby pins that go into their hair can grip the hats so they don’t fall off when dancing.
•My job was to make the horsehair strips and sew them into the hats.
Painting Hats
For an upcoming show there were special hats made as part of the costume for the dancers. My job was to paint them.
Sewing Hook & Eyes along with Snaps
Beading and Pleating Clown Collars
For an upcoming show some of the costumes needed ruffled clown collars. My job was to gather/pleat them, and hand sew on the sparkly beads.
Bar Codes
•All of the costumes in the costume shop have bar code tags sewn into them so that they have a number and can be entered into the database. This is how inventory of costumes is kept.
•My job was to take costumes that needed new bar codes sewn into them and remove the old ones.
Baste Stitching Gloves
For an upcoming show there were some black gloves that needed to be altered so I was given the task of baste stitching where the gloves needed to be cut.
Dancer Inventory
•Each dancer had a bag with their name on it. If their was a new dancer on the list I had to make a label and sew it on a new bag for them. And if their was a retired dancer I had to remove their bag from the drawer.
•Besides having a bag with their name on it I also needed to make sure each dancer had a hanging tag with their name on it in their drawer.
•For the women dancers bags I had to remove the old tights and put two new pairs in each bag with their names written is sharpie on them.
•I also had to make sure each girl had pink trunks and nude thongs in their bag with their names written in sharpie.
•If anyone was missing anything I put new ones with their names on it in their bags.
For the male dancers bags I had to remove all the belts and make sure each dancer had at least two dance thongs in their bag with their last name written in sharpie.
How did this experience broaden your view of the field?
•My experiences at The Joffrey in their wardrobe department gave me a real life look into how a real costume shop operates and functions within a company.
•I was able to put to use the skills I have already learned while gaining new ones.
•The costume department showed me that its not just making the costumes but also repairing and recreating them.
•It was a very variety filled experience and I was able to do many different jobs each day which I feel gave me the ability to be versatile and learn new things.
How did the experience help you define your career goals?
•I took my internship at Joffrey Ballet specifically because, I want to go into costume and theatre design when I graduate. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to see how a real costume shop works.
•The experience was not disappointing it helped reassure me that I am heading into the right direction with my career.
•I am someone who enjoys being creative and always having something new to work on. I do not enjoy doing repetitive simple work.
•In my opinion costume and theatre design allows you to work on something new everyday and confronts you with new challenges and creativity.
Conclusion
•My internship at The Joffrey ballet gave me a grate insight into what I want to go into when I graduate, which is costume and theatre design. It showed me that in a costume shop it doesn’t just revolve around making the costumes but also the inventory and repair of them.
•During the internship I also saw that there are many responsibilities in a costume shop by watching Ellie who is the head of the wardrobe department. My relationship with my supervisor Ellie was professional and we communicated well. I didn’t have any problems or conflict. Ellie would always answer any questions I had and would show me what I needed to do.
•Regarding my performance I feel that I was professional, and most definitely could see myself working at The Joffrey Ballet in their wardrobe department.