those representing the treasured values of Egungun traditions, or asa. Asa represents a conscious attempt “to select, choose, discriminate, or discern” (Yai, 1994) while being cognizant of the historical past. Quite logically, artists-priests-devotees use their oju ona (design consciousness) together with oju inu (inner eye or artistic insight and sensibility) as well as laakaye (intuitive knowledge) plus imoju-mora (unusual sensitivity) in order to make deliberate choices (Abiodun, 1989; Lawal, 1996) in the selection of colors, patterns, and designs. This dynamic artistic process is constantly inventive, revitalizing, and modern. The result is that the cloth panels come in a multiplicity of designs, patterns, hues, shapes, and colors—a curious blend of disparate elements fully reflective of the multidimensional vision and power of departed ancestors. 2 THE COSTUME The moment I live for is when the performer puts on the finished costume for the first time. Embodying the character in the cos- tume brings the costume alive and the cos- tume transforms the spirit of the performer, which together become the vessel to deliver the intention to the audience that the direc- tors articulated weeks or months before. In the House/Full of BlackWomen episode “Passing Through The Great Midde,” the directors said they wanted a “bone dress.” Curiously, I wasn’t shocked. They told me the story of a young woman aboard a slave trader ship who was ordered—and who refused—to dance for the crew. So they
bound her to a halyard, hoisted her up the mast and dropped her to the deck, again and again long after she perished. When Amara and Ellen retold this story at each rehearsal, I could feel my own body being hoisted, followed by the free falling weight- less emptiness only to crash in blinding pain. This sensation imprinted itself in my soul. This bone dress was to honor this young woman’s spirit, to tell her story, to set her free. This costume needed to scream in anger, it needed to cry in pain, it needed strength held deep in principle, it needed an ocean’s sway, it needed air for spirit to flow through it, it needed to hold the echo of ghosts, it needed the allure of beauty followed by a recoiling to the ugly, ugly truth. ANATOMY OF A RITUAL COSTUME Garment construction begins with a visu- alization process. I mentally visualize the entire set design look and feel while think- ing about how costumes might punctuate the space. I ask how the performers will move through the space, how much move- ment will they be doing, will they be solo or part of a larger group in movement? From there I can see the silhouette of the costume followed by a general under- standing of the overall construction. Typ- ically starting from the base garment or garment that is closest to the body, I define what will work best in terms of form and function. What would be most comfort- able, identifying fabrics, style that support their movement. From the undergarment I think in layers, what needs to be com- posed over that undergarment to achieve the silhouette. Once the scenes are laid out, other spe- cifics emerge driving costume design, such as the number of performers per scene, who is cast in those roles, what the set will look like, the amount and type of move- ment, what function they will support in the story line. Now specific deity references enter the process which informs the essence of costume character such as Mother of the Ocean, the universal element they embody such as water, fire, earth, wind, the objects that are symbolic for the deity and colors. I strive to bring a consistent look for the overall production entailing purchasing sim- ilar items with variations of style and then there are special ritual costumes for key roles. As advocates for material reuse, we place intention on items that are purchased for future reconstruction or creative alterna- tive use. When designing the special ritual cos- tumes, during the construction process I consider versatility in form, function, sizing
a world that existed in the past, a world as all worlds should be based in a love for each other that we as human beings have lost along the way, making it feel unsafe to be our authentic selves. My experience with House/Full has been grounding. It has given me a perspective rooted in extremes: one like a raw open wound to another of unlimited power to express. It has afforded me the opportunity to understand deep pain and pure joy— sometimes together. Doing so widens my awareness not only about others but also within myself. It can be uncomfortable at times but looking back over the years my depth of understanding my place in this world, what I bring, where I fall short and how I can use what I have as best as possi- ble to help others continues to become more and more clear. That clarity about who you are and what you bring helps to inform all choices you make with clear intention. I never thought that making costumes would open a door into such a rich life jour- ney. But I often think that I have the best job in the world as I am able to intimately collab- orate with highly talented artists that process life in a deeply profound way, dig into the roots of understanding ancestral history and traditions, gain a perspective on history and how it informs us today, integrate all of those aspects and create tangible references that can support visual impacts to provoke ques- tions, raise awareness, promote healing and celebrate our existence. What can be better than this? UNTIL THE NEXT TIME… It’s been great to have a chance to write about and bring words to my work—a space that ordinarily has precious few of those. I would like to take this opportunity to express thanks to the Bay Area ritual dance commu- nity, the directors and dancers, for inviting me into your sacred midst. I consider myself privileged to be a member. Looking forward to seeing you all in a theater as soon as we are able! DANA KAWANO is an award-winning Ritual Costume Designer, Scenic/Installation and Visual Artist who has worked with artists like Amara Tabor Smith, Ellen Sebastian Chang, Dohee Lee, Yayoi Kambara, and oth- ers. She is versed in a multitude of artistic mediums. Her focus is to create ‘visual landscapes’ of elaborate wearable and/or scenic art that incorporate textiles, found materials and traditional mediums while inte- grating cultural/ritual layering to tell the story. 1 By Bolaji Campbell, Cloth as Metaphor in Egungun Costumes , RISD Museum, July 10, 2016,
worked with Amara and Ellen for nearly eight years now, I have gained an under- standing of the general aesthetic that appeals to them and communicates the feeling with which they hope to fill their audience. Once I understand the environment, I inquire about the main characters, their roles and their deity overlays. The pivotal points in the per- formance determine where visuals need to make a specific impact and where the cos- tumes integrated with the set design are of major importance. The performers selected for those charac- ters inform the final phase of the costume design process. Amara’s identification of the role, the deity overlay, coupled with the cho- sen performer can bring clarity defining the essence of the costume. In my design pro- cess, I draw from African traditions, Yoruba
traditions, historical era, specific objects related to a specific era, possessing symbolic significance with an earthly element to it.
and simplicity in reconstruction. Versatil- ity plays a key factor as cast members can change requiring quick costume adjustments. Honoring the spiritual nature of the perfor- mance, these special costumes are built with clear intention as a vessel that will hold the intended grace of the message. The underlayer garment typically includes a form of protection for the performer who will wear the costume. That protection can be in the form of a talisman/amulet/herb/symbolic characters etc. The structural inner layer I view as the bones (usually figuratively, though not always!), which provides a strong struc- ture to build on. The outer layer includes the fabric base of which specific embellishment and symbolic object oriented adornment can be supported. Through the combined integration of each layer that imbues the costume in preparation for the ritual performance. This includes the collaborative collection of meaningful fabrics and objects, ritualistic processes often used to create the objects, spiritual practices in placing the objects—all with clear intention throughout. INSIDE THE EXPERIENCE The feeling I get when entering a rehearsal space can only be described as like entering a remote island, a village, with people who share a deep love, compassion and acceptance for each other focused on the positive aspects of the gifts that each person brings. The space holds a respect that is beyond words where each individual feels safe to be their authentic selves and are able to express in a way that is grounded at a level that allows them to share who they are in whatever way that they truly are. There is a grace, a gentleness and understanding that is held by all to support each other in a way that I’ve not experienced in the outside world. It feels to me that it is
WHAT IS AN EGUNGUN? The Egungun plays a prominent recurring role in Amara’s and Ellen’s House/Full series. Some readers may appreciate knowing a bit of background on Egungun and their history. The RISD Museum offers one of my favorite descriptions: Made into elaborate decorative patterns, forms, and colors, these carefully arranged fabrics must follow the well-established conventions of the past, best defined here as
18
in dance FALL 2020 18
FALL 2020 in dance 19
I
|
|
rs r
. r
In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
44 Gough Street, Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.dancersgroup.org
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator