Carmen promises to be a visual feast thanks in large part to Eddy Frank Fernandez, the company’s costume director. Such a spectacle warrants sparkle, says Fernandez, who has bedecked the dancers with sequins and rhinestones. “I’m such a perfectionist,” he admits. “I see things no one else sees. But I love what I do because it’s different every day.” | Courtesy Orlando Ballet
As Orlando Ballet prepares for its performance of the fiery 1949 ballet Carmen, the excitement and hard work can be seen in every aspect of the production—especially in the costume department.
Carmen, based on an opera by Georges Bizet and choreographed by Kenneth Tindall—who is choreographer in residence at Northern Ballet in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England—will scorch Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center from Thursday through Sunday, February 12 through 15. Showtimes will be 7:30 p.m. (Thursday and Friday), 2 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday) and 2 p.m. (Sunday).
It promises to be a visual feast, thanks in large part to Eddy Frank Fernandez, the resurgent company’s costume director. Fernandez wears many hats, figuratively speaking, including designing, sewing and altering costumes for dancers. But when he first arrived in Orlando, he asked to work as a volunteer in order to learn English.
Originally from Cuba, Fernandez graduated from the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana and later moved to Brazil. There, he opened an art school of his own. He says: “It was under a ballet school, and I started doing design and drawing for their productions. I didn’t know then that God would put everything together for me to learn about ballet.”
Though Fernandez designs costumes for many of the ballet’s productions, those featured in Carmen were actually conceptualized by Milanese designer Luisa Spinatelli. The costumes shimmer with sequins, rhinestones and anything else that provides enough sparkle to suit a spectacle. After all, says Fernandez, when it comes to Carmen, “people expect jewels.”
Once the choreographer chose the cast, costumes were altered to ensure that they fit safely and properly. However, the exquisite jacket worn by the character Escamillo came with a request that no alterations be made to it. Notes Fernandez: “Everything on it is sewn by hand. It’s a piece of art in a costume.”
As Fernandez and his team prepare for the production, he points to the beauty of several other pieces, including the toreador cape, which is extremely heavy and able to stand up under its own weight. “It was made for a real toreador,” he says.
Fernandez, like everyone else involved in the ballet, calls upon the full measure of his pride and passion for every production. “I’m such a perfectionist,” he admits. “I see things no one else sees. But I love what I do because it’s different every day.”
Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call 407.358.6603 or visit drphillipscenter.org.
