gundirgan, wise woman: Q&A with Costume Designer, Noelene Hill

After a visit to Wakka Wakka Country in Ban Ban Springs, she collaborated with choreographer Katina Olsen and our exceptional team of cutters, costumiers, art finishers and other costume specialists to design the entire set of costumes for gundirgan, wise woman. Here, Noelene shares insight into the creative process.

What was your brief from Katina?

My initial discussions with Katina revolved around Wakka Wakka woman Aunty Maureen Williams, whose story we are telling, and Ban Ban Springs as an important sacred site on Country for Wakka Wakka people. Aunty Maureen Williams is danced by First Nations dancer Tara Robertson. Queensland Ballet dancers are not embodying characters, as they are not First Nations people; rather, they are dancing as an ensemble, illustrating a feeling of landscape and culture.

Katina emphasized the importance of Country in telling the story. Visiting Ban Springs, an important sacred site on country, and hearing Elders’ stories was immensely moving and important to me in understanding Aunty Maureen’s story and to connect with and get a sense of the landscape.

Tell us about your creative process

Designing costumes is a collaborative process and no matter what ballet I am designing for, they all stem from the choreographer’s vision for their work and the story they are wanting to tell. For me, costumes and choreography should have a symbiotic relationship in telling the story - so considering the setting and the story, who the characters are, the style of the costumes (are they representative, realistic or set in a particular period?) and the style of the choreography are equally important.

I spent a lot of time considering all the elements, sketching ideas, sharing these with Katina until all the ideas we tossed around coalesced into the final designs. Next step was discussing the designs with the cutters, costumiers, art finishers and other members of the costume team who will be collaborating in the making of the costumes.  

Colour palette and fabrics?

The colour palette is important and I was very influenced by the colours of Country that I saw on our visit to Ban Ban Springs, as well as the style of Katina’s choreography. Aunty Maureen’s costume is based loosely on 1950’s styles and is the only costume that is realistic everyday wear. The ensemble dancers costumes are a neutral canvas upon which colours of country are painted.

What did you enjoy the most about working on this project?

Working with Katina on her ballet has been a privilege - a humbling and enlightening experience. Being part of a creative team in bringing a work to life is exciting and rewarding and I look forward to the moment that the first curtain rises and we see it come to life for the audience on stage.