Dance and Fashion: An Interview with Tamara Tomic-Vajagic

Tamara Tomic-Vajagic, a Dance Studies scholar at the University of Roehampton, discusses the intersection of dance and fashion. She argues that costumes are not mere decoration but integral to a choreographer's aesthetic, citing George Balanchine's evolution of costumes for 'Apollon Musagète' (1928) and 'The Four Temperaments' (1946, revised 1951). She notes that costumes can either enhance or hinder movement, as seen in works by Balanchine, Mats Ek, and Sharon Eyal. Tomic-Vajagic highlights collaborations between choreographers and fashion designers, such as William Forsythe and Issey Miyake, whose partnership influenced Miyake's Pleats Please collection. She also mentions Michael Clark's work with Vivienne Westwood and Leigh Bowery, and Bronislava Nijinska's 'Le train bleu' (1924) with costumes by Coco Chanel. The interview explores how dance has infiltrated fashion shows, with dancers performing on runways, potentially redefining the fashion show format. Tomic-Vajagic co-organized 'The Forsythe Company at Work' project with the University of London and Sadler's Wells.