Theatre Costume thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Theatre Costume

1986 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Akademi, London's Academy of Indian Dance, aims to present works deriving from the great traditions of Indian dance, but accessible to both eastern and western audiences. In 1986, they presented Sri V P Dhananjayan's Return of Spring, an adaptation from part of a famous Sanskrit poem, Kumara Sambhavan (Birth of Kumara), which has inspired many dramas, dances and films in India.

Craig Givens carried this idea of combining East and West into his designs. On a restricted budget, authentic reconstructions were out of the question, but, as this charming headdress demonstrates, lack of finance is no bar to creating effective theatre costumes. The headdresses retained the traditional shape of an Indian headdress, but were made from a punched foil ribbon, giving the effect of rich metal without the weight. It creates an impression of great freshness and charm in keeping with the theme of spring, while using techniques and inspiration from both east and west.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gold foil, sequins, ribbon, gold braid and adhesive tape
Brief description
Headdress for Sri V P Dhananjayan's dance drama Return of Spring, Academy of Indian Dance, 1986, designed by Craig Givens.
Physical description
Triple-stepped small conical headdress ending in domed 'finial', of perforated gold foil ribbon. Around the base is a band of red shot gold ribbon trimmed with gold open braid set with sequins. Similar ribbon divides the finial into segment and the two 'steps' into arches, the inner 'arch' of the lowest 'step' trimmed with gold open braid set with sequins.
Dimensions
  • Height: 15cm
  • Width: 13cm
  • Depth: 13cm
Credit line
Given by Akademi
Object history
Return of Spring was choreographed by Sri V P Dhananjayan for Academy of Indian Dance (Akademi) in London in 1986. It was adapted from an episode in Kalidasa's famous Sanskrit poem Kumara Sambhavan (Birth of Kumara), which had frequently been adapted into drama, dance and film in India. To fulfil the aims of the Academy, V P Dhananjayan had to create a work accessible to both western and eastern audiences while keeping the choreography within the abilities of the performers. Kathakali and Bharata Natyam were used for the divine characters and rustic folk style for the humans. T V Gopalakrishnan's music used both south and north Indian melodies and percussions. The designs by Craig Givens were imaginatively executed, especially the headdresses, the bases of which were punched metallic ribbon; these were inexpensive to make and light to wear, but gave the impression of richness.
Summary
Akademi, London's Academy of Indian Dance, aims to present works deriving from the great traditions of Indian dance, but accessible to both eastern and western audiences. In 1986, they presented Sri V P Dhananjayan's Return of Spring, an adaptation from part of a famous Sanskrit poem, Kumara Sambhavan (Birth of Kumara), which has inspired many dramas, dances and films in India.

Craig Givens carried this idea of combining East and West into his designs. On a restricted budget, authentic reconstructions were out of the question, but, as this charming headdress demonstrates, lack of finance is no bar to creating effective theatre costumes. The headdresses retained the traditional shape of an Indian headdress, but were made from a punched foil ribbon, giving the effect of rich metal without the weight. It creates an impression of great freshness and charm in keeping with the theme of spring, while using techniques and inspiration from both east and west.
Collection
Accession number
S.11-2003

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Record createdJanuary 27, 2004
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