Spotlight On Wardrobe

Crafting Magic: ARTISANS BEHIND THE SCENES AT SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

It is thanks to your generosity and support that behind-the-scenes artists like Megan Gulla, Head of Women's Wardrobe, can bring such beauty, artistry, and ingenuity to every performance at SF Ballet. We hope you will consider a personally meaningful gift to support costumes, sets, scenery, and so much more with support of our Annual Fund today.

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The costume workrooms below the Opera House are full of energy and movement during SF Ballet’s Repertory Season. After all, the intricacies of costume alteration and maintenance are complex dances in their own right. With their needles, threads, and nimble hands, SF Ballet’s artisans help craft the resplendent visuals that define ballet as much as the dancers themselves. 

All costumes are custom fitted, with three sizes of each for the principal dancers. This triple set of costumes is not a luxury, but rather a necessity to best match the individual physiques of our artists on stage. Duplicate costumes also provide less wear and tear and serve as a backup if repairs or alternations need to be made between matinee and evening performances.

One of SF Ballet’s most notable costume collaborations this season was with the Paris Opera Ballet for A Midsummer Night's Dream. The unique challenge presented by this particular production was that the dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet were taller than SF Ballet's dancers, so making changes to world-renowned designer Christian Lacroix's couture costumes took extra care.

When members of the Development staff visited Megan in the Wardrobe Department in March, duplicates were being constructed for the luxuriously long capes worn in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The capes are meticulously crafted to mirror the weight and flow of their stage counterparts. Each piece, lovingly labeled for its dancer, undergoes constant inspection against the casting schedule, ensuring that all costumes are organized and performance-ready at a moment's notice. 

The skills required to excel in this environment—multitasking, communication, and adaptability—are underscored by the constant flux of ballet productions. Though A Midsummer Night's Dream did not open until mid-March 2024, preparations started in September 2023 with a marathon of fittings, adjustments, and cleaning. 

When asked about her favorite ballet, Megan is quick to respond—Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake. Megan, whose own path diverged from dancing into costume design due to an injury, finds special joy in working on Swan Lake. “Swan Lake tutus are so quintessentially ballet. I love our SF Ballet swan tutus because the fabric has a bit of give to it. They fit everyone and they’re actually comfortable!” 

You can watch these same tutus, conceived by Tony-award winner Jonathan Fenson—and all the gorgeous costumes that have been tailored, maintained, and preserved by our Wardrobe team, when Tomasson's Swan Lake returns April 30–May 5. 

Megan’s greatest fear? You likely guessed it: costume malfunctions, especially a torn seam in the seat or a broken strap on the bodice of a tutu during a performance. Luckily, Megan and her team are fully prepared for every scenario. Backstage during each performance, two large booths stand ready for costume and makeup transformations. For extremely quick fixes, with only seconds to spare before a dancer is back out on stage, her team always keeps threaded needles at the ready. 

It is this agility and ingenuity that makes Megan and her team world-class. SF Ballet’s costume department embodies the dedication and creativity that is quintessential to ballet. Thanks to your generosity and support, the artistry and skills of these talented artisans will ensure that each performance fully captures the imagination and transports audiences into ethereal worlds with every curtain rise. 

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