{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1387347"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1387347/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1387347","accessionNumber":"S.57-2016","objectType":"Costume","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Tunic of a costume for <i>Holy Etudes</i> designed by Alexandra Exter, 1925. The production, choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska featured music by Johan Sebastian Bach and was first performed by Nijinska's Theatre Choregraphique on the 3 August 1925 at the Winter Gardens, Margate.\n\nThe costumes for <i>Holy Etudes</i> were similar for the men and women consisting of grey straight-cut, silk crepe tunics with pleated skirts, those for the men having wider pleats than those for the women. The women have red-orange silk crepe capes with bamboo supports across top fastened with gold ties while the men’s similarly constructed capes are magenta with turquoise blue ties. When the dancers turned their backs, the shield-like cloaks hid their bodies creating living décor against which soloists moved in clarity. There was clearly a sculptural quality to this ballet which appears to have been a close collaboration between choreographer and designer. Dancer Joyce Berry recalled that <i>Holy Etudes</i> ‘was an unusual success. It began slowly…I had a solo, which began with chasses and assembles. Lapitzky also had a solo. Each was different and mine was perfectly arranged to the music, which was lovely.’ Initially <i>Holy Etudes</i> appears to have been a full company work for the 10 dancers of Theatre choregraphique. It was revised in 1926 as <i>Un Estudio Religioso</i> at the Colon, Buenos Aires and designed by Boris Bilinsky in 1931 as <i>Etude</i>. It continued to be revised for casts of various size through to staging at the Hollywood Bowl 30 July, 1-2 August 1940.\nSee E.792-1963 for an unrealised idea for the set by Alexandra Exter.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Grey, straight cut, silk crepe tunic with pleated skirt.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk","id":"x34621"}],"techniques":[{"text":"pleating","id":"AAT228556"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silk crepe, pleating","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES343169"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"tunic","id":"AAT209869"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Grey tunic, part of a costume from <i>Holy Etudes</i>.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.57-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"57","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2017-03-14","availableToBook":true}}