The Costumes of ‘Bob Fosse’s Dancin”: How Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung Evoked the Choreographer’s Legacy With a Modern Touch
variety.comBrent Lang Executive Editor When it came time to create the more than 200 mini-skirts, sequined dresses, elegant suits and other outfits that the cast of “Bob Fosse’s Dancin'” hoofs it in, costume designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung faced a big dilemma.
They needed to pay tribute to the legendary choreographer’s legacy while still making something of the moment. That meant combing through archival material from Fosse’s many shows, ranging from films like “Kiss Me Kate” and “Cabaret” to his late-period masterpieces such as “Big Deal.” But there was very little to consult when it came to the 1978 original “Dancin'” other than a few grainy videos of a Japanese production and some photos of Willa Kim’s costumes. “That turned out to be a good thing,” Bartelme says. “It freed us to invent the show for ourselves.” Bartelme and Jung are long-time collaborators, having worked together on productions at American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Miami CIty Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Paul Taylor American Dance Theater, among others.
So they know how to make costumes that glide along with the kinetic movement of dancers. But “Dancin'” marks their Broadway debut and that presented fresh challenges.
Namely, this show has to be performed eight times a week for months and months whereas a ballet has a much more limited run. “We didn’t just have to make something that moves on the body,” says Jung. “We had to make costumes that are durable.
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