The Making of Thom Browne’s Fantastical Dance Performance With James Whiteside
The Making of Thom Browne’s Fantastical Dance Performance with James Whiteside
It’s hard to steal the show at a Thom Browne affair—especially one where models are standing like statues in oversize sport uniforms that feature codpieces, panniers, and supersize basketball bags. And yet before Thom Browne’s Spring 2020 show in Paris, ballet dancer James Whiteside did just that, awing the crowd with a dance performance on the runway that drew massive applause. In pointe shoes and a Thom Browne tutu, Whiteside jété’ed and pirouetted up and down the catwalk, giving life to Browne’s theatrical scene, which was part garden party in the court of Versailles and part riff on the masculinity of American sport. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Thom and his team a couple of times and I’ve always sensed a mutual respect for one another’s work. Ballet and fashion have always been soul sisters,” Whiteside wrote via email.
The project came together in the middle of the American Ballet Theatre’s summer program, which originally gave Whiteside pause to accept a ticket to Paris. “My friends at Thom Browne contacted me and asked if I was available to go to Paris during June. I said, ‘Absolutely not. I’m in the middle of American Ballet Theatre’s rigorous Spring Season at the Met Opera.’ Then they told me what it was for and I said, ‘Absolutely, yes!’” the dancer said.
With “succinct emails with directional bullet points” from Browne, Whiteside went about choreographing his 15-minute performance alone, before flying to Paris to debut it for the TB team. “I found [Thom’s notes] inspiring and endearing. I danced as the character ‘M. Brun,’ who generously opens his garden to visitors once a year. Thom was very open to whatever choreographic ideas I had and gave me clear references, as far as tone. My character is a proud and artful loner, with a generous spirit. His favorite time is when he is alone in his garden, surrounded by statues and classic beauty.” Dancing on pointe for the brief interval before the show was a treat for Whiteside, he explained, since he typically performs for up to three hours as the premier in ballets like Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty. “Condensing difficult dancing into 15 minutes for a fashion show was a fascinating task for me,” he continued. “I wanted to show off my dancing without detracting from the show itself. We’ve devised a sort of intro and outro structure, which I think works very well.”
In the end, the most negotiation between Browne and Whiteside was around his ensemble, a gray seersucker suit-tutu combination. As with all Browne looks, this one was intended to fit perfectly—and in the Thom Browne universe, perfect means tight. “It took a fair amount of pleading to get my tutu and tunic let out enough for me to raise my arms and dance in!” Whiteside said. But in the end, it came together perfectly, both for the dancer and for the designer.
In a brief statement after the show, Browne wrote to Vogue, “Working with James was a true honor . . . a privilege . . . an inspiration . . . and one of the most special moments of my career. He is a true genius.” Takes one to know one!
Originally Appeared on Vogue
