The Firebird 2016

About the Collection

Costume Designs for Ballet Philippines “FIREBIRD”, choreographed by George Birkadze. Premiered August 2016 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila.

In the ancient, pre-Hispanic Philippines, the archipelago was populated with dozens of kingdoms, sultanates and indigenous tribes. There was an immense amount of trade between Chinese, Arab and Indian merchants. Three of the greatest commodities that would have been found at this time would have been GOLD, which was found in abundance here, SPICES, which were harvested in huge quantities for export all over Europe and Asia, and PORCELAIN, traded from China.

After re-imagining this ballet set in the ancient, pre-Hispanic Philippines somewhere around the 15th century, a story was fleshed out to create a logical thread as to the look and feel of the costumes, as well as some kind of geographical placement of the characters. So here is what the story and characters have come to be:

THE FIREBIRD is a native bird who is fierce, powerful yet flamboyant and exotic. Her headdress is adorned with a combination of tropical flora and pheasant feathers, inspired by Chinese opera costume.

KOSCHEI THE IMMORTAL is a very powerful sorcerer and corrupt semi-god from what was known as Greater India – two of its more powerful empires being the Srivijaya and the Majapahit. Being one of the “superpowers” of that time, he wants control over the gold, spices and porcelain found all over the archipelago.

THE PEARL MERCHANT FROM THE SILK ROAD is dressed in royal blue velvet adorned in pearls and gold trim. His hairstyle and crown is inspired by a fresco painting from one of the caves in Dunhuang, China, and he has come from faraway Kashgar, in Xinjiang Province.

THE PRINCESS FROM THE LAND OF SPICES is a princess who comes from a distant kingdom that possesses a great deal of these precious spices that made many a tradesman, as well as her father the king, incredibly wealthy. The three most precious spices would be cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg – some of which embellish her crown. She is still nonetheless an Oriental princess, but geographically she might be Azeri or Armenian.

THE PORCELAIN DOLL PRINCESSES are native princesses that have been transformed into porcelain dolls under Koschei’s spell. Their skin is completely white and painted like Chinese porcelain, with red lips, cheeks and fingertips.

THE GOLDEN MONSTER PRINCES are native princes that are adorned with the opulent, large-scale gold jewelry based on the illustrations found in the Boxer Codex from the 1590s. They are all hypnotized under the sorcerer’s spell to obsess and covet all that is gold. They are also lavishly dressed in rich brocades, tapestries and textiles that would have been found in this period from various exotic traders.