MARTA MELE

ALERT: On November 11, 2025, we will be at Rome Opera House at 3.30 pm for the guided visit.

The new course "Costume and in Theatre" (2025/2026) will start on October 14th, 2025. The course will be held on Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm and on Thursday from 2 pm to 4 pm in Aula Toesca.
 
 Course Structure
The aim of the course “Costume and/in Theatre” is giving space to a fundamental material element in the construction of the theatrical performance and in the definition of its poetics. In order to trace the value of theatrical costume, the course adopts first of all a historiographical perspective that starts from Ballet Blanc to focus on the climate of cultural renewal of the late nineteenth century - early twentieth century and on the seasons of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. This is a key moment of a reform aimed at stylistically unifying the various components of the performance, in which the various artists Bakst, Benois, Golovin, Roerich played a great role. If it is the ballet genre that is preferred thanks to its universal language, we will not forget to study also operatic and dramatic works. In the continuation of the course, the historiographical perspective will be combined with a thematic approach.  There will be therefore an opportunity to discuss the influence of theatre on fashion.

Aims of the course
The objective of the course will be to make students autonomous in the formulation of analyses on theatrical costume and in the ideation of creative projects to be implemented in future work activities.

Participation and requirements
No specific prerequisites required. Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. The lessons will combine theoretical explanations with video analysis and class discussions of personal and group research. It will be important to discuss together the viewing of productions currently on stage and to visit theater tailors.

Evaluation
Attending students will be tested on theoretical knowledge, but also on creative group or individual projects. Their evaluation will depend on the following criteria: participation in class (35%), midterm (30%), individual or group project (35%).
Non-attending students, i.e. those who have not achieved 70% of class attendance, will have to take an oral exam.

Bibliography
Donatella Barbieri, Costume in Performance. Materiality, Culture, and the Body, Bloomsbury Publishing, London-New York 2019.
Mary Davis, Ballet Russes Style: Diaghilev’s Dancers and Paris Fashion, London: Reaktion, 2010.
Lynn Garafola, Nancy Van Norman Baer, The Ballets Russes and Its World, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1999.
Elna Matamoros, Dance & Costumes. A History of Dressing Movement, Berlin, ZHDK, 2021.

Exam Dates

Extraordinary Session for the old students: 4 November 2025.
 

Reception of students
On Friday after the class, or by appointment writing to the Professor: Marta.Mele@uniroma1.it