A dancer and her dress

Costume once worn by PBT ballet mistress is in Smithsonian exhibit

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As a young girl, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre ballet mistress Marianna Tcherkassky used to go on school field trips to the Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

But she never thought that one day she would be a part of what is called “the nation’s attic,” specifically the Museum of American History, which houses a hefty portion of 138 million carefully conserved items preserving our way of life. Ms. Tcherkassky is among the prima ballerinas whose costumes are showcased in the museum’s “American Ballet” display, which is on view through April 29. Other featured dancers are the late French ballerina Violette Verdy and American Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland.

It all started with her most treasured costume, the blue peasant dress from Act 1 in “Giselle,” skillfully crafted by costume designer May Ishimoto. Ms. Tcherkassky had been wearing “hand-medowns” as a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, although icons such as Gelsey Kirkland and Natalia Makarova were previous “owners.”

Ishimoto was not only a friend of her mother and ballet instructor, Lillian Oka Tcherkassky, she had a worldwide reputation as costume maker for international ballet stars such as Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev and as wardrobe mistress for ABT during Ms. Tcherkassky’s tenure.

One day a casual conversation between the two led to Ishimoto’s offer to make a one-of-akind costume for Ms. Tcherkassky. At that time, the dancer was making guest appearances in her signature role, “Giselle,” and she gladly accepted. She first performed in the dress in 1978.

The Smithsonian was well aware of Ishimoto, whose family had donated her memorabilia to the institution over the years. Assistant curator Melodie Sweeney was thinking about an Ishimoto exhibit, and in 2006 Ms. Tcherkassky was asked if she would donate the Giselle costume.